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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 13, 1994                   TAG: 9403130180
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: E1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

SPARTAN EFFORT SALEM CAPS GLORIOUS SEASON WITH GROUP AA TITLE

"There is no better way to go out than when you're a senior and win a state championship. There's no feeling like it," Byington said after top-ranked Salem had taken the Group AA crown by beating Louisa County 67-59 on Saturday at University Hall.

It was the first boys' state basketball championship for a Blue Ridge District team since Glenvar won in 1975.

Byington had only 16 points and made but five of 17 field-goal attempts. It didn't matter, though, because Salem (25-1) closed the greatest athletic chapter in the school's history with its 14th consecutive victory.

The Spartans never trailed, but they never were comfortable until coach Charlie Morgan sent in the reserves with less than a minute left.

Salem really didn't need Byington's shooting because the Spartans were prepared to take control inside.

"We thought we needed to control the boards and give them only one shot," said 6-foot-3 center Nathan Routt, discussing a phase of the game that was not Salem's strongest this season.

Louisa had a 43-36 rebounding edge after dominating the rebounding 13-3 in the third quarter. Salem dominated the rebounding in the other three quarters and survived the one segment in which they were deficient by outscoring the Lions 17-13.

Matt Woolwine pulled down 13 rebounds, three more than Routt. The two also combined for 31 points, all of them coming inside or on free throws.

"We knew if we went inside, we could get them in foul trouble and go to the line, get some points," Routt said.

Bryan Monroe, Salem's point guard, said, "Our post guys really worked hard to get around the people who were fronting them. When they work that hard, you should reward them [with a pass]."

The Spartans, as they did so often this season, won with free-throw shooting. Salem wasn't as sharp as usual, making 28 of 39, but that was enough because the Lions (19-6) hit only six of 16.

Four of Salem's biggest free throws came from Monroe, a junior who seems to come through at some of the strangest times with big points.

Monroe hit four in a row with just under two minutes to go and the Spartans nursing a 54-50 lead. Byington also hit a free throw, and Louisa couldn't counter as Salem took command, 59-50.

"I knew I had to make them. It was a clutch part of the game. If I make them, we go on," Monroe said. "Sometimes teams don't think I can do it because I've missed some clutch shots. But in others I've hit some big baskets."

Defensively, Salem also shut off Louisa County's inside game with a 1-3-1 zone much of the game.

"I really think it [the zone] helped disrupt their rhythm as a team," said Spartans junior Kevin Garst.

Louisa County coach Fitzgerald Barnes said, "We didn't rebound as well as we wanted to, and we didn't get the ball inside. Then we'd make a run, and they'd hit free throws."

Salem scored the first seven points. The Spartans might have had a bigger lead at halftime, but Routt missed a one-and-one and Woolwine missed two free throws.

Louisa County guard Robert Shelton, who has signed with Ohio State, hit a 3-point shot at the end of the half to cap a tremendous quarter in which he scored nine points. His 3-pointer left the Spartans with a 26-21 lead.

After halftime, Shelton, who had 17 first-half points, stopped hitting. He scored eight points in the second half but went only 3-of-13 as Byington took over guarding him when Garst picked up a fourth personal.

"The only thing we did was to have one of our guys, when he was on their side, to match up with him," Morgan said.

For Routt, the victory brought a strange feeling.

He came to Salem as a freshman and was a standout football player. He was disappointed when the Spartans failed to win a football state championship two years ago.

"I never thought when I was in ninth or 10th grade here we'd win a state basketball championship," Routt said. "I knew in 11th and 12th grade we'd be successful, but I still didn't think state championship.

"We never talked `state' until the regionals. We had to focus on practice and the next game. That would lead us to our goals."

Routt still doesn't know the feeling of a football state championship.