Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 27, 1993 TAG: 9302270081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
MAROONS REACH ODAC FINAL
Roanoke guard Amy Saunders seems to have recovered from the flu bug that gripped her earlier this week.Saunders, who sat out a tournament quarterfinal game Wednesday, returned to action Friday and scored a healthy 25 points against Emory & Henry at the Salem Civic Center.
The career-high output by the senior from Patrick Henry High School powered the Maroons to a 78-67 victory over the Wasps in a semifinal game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament.
Top-seeded Roanoke (20-5), a 20-game winner for the seventh straight season, will shoot for its third straight championship - and eighth in 12 years - today at 1 p.m. against Bridgewater.
Saunders was 9-for-12 from the field and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line. She scored 15 points in the second half, when she gave E&H fits with her slashing moves to the basket.
"I had a lot of rest and I felt good," said Saunders, who got sick last Friday and returned to practice Thursday.
"I drove a lot and took the initiative. This is my last year and this could have been my last game, so I had to step it up."
Junior Kay Caldwell, from Cave Spring, added 14 points for Roanoke and senior Debbie Puch, a former Salem player, had 13.
"Amy had her best game of the year," said Maroons coach Susan Dunagan. "She's had outstanding games, but this was clutch.
"We were a little scared and nervous, but our leadership came through today when we needed it. The seniors wouldn't let us let down."
Roanoke was up 33-32 at halftime and pushed its lead to 52-41 with 11:12 remaining in the half. Six points in 34 seconds, the last four by Saunders, gave the Maroons' their 11-point edge.
"Saunders had a real nice game," said E&H coach Joy Scruggs. "She just went one-on-one and we couldn't match up very well."
The Wasps (14-12) never got closer than seven in the final 10 minutes. Roanoke missed its first nine 3-pointers but Marcee Hufton, Puch and Kristie Workman made three straight bombs in a two-minute span to help Roanoke protect its lead.
Roanoke made 15 of 29 shots in the second half, while the Wasps shot 9-for-27.
Cathy Durham, a 4-foot-11 guard, led E&H with 17 points. Heather Conley had 12, Becky Mullinax 11 and Emily Wingate 10. Conley, Durham and Mullinax were a combined 12-for-41.
Emory & Henry twice led by six points in the first half, but the Maroons answered with runs of 8-0 and 9-0. \
see microfilm for box score