Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 16, 1994 TAG: 9401150241
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Salem's trio of Mark Byington, Nathan Routt and Matt Woolwine combined for 72 points, leading the unbeaten Spartans to an 85-78 Blue Ridge District victory. The teams shot better than 61 percent from the floor and many of the baskets were from extremely long range.
The Spartans (7-0, 2-0) survived a gutty fourth-quarter rally spearheaded by Michael McGuire, Donald Childress and Jeremy Obenchain. The trio combined to score 66 points for Byrd (5-4, 1-1).
Salem appeared to be salting away the game late in the third quarter. Byington, who finished with a season-best 36 points, hit one of his seven 3-pointers to extend the Spartans' lead to 13, at 62-49.
Byrd coach Paul Barnard inserted his reserves, resting his starters for a final push.
"Coach told us we weren't hustling," said Michael McGuire, a junior for the Terriers. "He said if we didn't hustle, we weren't going to play."
Given another chance, the starters hustled. McGuire, who hit eight of 10 field-goal attempts in the second half, and friends chiseled away at Salem's lead by slowing their opponent's offense. McGuire's fourth 3-pointer of the game cut the lead to two (78-76) with 2 minutes, 56 seconds to play.
The Byrd charge faltered in the end, however, as the Spartans made their free throws and tighted their defense.
"Byrd's a team that always makes a run," said Byington, who was 12-of-18 from the floor - 7-of-11 from 3-point range.
"We were very fortunate," said Charlie Morgan, Salem's coach. "Our guys did what they had to do down the stretch."
"I didn't think we lost the game as much as they won it," Barnard said of the Spartans. "We had a great run going there, we got the momentum and then we missed a couple of shots."
McGuire led the Terriers with a career-high 27 points. Donald Childress scored 21.
Byrd didn't miss many shots at the game's outset, opening a 15-7 lead midway through the first quarter.
Salem grabbed its first lead of the game (26-25) with 5:26 left in the second quarter, when Byington followed a Woolwine miss.
"I started out a little slow tonight," Byington said, "but then I hit a couple [of shots] and I got it together after that."
In a statistical oddity, both teams shot better from the field than they did from the free-throw line. Salem made 11 of 20 free throws (55 percent), and Byrd was 7-of-13 (54 percent).
WILLIAM BYRD (78)
McGuire 10 3-3 27, D. Childress 9 3-6 21, Obenchain 8 1-2 18, Tuck 2 0-0 4, Bradberry 1 0-2 2, C. Childress 2 0-0 4, Muddiman 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 7-13 78. SALEM (85)
Byington 12 5-7 36, Routt 9 2-6 20, Woolwine 6 4-6 16, Monroe 3 0-0 7, Garst 2 0-1 4, Pendleton 1 0-0 2. Totals 33 11-20 85. William Byrd 19172121-78 Salem 16262518-85 Three-point goals: McGuire 4, Obenchain, Byington 7, Monroe. Team fouls: William Byrd 16, Salem 13. JV: Salem, 60-39.
by CNB