Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 17, 1993 TAG: 9303170162
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT LENGTH: Medium
LANCERS SURVIVE SLOWDOWN
Good strategy by Virginia High but not much of a game - unless you're Laurel Park."Hey, I thought we played well," Laurel Park boys' basketball coach Frank Scott said. "I'm pleased."
As well he should be after Laurel Park (25-1) kept a cool head while turning back stalling Virginia High 49-36 in a state Group AA quarterfinal game at Bassett High School on Tuesday night.
The victory sends the Lancers to the Final Four in Charlottesville, where they will play the winner of the Louisa County-Greensville County game in a 2:45 p.m. semifinal Friday at University Hall.
Virginia High finished its season with a 16-10 record.
In a second game Tuesday night at Bassett, Martinsville defeated Gate City 64-46. The Bulldogs (22-5) will face Spotswood (25-1) on Friday a 1 p.m. in Charlottesville.
This makes the third time that the Bearcats have played the Lancers in the past year: Once to end the season at this point last season and again at the start of the current year. Each time, the result was the same.
"We need a break," Virginia High coach Mike Cartolaro said.
The Bearcats tried to make their own by spreading the floor and setting a sedating pace. The score was 8-8 after one quarter and 15-9, Laurel Park, after two.
"When we played them at the start of the year, we were still seeking an identity as a team and we tried to press them," Cartolaro said of the Lancers' 66-40 demolition job. "We came in a distant second.
"This time, we tried to control the tempo, limit the possessions and keep them out of the transition any way we could."
The result was bore-ball. The amazing thing was, almost everybody's attention flagged but the Lancers.
"We're in condition," said the Lancers' Ronnie Jackson, who led all scorers with 15 points. "We can hang with any team, slow or fast."
Said Scott: "We're ready for anything. A slowdown doesn't worry us. I was thinking about pulling it out myself."
There are several dangers to the sort of tactics Virginia High employed, and they became apparent as Laurel Park pulled away. One, every possession is magnified in importance and thus every turnover more deadly than the last. The Bearcats had 12 turnovers, and just about every one was exploited by the quick-footed Lancers.
The other problem for Virginia High was that the spread denied it its best player, guard Flipper Sensabaugh, who averages 17 points per game. Sensabaugh took only seven shots and finished with six points.
"We knew that would happen going in," Cartolaro said. "Flipper likes the up-tempo game. He sacrificed for us.
"But we still got some shots. we just didn't make them."
Virginia High made 15 of 48 shots, was outscored 13-2 on free throws and was outrebounded 33-30.
Laurel Park hit 18 of 49 shots.
Lonzy Robertson, Laurel Park's leader, had three fouls by halftime and was limited to six points, but that didn't hurt the team.
"We don't depend on one player," Scott said.
Chauncey Strange chipped in nine points and six rebounds, and Warrick Scott contributed eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks .
The only problems Laurel Park encountered were in trying to shoot over the Bearcats' packed-in zone.
"Coach told us to be patient and the shot would come to us eventually," Strange said. "As you can see, that's what happened." \
see microfilm for box score