Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 26, 1994 TAG: 9402260168
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
All the Spartans' forward did was hit 10 of 12 free throws in the final period.
Those free throws helped Salem go 16-for-19 from the line in the last eight minutes.
More importantly, they enabled Salem to get past the Mountaineers 73-65 in a Blue Ridge District semifinal at the Salem Civic Center.
Salem (18-1), which had not won a district tournament game in five previous attempts, will meet Northside in the final at 9 p.m. today at the Salem Civic Center. Northside defeated William Byrd 82-68 in the second game.
The loss ends the season for Alleghany (12-9). It also was the last game for coach Jimmy Smith, who previously had announced he was stepping down at the end of the season.
Byington had a simple explanation for his many trips to the free-throw line and his success once he got there.
"I think it was because I tried to get the ball in my hands, so I would have it when they had to foul someone," said Byington, who scored 12 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter. "And I've got confidence in my free-throw shooting."
And on those rare occasions when Byington missed a free throw, the Spartans' hauled in the rebound, often after it had just rolled out of the grasp of an Alleghany player.
"The biggest thing was we couldn't get a break in the fourth quarter," Smith said. "We couldn't get some shots to fall. And they got some offensive rebounds. That's been the way it has been for us this year. That's why we're 12-9 and they're 18-1. But in the fourth quarter, if you're going to win, you're going to have to make your own breaks."
Those breaks didn't come from rebounding for the Mountaineers. In the quarter, Salem outrebounded Alleghany 8-1. That was quite a turnaround, because after three periods the Mountaineers held a 30-19 rebounding advantage.
"We came out tight and never got things going," said Salem center Nathan Routt. "In the fourth quarter, we knew we had to get the offense going. And we knew we couldn't let them get any second and third shots."
Alleghany did get 10 fourth-quarter points from Todd Wheatley. But Wheatley, who scored a game-high 29, fouled out with 52.8 seconds left.
The Mountaineers also made all 10 of their free throws in the fourth quarter. But they had 11 fewer attempts (and six fewer made) than Salem.
Alleghany could not get off a shot when it held the ball at the end of the third quarter. And it attempted only 13 field-goals in the final period.
The missed opportunity left the score tied at 43 after three periods. The lead seesawed until the Spartans took the lead for good at 56-55 when Byington made two free throws after being fouled while taking a 3-point shot.
Salem led by 12 points late in the first half. But the Mountaineers closed to five down at intermission and scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a short-lived 31-29 lead. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB