Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 12, 1994 TAG: 9407130072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium
It wasn't embarrassment time for the West in the Virginia High School Coaches' Association boys' East-West All-Star basketball game Monday night.
After being blown away by record totals the past two years, the West was perfectly respectful before losing 102-88.
The difference in this game came in the third quarter when the West went to the bench.
The East broke a tie game open by taking a commanding 82-67 lead before the West put the first string back into the game early in the final quarter.
Two of Timesland's brightest stars - William Fleming's William Fitzgerald and Salem's Mark Byington - were keys for the West. They came back in with the starters and the West closed the East margin to nine points, but could get no closer.
``The East is loaded, they have a lot of good players,'' said Byington, who took West MVP honors with 18 points, one more than Fitzgerald.
``We knew that coming in. But we knew we could play with them. They just had too much at the end,'' Byington said.
Fitzgerald, as he did in the Group AAA state tournament, acquitted himself well.
``I love this kind of competition and I think we carried it to 'em,'' Fitzgerald said.
The 6-foot-6 Fleming center scored eight points in the opening quarter while Byington had seven. The West led 27-24, and even after those two sat out the second quarter, the West carried a 51-50 margin to the dressing room at halftime.
In the third quarter, Fitzgerald and Byington had back-to-back layups. Fitzgerald even earned an assist on Byington's field goal as the West opened a 55-50 lead.
The East rallied behind Antwain Smith of Homer Ferguson, who led all scorers with 21 points as the East's MVP. Smith scored nine points to help the East go on top 84-67.
``They had so much depth, but we played very well,'' said Fleming coach Burrall Paye, who headed a braintrust of Timeland coaches that included Charlie Morgan of Salem and Nelson Fox of Parry McCluer for the West.
``We knew going in that it would be tough,'' Paye said. ``We had smart kids who learned real quick. We put in a secondary break and put in some screens for our shooters, who were very good.''
Byington and Fitzgerald were the only double-figure scorers for the West. Northside's Nathan Hungate and Salem's Nathan Routt each had eight, one less than Fleming's Reggie Reynolds.
by CNB