Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 8, 1994 TAG: 9401080213
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Neither occured as the Vikings held on tight for a 72-65 boys' basketball victory at Rockbridge County on Friday night in the Blue Ridge District opener for both teams.
The Wildcats (4-2 overall) had cut a 17-point deficit to six when Marty Early completed a three-point play with 1 minute, 17 seconds left. Rockbridge County looked to be in great shape when Justin Porterfield and Sam Barrett missed the front end of one-and-ones before and after a Wildcats turnover.
Then, Rockbridge went through an agonizing and time-consuming possession during which Early and Mike Chambers got three good looks at the basket each but could not get a shot to fall.
Nathan Hungate then canned a pair of foul shots to push the lead to eight points with 23 seconds left, and the Wildcats had all but run out of time. Martin Mayercheck bottomed out the first of two free throws with 16 seconds left to provide the final margin.
"Some other people were having some trouble shooting free throws, so I decided it was time to step up and show some senior leadership," said Hungate, who made five of seven in the fourth quarter on the way to scoring 22 points.
Maurice Garrison, a junior, was the other late-game savior for Northside (7-1). He scored 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter.
"I was moving around off screens and looking for loose balls," Garrison said.
Garrison, whose scoring total was a career high, impressed Northside coach Billy Pope.
"He made some nice moves, including a gorgeous reversal," Pope said. "He also got some nice passes from his teammates."
Rockbridge had been down 51-34 before storming back behind Kenny Lewis, Rob Hoyle and Mayercheck.
"Did they miss a shot in the fourth quarter?" Pope asked rhetorically.
Only four of the Wildcats' 16 last-period shots were off the mark before the rally fizzled. Lewis scored 22 points before fouling out with 1:25 left. Hoyle scored all six of his points in the fourth quarter before he, too, fouled out.
"Lewis' [fifth] foul was a foolish one and we kind of lost concentration there," said Damon Williams, the Wildcats' coach. "But I can't argue with Hoyle's [foul]; he was just being aggressive going for a rebound."
Early finished with 19 points and Chambers had 11.
"They've got quite an offensive team," Pope said of the Wildcats. "We figured six of their players were capable of scoring in double figures."
Rockbridge fell behind almost immediately, trailing 15-5 before scoring eight consecutive points and trailing 16-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Vikings pushed the lead to 36-22 by the half, and Rockbridge continued to play from behind the whole game.
"At the end, they found it in themselves to play harder," Williams said of his Wildcats. "I wish they'd done it earlier, but they'll get better."
From Northside's view, the Wildcats are pretty good right now.
"When we got the big lead, we thought they'd quit," Hungate said. "But they didn't." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB