Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 16, 1994 TAG: 9402160163
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And those bounces could not have come at a worse time for William Fleming.
With the score tied, Payne twice turned long passes into easy baskets in the final minute. And Ratliff stuck back a missed free throw with a little more than nine seconds remaining to clinch the Cougars' 78-74 Roanoke Valley District boys' high school basketball victory. The win snapped a six-game losing streak for Pulaski County (5-11, 1-6 RVD) and ended its season-long drought against district competition.
Meanwhile, the Colonels (12-5, 4-3), the top team in Timesland, saw a six-game winning steak end. Also, they are in an almost impossible position as far as winning the district, trailing leader Cave Spring by two games in the loss column.
William Fleming has one district game left - against Cave Spring on Friday night. That encounter is one of three district contests Cave Spring has remaining.
Payne's baskets ended two-plus minutes of frustration for the Cougars. William Fleming ran off 12 unanswered points, including seven by Derrick Hines, and pulled even at 72.
But on the ensuing inbounds pass, Payne slipped behind the Colonels. Bringing the ball over midcourt, Eric Webb spotted Payne in the right corner and threw him the ball. Payne went to the basket strong, and Pulaski never trailed again.
"I blew downcourt about five times late in the game," said Payne, who finished with a game-high 24 points. "The team got me the ball couple of times. [William Fleming] really didn't watch me. They left me wide open."
Payne was open because the Colonels kept strong pressure on the ball - the same tactic that had worked so effectively when they rallied from a 12-point deficit.
"We didn't have to gamble once we tied the score," said William Fleming coach Burrall Paye. "But we had been going at it so long, we did it naturally."
Keith Hampton - who had kept William Fleming in the game with 13 points in the third quarter - missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with about 30 seconds left.
Tyrone Hash grabbed the rebound for Pulaski County and passed to Ratliff, who found Payne for a layup, making it 76-72.
A pair of free throws by Hines with 17.9 seconds left cut the lead to 76-74.
Then Hash was fouled with 10.8 seconds to go. After a timeout by the Colonels, Hash's free attempt throw was short. But Ratliff plucked the ball out of the air and put it into the basket, clinching the win.
"When we came out of the timeout, I was standing next to Jammon Payne," said Ratliff. "Hines didn't notice it until Tyrone was about to shoot. While Tyrone was shooting, he was trying to talk me into switching positions with him. But I knew what was going to happen. I got myself in position. And I shot it as fast as I could [after the rebound] so the shot wouldn't be blocked."
by CNB