Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 2, 1994 TAG: 9401020158
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem withstood Northside's tremendous fourth-quarter rally and defeated the Vikings 68-66 in overtime on two free throws by Nathan Routt with nine seconds left.
"I can't imagine there being any better bowl games. I imagine the fans got their money's worth," Northside coach Billy Pope said of the nearly full house at Salem High School.
Junior guard Justin Porterfield led a Vikings rally that saw Northside (6-1) wipe out a 13-point Salem lead. He scored 12 of his 24 points during the fourth-quarter run.
"I think Justin handled everything real well and showed a lot of poise," Pope said. "I didn't know if we'd come back, but I was confident this team would work to the end."
The Spartans (5-0), with leader Mark Byington having fouled out, won on Routt's free throws. Those came after Porterfield missed a free throw with 14 seconds left that would have made it 66-65, Salem. After Routt's free throws gave Salem a 68-64 lead, the Spartans let Maurice Garrison score a meaningless basket.
Salem had been tied only once, at 17-17, before Nathan Hungate hit a short jumper with 23 seconds left to make it 61-61. That capped a fourth quarter in which Northside had hit seven of 13 field-goal attempts while Salem was shooting 1-for-6.
After Hungate's basket, Routt missed a close-in shot and a follow-up, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime, the Vikings opened with three turnovers after Byington started with a layup. Routt hit a free throw with 42 seconds left to make it 64-61. Then Porterfield barged in for a layup to make it a one-point game on the Vikings' first shot.
Byington hit two free throws with 19 seconds left, capping a 26-point performance that came despite a Northside defense that limited him to 10 shots.
Porterfield went for another layup, and Byington fouled out on the play.
"It was a call that could have gone either way," Byington said. "I was aware I had four fouls."
Porterfield's second-shot miss gave Salem the opening it needed, and Routt, who had missed two critical fourth-quarter free throws and a layup after Hungate's tying shot, sank two free throws to settle the game.
"That's a heck of a game for this time of the year, and Nathan Routt had a super game," Salem coach Charlie Morgan said of his center, who finished with 17 points and nine rebounds that helped the Spartans dominate the rebounding 37-31.
The Vikings refused to let Byington, who scored 64 points in the opening two games, dominate, and they always seemed to have a double-team on him.
"Northside always does that to me. Coach Pope is a heck of a coach, and he always figures out how to contest my shot," Byington said.
Still, Byington sank 13 of 14 free throws and made some great passes. So did Salem point guard Byran Monroe, who had six assists.
Salem pulled out to big leads a couple of times. It was 13-2 early when Hungate hit three consecutive 3-point goals to awaken the Vikings.
It was 55-42 after three quarters when Northside went to the 3-2 zone that had helped the Vikings rally from six down against William Byrd in the semifinals. This time, Salem became tentative and Northside scored the first seven points of the last quarter before Byington escaped for a stuff shot after Monroe made a steal and fed him the ball.
Porterfield hit eight of 16 shots and seven free throws before his miss. Hungate, who scored 20, connected on only six of 20 shots.
As a team, the Spartans made 21 of 47 shots; Northside was 24-of-59.
by CNB