Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411220057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In a physical game the New York Knicks would love, William Byrd topped its Blue Ridge District rival 30-28 at Northside High School to win the Group AA Region III championship.
William Byrd (19-7) will host Grundy in the first round of the state tournament Tuesday night while Salem (19-6) will be at Marion. Marion defeated Grundy 43-39 for the Region IV championship.
Salem appeared poised to take its fourth straight win in the series when forward Shellie Johnson's 3-pointer with 23.5 seconds left cut Byrd's lead to 29-28. The Spartans, who beat the Terriers twice during the regular season and again last Saturday in the Blue Ridge District tournament title game, then nearly forced a Byrd turnover at halfcourt with its press.
But Byrd forward Cathy Smith grabbed a pass from Kelli Runyon and was knocked down by Salem's Laura Driscoll, who was called for an intentional foul with 10.3 seconds left. Smith hit the second of two free throws to give Byrd the 30-28 lead.
``Smith sort of stopped and leaned into Laura,'' Salem coach Dee Wright said. ``I didn't think Laura ran over her. I asked her [Driscoll] if she ran Smith over and she said, `No, ma'am, Mrs. Wright.'''
Smith was fouled again after an inbounds pass with eight seconds left, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Salem rebounded and called a timeout with six seconds left. Byrd, which led virtually the entire game, made only 2 of 9 fourth-quarter free throws.
The Spartans' hopes of either tying or winning the game were ended when Marilyn Huang's pass intended for Johnson was knocked away by Smith, who said she and her teammates were determined to get a win over Salem.
``We were really pumped up,'' the junior said. ``They've beaten us three times this year; we didn't want to lose a fourth time.``
Only seven players scored in the game - four for Byrd and three for Salem. Smith stood out with 21 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, two blocks and an assist to outduel Johnson, who had 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Smith scored all of her team's points in the first (10) and third (6) quarters and made 10 of her team's 14 field goals in 16 shots.
Johnson and Smith, the Blue Ridge's co-Players of the Year, spent time guarding each other as well. Smith, along with Kristi Dyer and Brandi Allen, limited Johnson to 4-for-15 shooting, including 2-of-11 in the opening half.
``Shellie [Johnson] can do just about anything,'' Smith said. ``And [Salem's Sarah] Palmer can shoot from anywhere. We had to step up and make sure we had a hand in their face."
Johnson said she would have tried a 3-pointer for the win if Smith had not knocked the ball away and admitted Byrd's changing defenses, and the long arms of Dyer and Allen, bothered her.
``At times it did,'' Johnson said of Byrd's strategy of fronting her in the paint and matching up with her on the wing. ``But I think, overall, we handled it well; we just didn't execute very well.``
Neither team did. The two teams combined for only nine points in the third quarter and only seven field goals in the second half. Both teams shot less than 33 percent (Byrd 14-for-42, Salem 10-for-40).
Smith said both teams were ``very physical.'' Johnson called it the most demanding of the team's four meetings.
Byrd coach Richard Thrasher said Salem ``had our number'' until the win and would welcome a fifth meeting between the two teams.
``I hope we get to play one more time in the state finals,'' Thrasher said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB