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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 5, 1994                   TAG: 9403050178
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BRIAN DEVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

ALBEMARLE BRINGS EARLY END TO CAVE SPRING'S SEASON C2 C1 SEASON SEASON

Not far away, Cave Spring's players could only stand and watch. For the first time in seven years, the Knights did not qualify for the state tournament.

The Patriots beat Cave Spring 50-45 on Friday night in the semifinals of the Northwestern Region tournament. Albemarle will play at Woodbridge at 7 p.m. tonight for the region title. Last year, the Knights beat Albemarle in the semifinals.

"They ended our season last year and beat us twice this year," Jenkins said. "It was time for us to get the monkey off our back."

The monkey came off for the Patriots (17-3) when guard Amy McGarity stole a Knights pass with 10 seconds remaining. She converted on the layup, giving the Patriots a 50-45 lead and denying the Knights a final attempt to send the game into overtime. It was Cave Spring's 26th turnover.

"We turned the ball over too many times, we missed layups and we didn't make enough foul shots," Cave Spring coach Linda Long said. "We haven't done that all year, but we did it tonight. I don't know why."

The Knights (21-4) were 13-of-24 on free throws and made several unforced turnovers. So did Albemarle, the Western District champion, which turned over the ball 23 times.

But the Patriots had a player step up at clutch time.

The Knights didn't.

Albemarle's Sarah Trayers, a 5-foot-7 guard, scored a game-high 20 points, most of them coming at just the right time for her team.

Cave Spring took a 21-15 lead with 2 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the first half after Knights forward Leah Daigle sank two free throws. Then Trayers took charge, scoring two field goals and hitting three free throws as the Patriots took a 22-21 halftime lead.

Trayers opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer from the top of the key, giving Albemarle a 38-32 lead with 7:47 remaining. The Patriots built their biggest lead - 42-34 - with 6:38 remaining, but Cave Spring forced four turnovers in the next four minutes and tied the score 42-42.

Trayers hit another 3-pointer with 2:20 left, giving the Patriots a 45-42 lead. After making three of its next five free throws, Albemarle led 48-43 with 1:17 to go. Cheryl Rhodes' 5-foot jumper cut Cave Spring's deficit to 48-45, but after another Albemarle turnover, Aimee Beightol missed an open 3-pointer at the top of the key that would have tied the score with 30 seconds remaining.

Daigle led the Knights with 14 points, and Beightol and Lisa Bryan each scored 12.

The Knights shot 16-of-35 from the field, and Albemarle, getting many second chances on offensive rebounds, shot 20-of-57. Cave Spring outrebounded Albemarle 25-24.

"It was good defense and a heart and desire to win," Jenkins said. "We were down at the beginning, but we had the heart and desire to pull it out. That's what this team's about."

The Knights now must deal with not competing in the state tournament.

"This team's used to going to the state championships - that's been a given," Long said. "They need to remember what this feels like so they can learn from it and be a better team next year."