Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 19, 1993 TAG: 9303190246
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
MENCHVILLE DEFENSE STEALS KNIGHTS' HOPES
The Cave Spring girls' basketball team probably wouldn't mind seeing the Group AAA state tournament moved next year.For the second straight year, the Knights played perhaps their worst game of the season at University Hall in the semifinals as they were eliminated 64-54 by Menchville.
The Monarchs will take on James Madison for the state championship Saturday. The Warhawks eliminated defending champion Phoebus 44-30 in a game that saw Phoebus' La'Keshia Frett, the nation's top recruit, wind up her career with only nine points.
Cave Spring was hampered by turnovers and Menchville's defense.
"We probably had 1,000 turnovers today. All year we've taken care of the ball, and we didn't do that," Cave Spring coach Linda Long said.
The Knights actually had 24 turnovers.
"Many of them were unforced," reminded Knights guard Kim Stewart, who led the parade with six miscues.
It was very disheartening for Stewart, who last year was the only Knights player to do well at Charlottesville when she hit seven 3-point shots.
This year she was watched closely on defense by Menchville's Kohlyne Holdcraft with help from others.
"They played good defense, and we kind of got rattled. They made the shots and we didn't," said Stewart.
The senior guard went down with a twisted ankle early in the second period with Cave Spring leading 18-15. Stewart was on the bench for the next few minutes, and by halftime the Monarchs (23-6) led 29-23.
When Stewart returned, she didn't get going offensively until she finally started driving inside to lead a last-quarter rally.
"I could get by their first defender, but they always had help until the end, when they weren't helping as much," said Stewart.
Said Long, "Kim never got in the flow of the game. I have no idea why. I know the things we did to get us here, we didn't do today, like playing good defense or rebounding. We couldn't get anything going, and I thought we were ready to play."
Cave Spring (25-4) trailed by 11 late in the third quarter, then Stewart scored 10 of her 12 points in the final quarter.
The Knights trimmed Menchville's lead to 49-44 with 6:22 when Stewart hit a driving layup.
Menchville's Misty Hart, who scored a game-high 25 points, then fired in a 3-point goal that broke the Knights' rally.
The Monarchs pulled ahead by 13, and the closest Cave Spring came after that was when Stewart hit a free throw to make it 61-54 with 1:21 left. Then Holdcraft, who averages 15 points, hit one free throw for her only point.
After a Knights turnover, Danielle Dawson, who had 15 points, hit another free throw with 53 seconds remaining to end any hopes of a Cave Spring rally.
Oddly, this game might have turned when Menchville defensive specialist Wanda Browning picked up three fouls in the first four minutes.
Browning fouled out early in the final quarter after playing less than eight minutes of the game. Her replacement, sophomore Wanda Artis, took over the game with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
"Wanda did a super job and played like she was a force out there," said Menchville coach Phil Forbes. "She was ready to play basketball."
Long said, "We knew she was a good rebounder, but we didn't have anyone in a white uniform who wanted to box her out."
The Knights did handle Menchville's press. Forbes called off the press, but he said it was because Holdcraft and Dawson had been sick all week.
"Sure they got some buckets on it, but that's not why we came out of it," he said. "Misty Hart played her best game defensively, and she did a job on No. 32 [Amy Athey]. We told her to execute 100 percent on defense and give up a little on offense because of our sickness."
Hart hit 10 of 13 shots and scored 21 of her points in the first three quarters.
"I had to step up," Hart said. "But Wanda gave us a lift. She just never seemed to stop and kept on going. She was another big plus for us."
Athey wound up leading Cave Spring with 14 points, and freshmen Cheryl Rhodes added 10. Together, Athey and Rhodes got 25 rebounds as the Knights led the rebounding 40-37 despite Artis' big effort for Menchville. \
Group A boys
\ Twin Springs 69, Prince Edward County 64: At Charlottesville, Landon Bayes scored 32 points as Twin Springs had a pair of key defensive plays in overtime to beat Prince Edward County.
Twin Springs (20-6) will meet Franklin in Saturday's championship game.
\ Franklin 55, Hurley 69: Robert Rickman and Jermaine Seaborne each scored 13 points as Franklin (28-0) defeated Hurley.
\ see microfilm for box score