Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 18, 1993 TAG: 9312180210
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
A back-and-forth, attack-and-retreat game of boys' basketball left two Seminole District teams and a gym full of paying customers in an advanced state of breathlessness. But Liberty had enough gasps left to hold on to a 73-65 victory over Jefferson Forest.
The Cavaliers (3-2 overall and in the district) had whittled a 15-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to 69-65 against the jittery Minutemen (4-1, 4-1) when Mike Campbell drove for a bucket with 52 seconds left.
Mark Hanks, Liberty's coach, then called a timeout that seemed to refocus his guys on the task at hand. J.J. Coles and Craig Coleman sandwiched four free throws around a Jefferson Forest turnover - one of seven in the sloppy fourth period. Despite missing the front end of two one-and-ones in the last 27 seconds, the Minutemen didn't have to pay because another turnover and two missed bombs finished the Cavaliers.
"Liberty's defensive consistency all game was the difference," said Jim Hawley, Jefferson Forest's coach.
The Cavaliers shot respectably from the field (26-for-57, 46 percent), but Liberty forced 27 turnovers that kept Jefferson Forest from building anything resembling a head of steam.
The Minutemen, with 6-foot-6 Bruce Jacobs, 6-5 Stephen Shrader and 6-5 bruiser David Ross enjoying a considerable size advantage inside, often were unstoppable. Liberty made all but two of its shots from the field in the second quarter, but the Minutemen did a good job of stopping themselves at times, though, especially in the fourth quarter.
"It seemed like we were stuck on 67 forever," Hanks said.
Shrader, a junior, scored a career-high 22 points before suffering a twisted ankle in the second half.
Jacobs added 16 points and Ross eight.
The early story for the Minutemen was sophomore guard Greg Reynolds, who swished a trio of 3-pointers in the first half en route to 15 points for the game.
Reynolds' outside shooting opened the inside for the big guys, and Liberty's perimeter players were only too happy to lob balls over the defense to them.
Ryan Gilleland led the Cavs with 17 points and Anthony Poindexter, fresh from quarterbacking Jefferson Forest to its second consecutive Group AA Division 3 state football championship on Dec. 11, chipped in 10. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB