Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 6, 1993 TAG: 9302060274
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
COLONELS CRUISE 79-53
Although William Fleming went Paye-less at the Salem Civic Center Friday night, the Colonels cashed in big against down-and-out Patrick Henry.The Colonels (13-3), the No. 2 team in Timesland and the eighth-ranked Group AAA school in the state, waltzed past the Patriots 79-53 in a Roanoke Valley District boys' basketball game.
Fleming broke open the game in the third quarter with a 22-4 spurt that sunk any upset hopes that PH (2-14) might have had. The Colonels were paced by Carlos Rhodes, the district's leading scorer, and his backcourt mate Derrick Hines.
Rhodes finished with 21 points (1.3 above his season average), and Hines scored 17 as the Colonels at times flashed signs of their recent brilliance.
They did it without head coach Burrall Paye, who was ill, according to assistant coach Andy Gray and Fleming principal Alyce Szathmary.
"When you're sick, you're sick," Szathmary said shortly after the game ended. "But Coach Paye will be here tomorrow night" for a game against nationally ranked Rice of Manhattan, N.Y. at the Salem Civic Center.
Fleming vs. Rice is part of the Newbern-Trane "Quest for the Best" doubleheader that also features George Washington of Danville against Oak Hill.
Late Friday night, two sources, who would not have spoken had their names been used, said Paye was serving a suspension for using inappropriate language on the bench during an earlier game.
Repeated phone calls to Paye's residence Friday night went unanswered.
Fleming may have to face the best team in the state of New York (according to Gray) without forward Reggie Reynolds, who missed Friday's game with a hip pointer.
Even without Paye and Reynolds, Fleming was too much for Patrick Henry, last year's Group AAA state champion that has fallen on hard times. "Fleming just had more talent than we did," Patriots coach Woody Deans said. "But we hustled, and never gave up."
The Patriots closed to 35-31 early in the third quarter, and Fleming promptly called timeout.
"I told the team I wasn't very pleased with the way they were playing," Gray said, who had filled in for Paye in a game three years ago.
In two minutes, the Colonels scored 10 unanswered points and the outcome was settled.
While their victory margin was convincing, the Colonels did not shoot well. They made only half of their free throws (9-of-18) and shot less than 50 percent from the field (33-of-70).
Shannon Taylor led the Patriots with 17 points after a scoreless first half. Taylor drew four fouls in the first 10 minutes of the game and sat out most of the second quarter. \
see microfilm for box score Staff writer Bob Teitlebaum contributed to this story.