ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 24, 1993                   TAG: 9311240148
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD                                LENGTH: Medium


FLOYD CO. FLATTENS HURLEY WITH PRESS

THE BUFFALOES advance to meet Thomas Walker in the state girls' basketball tournament, winning 88-49.

\ Hurley was Floyd County's latest victim in its latest episode of "Meet the Press."

Employing a full-court press so oppressive it would rankle Amnesty International, the Buffalo girls mashed their guests from the coalfields 88-49 before a standing room only crowd in the first round of the Group A state tournament Tuesday night.

With its 25th straight victory, Floyd (27-1) matches its record of a year ago, when the Buffaloes lost to Wilson Memorial in the state semifinals. Floyd will play Thomas Walker Friday, Dec. 3 at the Salem Civic Center.

"It's not good enough," said Floyd County senior post player Lynette Nolley. "We want to go all the way this year."

Nolley was certainly good enough against Hurley. She led four Buffaloes in double figures with 24 points.

Melissa Cantrell hit four 3-pointers in scoring 19 points, Leigh-Ann Pursifull scored 13 and Carrie Chaffin had 10.

Cantrell knocked down two of her 3-pointers during a 15-2 spurt to open the second half that put the game away. The Buffaloes' 2-2-1 press spooked Hurley into nine turnovers in four minutes.

"We kept changing presses until we found one that worked," said Alan Cantrell, Floyd's coach and Melissa's dad. "[The Rebels] were an attacking team, very fast. We wanted to make them have to work to get down the floor against our press."

"Press" might be too soft a word. Push-buttons on a phone get pressed. A pair of trousers on the floor of a bachelor's apartment eventually get pressed. Hurley had 39 turnovers, the fourth straight time a Buffalo opponent has had at least 30.

The signs of a second-half spanking were visible late in the second quarter, when the Buffaloes closed the half on a 12-4 run fueled by six turnovers. Melissa Cantrell hit a 3-pointer and scored seven points during the flurry.

Hurley (19-8), the Region D runner-up, was led by 15 points from Samantha Lester and 10 from Charlotte Mullins. The Rebels pulled within five points with 2:41 left in the second period but never led.

Floyd outscored Hurley 28-8 in the third period and led by as many as 41.

"I can't see anyone being a better all-around team than they are," said Harold Horne, Hurley's coach. "If there is, I don't want to play them." \

see microfilm for box score



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