Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 25, 1994 TAG: 9402250230
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
The Cougars did doze, but only for one quarter, and they played a strong second half to put away the Eagles 61-44.
The win put Pulaski County (17-5) in the district championship game against Cave Spring, which beat William Fleming 52-31 in the other semifinal. The championship game will be played Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the Salem Civic Center.
Pulaski County was coming off a one-point win over Cave Spring on Tuesday night that gave the Cougars the regular-season district title and a berth in the Northwestern Region tournament. Cave Spring will be the other Roanoke Valley District representative the regional tournament.
The Cougars, who beat the Eagles by 16 points Feb. 18, took a while to get going. Two-and-a-half minutes into the game, they trailed 7-1, but they got their inside game working near the end of the first quarter and led 27-23 at halftime.
"There's no doubting that the big, big game was Tuesday against Cave Spring," Pulaski County coach Rod Reedy said. "Any time you have a game with that meaning, you have to be a little worried about the game after, especially against a good team on their home floor."
Pulaski County continued its recovery in the second half. Cougars forward Jodie Hallett, who finished with 28 points and nine rebounds, scored 10 of her team's 13 third-period points as Pulaski County took a 40-31 lead.
The Cougars then went on a 10-2 run to open the fourth quarter - Hallett scoring the last four of those points on layups off the break - and Frankin County (9-11) was on its way to its fourth loss in as many games against Pulaski County this season.
Pulaski County, which converted on 23 of 31 free throws, connected on 19 of 55 of its field-goal attempts. The Eagles also made 19 of 55 shots from the floor but was 3-of-14 on free throws.
Patricia Campbell led Franklin County with 12 points, and Natalie Giles added 10.
Kim Cruise scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Cougars.
"We started out sloppy," Reedy said. "But we came on. I know we weren't looking at it like it was a formality."
by CNB