Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 22, 1993 TAG: 9301220157
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CAVE SPRING TURNS BACK FLEMING
William Fleming's girls' basketball team compared favorably or was superior to Cave Spring's in almost every respect but one Thursday night. The Colonels did not treasure the basketball as much.The Colonels dominated the rebounding and shot a similar percentage from the floor and from the free-throw line but had seven more turnovers. Every one was one more brick in the Fleming tomb as host Cave Spring held up for a 54-49 Roanoke Valley District victory.
"Turnovers," Fleming coach Roland Lovelace said. "That's been the problem. That's been the problem all year long."
Sadly for the Colonels (8-4 overall, 3-3 RVD), they were playing a team that has the knack for exploiting its opponents' own worse impulses.
"With our guards and our lack of a real big girl inside, we have to rely on our quickness to We'd get back in the game then start having breakdowns. Roland Lovelace William Fleming coach force turnovers and get into the transition game," Knights coach Linda Long said.
Fleming had 22 turnovers, including six in the fourth quarter, all of which were absolutely lethal as it was struggling back from a 14-point deficit.
"We'd get back in the game then start having breakdowns," Lovelace said.
Fleming was as close as four points on three occasions in the third quarter and trailed 44-38 to start the fourth quarter. But two straight possessions went for naught - the second terminated by a Marqueetta Randolph walk - and Cave Spring (14-2, 6-0) went on an 8-1 run over the next 4:30, effectively putting the game out of reach.
The Knights' Cheryl Rhodes had six of her 11 points in the final 4:46. Tellingly for well-disciplined Cave Spring, all its fourth-quarter scoring came from inside the painted area or from the free-throw line.
Which is not to say that the Knights weren't effective in other areas. Kim Stewart - recovering from a bout with strep throat that caused her to miss the last game - had two 3-pointers on the way to scoring 20 points, and she led the Cave Spring press.
"When we went to the run-and-jump and the 13-trap, that made a big difference for us," Stewart said. "We got a lot of points off of turnovers."
Cave Spring also did a nice job with Randolph, who scored 39 points in a recent game against Patrick Henry. Double-teamed throughout, she was held to six first-half points before breaking loose long enough to finish with 20.
"Marqueetta is a great player," Long said. "She's not the sort who you can shut down. You just hope to control her well enough so that she doesn't dominate."
Fleming, which outrebounded the Knights 33-21 behind Randolph's 12, also got 14 points and eight rebounds from Felicia Manns and 10 points from Deon Trussell.
The Colonels made 20 of 44 shots, the Knights 21 of 44; Fleming made nine of 12 free throws, Cave Spring nine of 13.
Long said: "Every time they'd get close, our guards would come up with two or three steals and we'd go back up."
In another game Thursday:
\ Roanoke Catholic 54, Stuart Hall 21: Roanoke Catholic's fast-breaking offense and pressing defense proved too much for Stuart Hall, and the host Celtics recorded a 54-21 victory in a Blue Ridge Conference girls' game.
Roanoke Catholic forced 18 steals and scored many of its points off layups. Jackie Hinman's 13 points and Wendy Murdock's 12 led Roanoke Catholic (11-2 overall, 6-1 league). Manda Fortner's 11 points led Stuart Hall (2-7 overall).