Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994 TAG: 9402050172
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
\ Intrigue reached a peak early and late. Blacksburg High's basketball team peaked in the middle.
The Indians took over a tense New River District affair right after halftime then survived some anxious moments as the reserves worked through a difficult educational process in the closing stages of a 59-47 victory over ultra-patient Radford.
The high-water mark was a three-point play by the Indians' Jay Safford with 4 minutes, 20 seconds left that furnished a 56-37 lead.
In came the less-experienced troops and Radford made a game of it with Matt Linkous' 3-point shooting and Casey Underwood's driving and ball-hawking. The lead dissipated to the final margin with 22 seconds left, but the worn-out Bobcats weren't up to any miracles this night.
"They [the second stringers] thought I was going to take them out," Blacksburg coach Bob Trear said. "I wasn't going to take them out. They have to learn sometime."
It was the last time these ancient rivals will play in the regular season as Radford will be defecting to Class A status next year. As such, there was a sort of melancholy air to the proceedings.
Bobcats coach Rick Cormany saluted Trear for his late-game leniency.
"It was a class move," he said. "I hope I remember to do the same when I'm in that position."
Radford (4-11 overall, 1-2 in the district) hasn't had a hammerlock on anybody this year and doesn't look like it will, either. But the Bobcats can play a disciplined scheme and keep a game tight, which they did in the first half.
Radford made 10 of 22 first-half shots and trailed only 29-25 at the break. The Bobcats made it interesting by packing a zone around Blacksburg big boys Ben Araman, Tony Wheeler and Safford, but that could only last so long.
Blacksburg's Mike Dowdy drilled a couple of 3-pointers on the way to scoring 13 points and the Indians shot just well enough from the outside to pull Radford out of the zone.
"When they pack it in like that, we have to hit those shots," Dowdy said. "We have a lot of scorers on this team and when I get my chances, I have to take them."
Radford gave away a lot of height and whenever it was in a man-to-man situation, Blacksburg (5-7, 4-0) exacted a toll. Araman, who stands 6-5, had 17 points and the 6-3 Safford, back after missing most of four games while recovering from double pneumonia, scored 16 points and had six rebounds.
"Nobody in this district but Carroll County matches up with us very well," Araman said.
Underwood had 14 points for Radford, Linkous 13, and D.J. Jones 10. Underwood hit eight of 11 from the line and Radford made 12 of its 17 free throws.
"They know they don't have all the talent in the world," Cormany said of his players. "But they play hard and they don't give up. I appreciate that."
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB