Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 14, 1994 TAG: 9412140149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BEDFORD LENGTH: Medium
What do you do? Guard the 3-point line and open up the inside or concede the 3-pointer and watch the post? Either way, the choice isn't good.
The Minutemen struggled a shade from the perimeter Tuesday night, but little did it matter because the inside game led by center Stephen Shrader was operating at full capacity. Staunton River certainly couldn't stop it and lost 84-67 in a Seminole District match.
Shrader was able to consistently muscle his way inside and finished with 26 points as Liberty (3-1 overall, 3-1 in the district) pretty much had its way at both ends of the floor.
There was a reason for that, in the view of Staunton River coach Eddie Carter.
``It helps when you can catch the ball, turn around, and body slam somebody off the ball,'' he said. ``I wish we could have done that.''
The Minutemen put the game away once and for all in the first 3 minutes, 53 seconds of the third quarter. The Golden Eagles (2-2, 2-2) were down 39-32 when Joe Sellers scored after the ball had been reversed out of a trap.
Liberty then went on a 14-2 run with reserve guard Ryan Stevens hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring eight points. That made it 52-34 with 3:29 left in the quarter and the Eagles' party was over.
Stevens, a junior who toiled for the junior varsity a year ago, was of more service than that to Liberty. Along with J.J. Coles, Stevens did a fine job of keeping Staunton River sophomore hotshot Hunter Hoggatt under control. Hoggatt, who came in averaging over 20 points a game, missed nine of his first 10 shots and finished with 11 points, six of that coming from the free throw line.
``They play good defense and I thought they did a real good job on me tonight,'' Hoggatt said. ``They overplay me a lot and they have the athletes to do it.''
Liberty coach Mark Hanks wouldn't argue with that.
``Stevens is the best ball defender we've got,'' he said.
Liberty played all 12 guys throughout and 11 of them scored. Mike Padgett, a slasher of a forward, came off the bench to score 11 and Stevens finished with 10. Also with 11 was Peanut Arrington, a freshman.
``That's the third game in a row that he's been in double digits,'' Hanks said. ``That's pretty good for a freshman.''
Gregg Reynolds, Liberty's junior guard who came in averaging 14, only had six after sitting out most of the third quarter with foul trouble.
``He had an off night and he got frustrated,'' Hanks said. ``He got his third foul and I sat him down. I kept expecting a run out of Staunton River and I wanted to make sure he could be in there.''
The run never materialized, although Cornelius Foxx had a nice night with 24 points.
``We don't have much of an inside game right now and we're working on that,'' Carter said. ``We're still searching for an identity. Liberty has the best team in this district. I don't care what happened to them at Brookville [a 61-60 loss]. We hope to be there at the end, but we're not there yet.''
by CNB