Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1994 TAG: 9412070150
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Vikings received superb play from junior guards Ben Peete and Justin Porterfield and played suffocating defense to pound Blacksburg 63-35 in the season opener for both teams at Northside High School.
Blacksburg led 12-8 with 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the opening period after a four-point play by junior guard Jon Hutchins. Hutchins nailed a three-pointer from the left wing, was knocked down by a Northside defender, and hit the free throw.
But Blacksburg baskets were as rare as Hutchins' play. With Peete and Porterfield leading the charge on both ends of the court, Northside outscored the visitors 14-2 to build a 22-14 lead.
An 8-0 Northside run in the first 3:35 of the second period put Blacksburg down, and out, 30-14. Peete's 3-pointer capped the run while Porterfield added a jump shot and a free throw during the run.
But the guard duo did its damage at defensive end. Blacksburg, after making five shots in the game's first five minutes, hit only four field goals in the final 11 minutes of the first half. Peete and Porterfield created havoc by picking up the Indians' guards at halfcourt and denying passes into the paint.
The frustration of Blacksburg guard Trent Peterson told the story for his team. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Peterson stepped across the halfcourt line and turned the ball over to Northside. On the way back down the court, Peterson yelled at his teammates for failing to help him after he picked up his dribble. Northside limited Blacksburg to six second-quarter points and led 34-20 at halftime.
``Those guys [Peete and Porterfield] did a real good job on both ends,'' Northside coach Bill Pope said. Peete scored 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, had four rebounds and four assists and stole three passes while Porterfield had 10 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, a block and personally forced two other Blacksburg turnovers with his good footwork.
Pope also was pleased with his team's lateral movement on defense. In the second half, the Vikings forced the Indians into 13 turnovers, 28.6 percent shooting (6-for-21) and only four points in the third period on 2-of-13 shooting..
Blacksburg coach Bob Trear says Northside's ability to play 10 or 11 players wore his team down.
``We were not in the shape that we should have been to play a team like this,'' Trear said. ``When we got tired, they ran off from us.''
by CNB