Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 8, 1994 TAG: 9401080236
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
The Knights came in unbeaten, and the Cougars had struggled to maintain a .500 record. In the Roanoke Valley District game, it was all Pulaski County as the Cougars put it on cruise control early and coasted to a 63-46 victory.
In the driver's seat was 6-foot-2 Kim Cruise, who destroyed the Knights (11-1 overall, 3-1 in the district) early with 10 of her game-high 20 points and four of her nine rebounds in the first quarter for Pulaski County (4-3, 2-0).
In the second quarter, Carrie McConnell took over with a pair of 3-pointers. Throughout the game, forward Jodie Hallett did a job on the the Knights with 17 points on short jumpers and inside moves.
Cave Spring coach Linda Long got the message from this trio.
"We couldn't allow all three to have a big game. But we did let it happen," Long said.
The game was important because RVD teams play each other three times, and the next two meetings between the two teams expected to battle for the title are on the Knights' floor. So Pulaski County coach Rod Reedy, whose club has arguably played a tougher schedule, had his team ready.
"There's no question this is our best-balanced team," he said. "We have more scorers than ever before. If we can play defense and become as smart as our state runner-up team [in 1992], then we have the potential to be better."
The Cougars led all the way and were ahead by 12 points at halftime. Pulaski County's defense shut down Cave Spring inside. Twin guards Allison and Aimee Beightol were the first-half offense with 13 of Cave Spring's 21 points.
Cruise was sensational early and was a force for the Cougars.
"I was just posting up and waiting to get the ball," said the junior. "We felt we could go inside."
McConnell was surprised with the 12-point lead at half. She orchestrated Pulaski County's offense with six assists, two fewer than the Knights had as a team.
"Cave Spring didn't play well. We know they can play better than that," McConnell said. "I think it was pretty important to get off and win this one, especially playing the next two games down there."
The Knights, though, weren't finished. The Beightols' defense in a zone created third-quarter steals as Cave Spring closed to 39-32 on a layup by Aimee Beightol.
"We didn't play well against their zone. There's no way to sugarcoat it. We have to work on it," Reedy said.
Another steal and the Knights had a chance to cut their deficit to five. But Cheryl Dudley's short jumper wouldn't fall and Reedy put his team in a delay game, forcing the Knights out of their zone. Against the man-to-man, Cruise got a follow-up shot to drop at the other end, starting a 7-0 run that McConnell finished with a short jumper.
"That was the key to the game," Long said. "I thought we were coming back again [the Knights rallied earlier this week to beat Franklin County]. But we haven't played well or practiced well this week.
"Their defense took us out of our offense. We had kids who didn't want to shoot the ball. They wanted someone else to shoot it. Maybe it's because we were unbeaten. The longer you're unbeaten, the more pressure. We have to look at this as a fertilizing game and grow from it."
In the second half, the Beightols were held to four points. Leah Daigle scored nine after intermission, most off steals by the Beightols, with Allison getting three and Aimee four. Both guards also had three assists each.
The Cougars hit 25 of 50 shots, with Cruise, Hallett and McConnell combining to shoot 20-for-33. Cruise also had three blocked shots. Cave Spring made 21 of 48 shots. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB