Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, October 12, 1994 TAG: 9410120097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
Leigh-Ann Pursifull and the Black Swarm made everything else secondary Tuesday night.
Pursifull surpassed 1,000 career points at Floyd County High School with a game-high 21 and that, along with the Buffaloes' defense, combined to defeat Radford 67-29 in a Three Rivers District girls' basketball game.
Those offensive and defensive efforts allowed Floyd County (14-0 overall, 2-0 in the district) to run its winning streak to 41 games. Meanwhile, the Bobcats (0-3, 7-8) dropped their fourth in a row.
The feats also pushed the homecoming of Brenda King to the background. It was the first time the seven-year Radford coach had taken the sideline against the school she once starred for.
Pursifull and the Floyd County defense made their points early. Pursifull scored the first seven for the Buffaloes. In the last minute of the first quarter, she stole back-to-back inbounds passes by the Bobcats and converted them into layups - changing hands while in the air to avoid a defender on the second one.
Three baskets in the first 75 seconds of the second quarter brought Pursifull to 999. With 4 minutes, 50 seconds remaining before halftime and Floyd County back on defense, Pursifull stole a pass at the free-throw line and started dribbling downcourt. The crowd sensed what was about to happen and rose to its feet in anticipation. And with 4:44 left, Pursifull laid the ball in.
``I did want to score [1,000], but if it didn't come tonight and I didn't get it until Giles [Thursday night], that's the way it would have to be," said Pursifull, whose 1,001 points leaves her 338 short of the school record set last year by Lynette Nolley. ``I still was going to play team ball. I wasn't going out there just to score 1,000 points. But it was nice to do it at home.''
Pursifull's basket removed all suspense from the game. Floyd County's Black Swarm defense already had assured the outcome. On its first 10 possessions, Radford scored two points and committed nine turnovers. By that point, the Buffaloes owned a 13-2 lead.
The Bobcats had 13 turnovers by the end of the first quarter, 25 at halftime and 43 at the end of the game.
``Everyone was putting a lot of attention on this game. There was a lot of talk about what it meant," said Floyd County point guard Melissa Cantrell, who helped key the defense and scored 16 points. ``But it was just another game to us. There was no special meaning to it. We knew we hadn't played Radford for a while and they used to beat us. It felt good for them to get the chance to see us get them."
Coincidentally, King was one of those players who used to be on the losing end when Floyd County played Radford. And that's where she found herself again Tuesday night.
``The way it came out, considering the alteratives, I'm very pleased,'' King said. ``Our kids played as well as they could have played.''
Crystal Hubbard led the Bobcats with 19 points, including all seven of their points in the second half.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB