Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 8, 1994 TAG: 9403080079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EMORY LENGTH: Medium
Baker, who was defused in the first half with foul difficulties, scored nine points to energize a third-quarter charge that helped the Fighting Blues knock out Chilhowie 64-48 in the Region C basketball finals Monday evening.
Parry McCluer (21-2), the state's third-ranked team, has little time to relish its first regional crown 17 years. The Fighting Blues play Honaker tonight at Radford University's Dedmon Center at 7 p.m. in a first-round Group A state tournament game.
"Tomorrow at lunch, we'll go over the scouting report [on Honaker]," said Parry McCluer head coach Nelson Fox, whose team will have no time to practice for Honaker, a team that has not played since last week and has scouted the Blues twice in the past three days.
Chilhowie plays Twin Springs in tonight's second Group A game.
The last time Parry McCluer was in a state tournament, in 1977, the Fighting Blues fell to Wise in five overtimes, the longest state tournament game in Virginia High School League history.
Fatigue was no problem for Baker, the Blues' high-spirited forward who committed three first-half fouls and watched from the bench as the Fighting Blues trailed 29-27 at the break.
Baker made up for lost time by scoring seven points in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the second half, as Parry McCluer took control with a 14-1 surge.
"I was a little worried [at halftime]," said Baker, who finished with 18 points. "The bench isn't where I wanted to be. Coach told me to go out there and play like I usually do, but not to reach [and foul] as much."
Parry McCluer scored the first eight points of the second half to go up 35-29 with 6:01 to play. Baker, who finished with 13 points, tied the game at 29 with a short jumper barely 15 seconds into the quarter and gave the Blues the lead for good 15 seconds later when he stuck in an offensive rebound.
He had nine points in the third period as Parry McCluer outscored Chilhowie (17-10) 22-5. The last of his points came on a 3-point play with 2:23 showing that gave the Blues a 45-32 lead.
"[Baker] told me after halftime he was going to score 20 points in the second half," said Parry McCluer center Brian Sizemore. "He is a live wire out there."
Sizemore, who was also in foul trouble early on, kept the Blues in the game by scoring 12 of his game-high 20 points in the first half.
"At halftime, we thought we had played very poorly," said Fox. "We were fortunate to just be down by two. I wanted the kids to play aggressively in the second half, and if the two big kids [Sizemore and Baker] fouled out, so be it. We didn't want to play tentative."
In fact, Parry McCluer played aggressively in the second half, beating the Warriors down the floor for fast-break baskets.
"It surprised me to be that wide open out there," said Sizemore. "I was so startled one time, I missed a layup. I think they underestimated us getting down the floor [so quickly]."
Mike McElroy and Kris Carter chipped in 10 points for the Blues.
Chilhowie was 10 points behind, 51-41, when Andy Blevins hit one of his three 3-pointers, but the Warriors got no closer. Their firepower was effectively doused when point guard D.J. Preston, who had 17 points, fouled out. Blevins finished with 13.
Chilhowie made just 7 of 29 second-half shots.
"In the first half, I think we did a good job of not letting them run off and leave us," said Chilhowie coach Jack Henderson. "The fact that we couldn't get any shots to stay with them caused us to lose them out there."
by CNB