Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 23, 1994 TAG: 9411230151
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
There just weren't enough of them.
``We were a few players short,'' said Harold Horne, Hurley's coach. ``They keep coming at you on the press and you can't face that kind of pressure for a whole game with just six players.''
The Buffaloes won their 54th consecutive game and will play Fluvanna on Dec.2 in a state semifinal in Salem.
The Rebels, Region D runners-up, were trailing 40-35 after Samantha Lester popped in a short jumper with 5 minutes, 34 seconds left in the third quarter. But then the Buffaloes (27-0) tore off an 18-2 run to close the period.
Seven of those points came from Leigh-Ann Pursifull, who bottomed out a 3-pointer with 2:18 left. Pursifull was one of three seniors, along with Carrie Chaffin and Laura Harman, exhorted by coach Alan Cantrell to show some leadership.
``We challenged them to pick it up and lead us to the next level,'' Cantrell said.
That was one way of putting it.
``He got on me for not hustling, I think every time I ran past him on the bench,'' Pursifull said. ``He got on Carrie for not rebounding. He got on Laura for not executing. Then he got on all three of us at halftime in front of the team.''
Result: Pursifull scored 11 of her 15 points and Chaffin had 12 of her 14 and all seven of her rebounds after intermission. Harman had all 13 of her points and six of her seven rebounds before the break.
``I was a little tense in the first half and I got in some foul trouble,'' said Chaffin, the Buffaloes' center. ``They were rough inside, too. Very physical.''
The Rebels (18-7) didn't back down an inch.
``They played their hearts out,'' Horne said. ``I thought they handled the pressure very well.''
Indeed, Lester did a nice job of breaking the Floyd County press. But with the Buffaloes, the effect is cumulative and Hurley finished with 24 turnovers to Floyd County's four. Many of those giveaways by the Rebels came later in the game, when fatigue became a factor.
``Hurley came in here ready,'' Cantrell said. ``They weren't intimidated, and they played hard.''
Donna Justus opened with her 1,000th point for Hurley and finished with 23. Lester, the point guard, had 15 points and eight assists and as was the case last year, when Floyd County beat the Rebels 88-49 in a quarterfinal, she dueled counterpart Melissa Cantrell relentlessly.
A year ago, Lester's temper got the best of her and she was given a technical foul for a run-in with Cantrell.
``I asked Dad [the coach] if I could guard her,'' Melissa Cantrell said. ``I wanted to stop her and not let her get anything against us.''
With her attentions consumed by defense, Cantrell missed 13 of 14 shots from the floor. As a team, the Buffaloes hit only 28 of 78.
``I think the seniors were thinking about this being their last home game.'' Harman said.
Pursifull celebrated with eight steals.
The other big number for a Floyd County player was sophomore guard Sara Conner's 11 rebounds in 18 minutes. She went down in pain with her last one and did not return to the game because of a sprained ankle.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.