Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 7, 1994 TAG: 9412070153
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Terriers' senior forward scored all 12 of his points and got five of his seven assists in the final two quarters as Byrd opened its season by rallying past Cave Spring 80-74 in a non-district high school boys' basketball game on the Knights' floor Tuesday.
``I was the trail man on the fast break and the middle of their press was open. I just penetrated up the middle,'' said Tuck, whose seven assists equalled Cave Spring's total. ``I must have been asleep the first half. I felt I had to help the team because Coach [Paul] Barnard talked about the seniors stepping up at the half.''
Tucker's eight-foot jumper put Byrd ahead for good at 48-47. By the end of the third quarter, it was 55-47 as Byrd was on a 20-4 run that would make it 60-49 early in the fourth. The Knights never got closer than four again.
Byrd was sharp for the opener, hitting 29-of-54 from the field. Cave Spring also shot better than 50 percent (29-of-57) behind Matt Matheny with 24 points. That was one more than Byrd's Jeremy Obenchain, who was on the end of most of Tuck's passes.
Cave Spring coach Chris Carr, whose team fell to 1-1, blamed defense . ``They had one man [Chris Childress] whom we didn't stop. Childress got important points down the stretch. He made the difference.''
Childress hit 18 points and Michael McGuire added 17, including three 3-point goals, for the Terriers. The Knights stayed close behind James Irvin, who had eight points in the final quarter.
``We tried to force it too much in the first half,'' Barnard said. ``In the second half, we made better passes. Matheny is a great player. He's got a good step-back shot and shoots well off the dribble.''
The Terriers dominated the boards 34-26 with Childress getting 12 rebounds.
``To be successful, we must rebound,'' Carr said. ``When we do, we'll be a good team.''
by CNB