Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 6, 1993 TAG: 9310060189
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DALEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The Cavaliers missed several easy shots under the basket. They threw errant passes in bunches. They ended up turning over the ball 20 times.
It didn't matter, though. Lord Botetourt still won by 40 points over the 1992 district champions, whipping the Spartans 68-28. It was the first time Botetourt (11-1 overall, 1-0 in the district) has beaten Salem in David Wheat's five years as head coach of the Cavaliers.
"They're an excellent team," said Dee Wright, Salem's head coach. "I'd rate them right up there with Blacksburg. They did everything right, and we did everything wrong."
That was no understatement. Salem (5-5, 0-1) turned over the ball 30 times, and never found a rhythm offensively. Almost half of the Spartans' points - 16 - came on free throws, and they had only six baskets.
"This sends a message that we're ready for anybody, but not that we're great," said senior forward Ashley Moore, who scored 15 points for Timesland's second-ranked team. "We made some mistakes tonight, and we know that nobody's going to roll over for us."
And while Lord Botetourt did make its share of errors, there were stretches when the Cavaliers looked like one of the top teams in Timesland.
One of those stretches was at the start of the second half. Salem scored the first basket of the half to cut the Cavaliers' lead to nine, at 28-19. Lord Botetourt then went on a 22-3 run to end any hopes of a Salem comeback.
Included in the Cavaliers' run were some apparent role reversals:
Jenny Gates, a 6-foot-1 forward, showed quickness by hitting two fast-break layups in less than 30 seconds. The senior led all scorers with 17 points.
Summer Plunkett, a 5-6 junior guard, got physical, hitting two tough, inside baskets. Plunkett then hit a 15-foot jumper from the left corner. She finished with 14 points.
Near the end of the run, Gates decided the lead - then 16 points - wasn't quite big enough. She fired a three-pointer from the left corner and hit nothing but the bottom of the net. Two minutes later, she launched another three-point attempt from the top of the key. Good.
The Cavaliers took a 15-3 lead, then missed easy shots, threw wild passes and at times were outhustled by the Spartans.
"I think this shows how much depth we have," said Gates, referring to Lord Botetourt's nine scorers. "We have a lot of poise. We can come back if we're messing up and make up for it."
\ William Byrd 71
Alleghany 56
Kelly Runyon led a spirited defense with seven steals and William Byrd wore down visiting Alleghany with pressure as the Terriers defeated the Mountaineers in the opening Blue Ridge District game for both teams.
Jaclyn Banks scored a game-high 18 points and added nine rebounds for Byrd (8-3, 1-0).
Celeste Godfrey scored 14 points to lead Alleghany (8-3, 0-1). \
Glenvar 51
Covington 29
COVINGTON - The Highlanders pressured the Cougars early and rode a balanced offense to the Pioneer District victory.
Glenvar (8-3, 4-0) got 12 points for Marliea Hale.
Covington (2-7, 2-1) was led by Joann Helton with 11 points. \
Northside 67
Rockbridge County 35
Terri Craig came off the bench and scored 12 points as the Vikings pounded the Wildcats for their first Blue Ridge District victory.
Michelle Orlando and Sarah Hicks each scored 10 points to pace Northside's balanced scoring. The Vikings are 5-6 overall, 1-0 in the district.
Tonya Clements scored 10 points to lead Rockbridge County (5-6, 0-1).
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB