Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 30, 1994 TAG: 9401300187
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Dusty Beekman's layup with three seconds left that was batted away by Salem's Bryan Monroe was ruled goaltending by the officials as Cave Spring edged the Spartans 62-60 on Saturday night.
It was an improbable play as Beekman and Jeff Lang forced a rare turnover by Salem's Mark Byington, who was looking for a shot that would give the Spartans (11-1) their third victory over the Knights this season.
Beekman knocked the ball away from Byington and took off for the basket. "I just picked it up, saw Dusty running and threw it to him," Lang said.
Beekman caught the ball ahead of the field, went up for a layup and saw it batted away by Monroe.
"I knew someone was close behind," Beekman said. "I didn't know it was blocked and when I looked up, I saw it go off the rim. I thought I had missed it."
"I don't know if it was goaltending," Monroe said. "I just didn't want him to make it."
Salem still had three seconds left, so the Spartans threw long to Byington. But he missed a long jumper for the victory at the buzzer.
"The defense made a good play," Byington said of Cave Spring's winning basket. "I was trying to get some penetration, get a shot or get the ball to someone else if their defender left them. Really, that last shot had no chance of going."
The Knights (8-7), who hit 23 of 43 field-goal attempts, were waiting for the Spartans after being pounded by William Fleming in a game that dropped them into a tie with Patrick Henry atop the Roanoke Valley District standings.
"We've been hungry the last four days after William Fleming. We didn't have anything to lose here tonight," said Rick Crotts, Cave Spring's coach.
Byington had 26 points, matching his Timesland-leading average. He was 10-of-15 from the floor, but in the first half, when he scored 16 points, he managed only six shots.
The Knights led 36-29 at the half, but got into trouble when James Irvin, who scored all 15 of his points in the first two quarters, picked up a fourth personal with less than three minutes gone in the third period. Then Matt Matheny, who had 14 points in the first half, committed his third personal and had to sit for a few minutes.
"Really, we gave Cave Spring this game in the first half," said Charlie Morgan, whose team hadn't lost at home in his first 15 games as Salem's coach. "You can't get behind like we did. But give them credit because they came ready to play."
Still, Salem rallied. Nathan Routt scored 10 points in the second half and reserve Chad Pendleton's 3-point goal gave Salem a 58-56 lead with 2:58 left. But it didn't stand. Byington, who hit a jumper to make it a 60-58 lead with 2:28 left, missed a one-and-one opportunity following a 3-point miss by Lang.
Grant Kittelson threw in a short jumper to tie the score with 1:30 left, setting up the final drama.
by CNB