Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 17, 1993 TAG: 9303170200
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT LENGTH: Medium
LAUREL PARK, MARTINSVILLE ADVANCE
Laurel Park and Martinsville advanced to the Group AA state boys' basketball tournament semifinals Tuesday night with contrasting victories.Martinsville employed a pesky defense to limit Gate City to 28 percent shooting in the second half in posting a 64-46 victory.
Laurel Park, meanwhile, survived a slowdown by Virginia High to win 49-36.
Both games were played at Bassett High School.
Martinsville (22-5) reached the state final four for the first time since 1990. Gate City, which has never advanced this far, finished at 22-5.
Gate City, which had been scheduled to play Martinsville on Saturday before the snow came, was within striking distance - down 39-28 at halftime - but hope quickly evaporated in the third quarter when the Bulldogs clamped down and Gate City hit just one of seven field goal attempts.
Martinsville plays Spotswood, a 69-46 winner over Brunswick, at 1 p.m. Friday at University Hall in Charlottesville. The Bulldogs got 20 points from Mike Martin and 16 from Maurice Spencer.
Laurel Park (25-1) makes a return trip to the state semifinals, where the Lancers will play the winner of the Louisa County-Greensville County game in a 2:45 p.m. semifinal Friday at University Hall.
Virginia High (16-10) tried to control the tempo by spreading the floor and setting a deliberate pace. The score was 8-8 after one quarter and 15-9, Laurel Park, after two.
The result was bore-ball. The amazing thing was, almost everybody's attention flagged but the Lancers, who had throttled the Bearcats 66-40 earlier in the season.
"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." GATE CITY (46)
Howell 1 1-2 3, Carter 3 0-2 6, Wolfe 0 2-2 2, St. Martin 1 1-7 3, Jones 5 1-2 15, Shoemaker 1 0-2 2, Vermillion 7 0-5 14, Boy 0 1-2 1. Totals: 18 6-24 46. MARTINSVILLE (64)
Martin 9 2-3 20, Eggleston 2 0-0 4, Holland 3 0-0 6, Spencer 8 0-0 16, Johnson 2 2-2 7, Frith 1 0-0 2, Durand 2 0-4 4, Howard 0 1-2 1, Shearer 1 0-2 2, Gravely 0 0-2 0, Philpott 1 0-0 2. Totals: 29 5-15 64. Gate City 1414414-46 Martinsville 20191411-64
Three-point goals: Jones 4, Johnson. Total fouls: Gate City 18, Martinsville 17. A-1,500. VIRGINIA (36)
Davenport 4-18 0-0 10, Sensabaugh 2-7 1-2 6, Pope 1-3 0-0 2, C. Johnson 2-4 0-1 5, L. Johnson 2-8 0-2 4, Leonard 0-3 0-0 0, Watkins 4-5 1-1 9. Totals: 15-48 2-6 36. LAUREL PARK (49)
Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Wilson 0-0 1-2 1, Crabtree 0-1 1-2 1, Strange 3-8 3-4 9, Cook 1-6 2-4 4, Carter 1-2 2-2 4, Millner 0-0 1-2 1, Jackson 7-15 1-1 15, Scott 3-8 2-5 8, Curry 0-1 0-0 0, Foster 0-2 0-0 0, Robertson 3-5 0-0 6. Totals: 18-49 13-22 49. Virginia High 811017-36 Laurel Park 871321-49
Three point goals - Virginia High 4-15 (Davenport 2-7, Sensabaugh 1-4, Pope 0-1, C. Johnson 1-3), Laurel Park 0-1 (Jackson). Fouled out - C. Johnson. Rebounds - Virginia High 30 (Davenport 8), Laurel Park 33 (Scott 8). Assists - Virginia High 9 (Sensabaugh 6), Laurel Park 5 (five with one). Total fouls: Laurel Park 11, Virginia High 15. Technical fouls - none. A -1,500.