Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 18, 1993 TAG: 9303180458
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BASSETT LENGTH: Medium
BULLDOGS RETURN TO AA SEMIFINALS
Martinsville's defense ruined what is usually a deft Gate City shooting touch. The Blue Devils had only themselves to blame for the free-throw accuracy, though.The Bulldogs held Gate City to 28 percent shooting in the second half and the Devils missed 18 of 24 free throws as Martinsville prevailed 64-46 in a state Group AA quarterfinal boys' basketball game at Bassett High School on Tuesday night.
The victory puts Martinsville (22-5) into the state final four for the first time since 1990. Gate City, which never has advanced this far, finished 22-5.
"We've been playing red-hot and really well, and then we had that delay," Devils coach Sandy Blackwell said. "It was definitely a factor. It broke our rhythm. That, and Martinsville has an excellent team."
Gate City, which had been scheduled to play Martinsville on Saturday before the snow came, was within striking distance - down 39-28 at the break - but hope quickly evaporated in the third quarter when the Bulldogs clamped down to allow only one field goal in seven attempts.
"We went back to the 1-3-1 zone defense and did an excellent job with it," Martinsville coach Husky Hall said. "They just couldn't shoot over the zone."
Martinsville plays Spotswood, a 69-46 winner over Brunswick last Friday night, at 1 p.m. on Friday at University Hall in Charlottesville. That will put two teams from the Piedmont District in the semifinals: Laurel Park beat Virginia High 49-36 in Tuesday's first game at Bassett.
The Bulldogs got 20 points from Mike Martin and 16 from Maurice Spencer.
"Martin hasn't been playing well at all the last two weeks," Hall said. "We've been trying to get him out of it. Looks like he came to play tonight. Now, we've got to go to work on Vincent Eggleston."
Eggleston was held to four points.
Jason Jones led Gate City with 15 points and big man Scotty Vermillion added 14. Jones had four 3-pointers.
"When they went to that zone, they took away both our perimeter and our inside game," Blackwell said. \
see microfilm for box score