Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 27, 1994 TAG: 9402270156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Northside tried it and failed in the third quarter of its Blue Ridge District boys' basketball championship game against the Spartans. Salem hit six 3-pointers in the period and romped to a 72-58 victory in the fourth meeting this season between the teams. Salem has beaten the Vikings all four times.
Both teams are in the Region III tournament starting Tuesday night, when the Spartans (19-1) go to Magna Vista and the Vikings (19-4) play Liberty at Bassett. If there is to be a fifth meeting between these clubs, it will be Friday night in the Region III championship game at Bassett.
The 3-point duel between these clubs actually started with a tenth of a second left in the second quarter. That's when Northside sophomore guard Justin Porterfield let go of a 50-foot shot that banked in at the buzzer.
That cut Salem's halftime lead to 30-23. So out came the Spartans, with hands sizzling like a skillet full of grease on a stove. Mark Byington hit three 3-pointers, Kevin Garst added two and Chad Pendleton made one as Salem outscored Northside 28-21.
"That was the difference in the game," said Charlie Morgan, the Spartans' coach. "We got in a little run where it seemed as if we were unconscious."
The final 3-point goal of the quarter, by Byington, was an answer to Porterfield's long shot. Byington was trying to get off a desperation shot from about 40 feet, but couldn't get free of teammate Bryan Monroe, who was in front of him. Finally Byington did, let go just before the buzzer and the shot swished.
"Bryan was trying to set a pick and [Northside guard Nathan] Hungate stepped out. I had to fling it up and I got lucky," Byington said.
The Salem star also answered any questions about the jammed finger on his shooting hand. He scored 23 points as he hit nine of 15 shots and passed for seven assists.
"I didn't really notice it [the finger] tonight. It bothered me earlier in the week," Byington said.
"I thought Byington played a really smart game," said Billy Pope, Northside's coach. "He let the game come to him."
While Salem beat Northside once by 17 points, the Spartans might have had more control of this game than any other they've played this season against the Vikings. Salem trailed only once, for 23 seconds when Sam Barrett's layup pushed Northside ahead 15-14 to start the second quarter. Then, Byington hit the first of his four 3-point shots, and the Spartans never trailed again.
"I was surprised," Morgan said. "I looked up and we were up by 10, then 12, then 14. I told one of my assistants, `This is a long way from over.' "
But the Vikings never really closed the gap as Salem kept up the offensive pressure.
"I thought we had a chance to the end. We worked hard to the end," said Pope, who surrendered with a minute left and inserted his reserves.
"We learned something from when we played them at our place in the [Christmas] tournament," Byington said. "We were up 12, 13 points and they made a run at us."
The Spartans did very little wrong as they hit 23 of 42 field-goal attempts and missed only three free throws. Three teammates joined Byington in double figures, with Nathan Routt geting 15 points.
Routt was a member of the Spartans' football team that was routed at the end of the year by the Vikings. "I really didn't think about that," Routt said. "The good thing about this is we beat them four times and it's hard to beat a good team four times."
Northside's shooting wasn't up to its recent standards. The Vikings hit 23-of-58. Though Hungate hit four 3-pointers, he was held to 19 points and four assists as the Spartans kept him under control.
by CNB