Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 9, 1993 TAG: 9301090270
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SPARTANS FALL SHORT OF CENTURY MARK
In their continuing quest to send the basketball scoreboard spinning into triple digits, Salem's Spartans may need to be reminded of the value of making a few free throws.The open-the-jets Spartans were denied their second venture past 100 points in six games Friday night when they missed 19 of 35 foul shots and had to settle for a 98-64 blow-torching of guest Carroll County.
The foul foul shooting gave Salem coach Charlie Morgan one of the few reasons he's had all year to shake his head in dismay.
"That's not very good," he said. "I've set as a realistic goal of shooting 70 percent as a team but 16-for-35 [45.7 percent] isn't very good at all."
Salem (6-0) made up for those deficiencies in other ways.
Salem scored 50 points in the second half, including 30 in a go-for-the-jugular fourth quarter. The relentless Spartans had only six turnovers, made their first five shots of the last period and finished with a 57.8 percent (37 of 64) accuracy rate while forcing 20 turnovers.
"We've had two bad games against Blacksburg in a row," said post man Nathan Routt, who had 11 points and seven rebounds. "We decided that we wanted to come out tonight and play well."
That was a relief to Morgan, who hadn't liked what he'd seen this week in practice.
"But they made me very happy with the way they played [in the game]," he said.
Cavs coach Pat Sharp didn't have such warm words for his team.
"I thought our effort was terrible," he said. " . . . They killed us inside."
Along with Routt, Josh Pugh dominated the painted area with 22 points and six rebounds and Shawn McMahon added nine points and seven rebounds. However, the one edge the Cavs (3-8) did manage was a 38-34 margin on the backboards.
Mark Byington had another terrific outing for Salem with 27 points, 18 coming from 3-point range.
"My shot felt good in warmups, but then I missed my first one in the game," he said. "Then I made the next couple and that got my confidence up."
Carlos Terry (10 points) and Keith Moyer (six points) both drilled treys in the fourth as Salem made its charge to triple digits, but the Spartans made only one of five free throws in the last 52 seconds to fall short.
Stephen Dalton scored 24 points and John Wolford 22 for the Cavaliers.
"We wanted to slow the ball down and not get out and run with them," Sharp said. "I guess they shot quickly so they wouldn't turn it over. That's what Salem's defensive pressure will do to you." \
see microfilm for box score