Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 13, 1995 TAG: 9501130071
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS KING SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: NARROWS LENGTH: Medium
The objective is always the same whether the shot's from two feet or 20: Get the ball in the hole. To keep that objective, you've got to keep chucking the rock.
Just ask Patrick Bailey. The Narrows player has proved himself to be a shooter in the truest sense of the word.
Case in point: After scoring 12 points in the third quarter against arch-rival Giles to give the Green Wave a little breathing room, Bailey is called upon again. With 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game with Narrows clinging to a four point cushion, Bailey calmly pulled up from 22 feet and buried a 3-pointer. The shot sealed a 79-73 win for the Green Wave.
"He is not afraid to take the big shot at the end," said Narrows coach Todd Lusk.
Bailey hit five 3-pointers and scored 27 points against the Spartans to help end what had been a mild slump.
"I had been struggling before the Giles game," Bailey said. "Before the game I told people I was coming out of the slump, and fortunately, I did."
"Struggling" for Bailey is scoring 19 points a game and shooting 48 percent from the field, numbers that would be considered excellent for most players.
But Bailey, who is possibly the Timesland's premier 3-point shooter, canned 52 percent of his shoots from behind the arc last season and expects to do the same this year.
"I was really disappointed that I didn't shoot better earlier in the season," Bailey said. "I always have confidence ... I never doubt the ball won't go in."
Bailey, who was named first team all-Mountain Empire District and all-Region C last year, followed his performance against Giles with a 21-point outburst in an 84-44 victory over Pocahantas.
After completing his senior season at Narrows, Bailey hopes to carry on what has become something of a family tradition and play basketball at the college level.
"My grandfather played at Emory & Henry, and my uncle played at Bluefield," Bailey said. Playing college ball "has always been my goal."
Other notable performances:
Shawsville's Jeremy Nichols scored 24 points and led the Shawnees to a 61-57 victory over Radford to end Shawsville's 42-game losing streak. Nichols was 12-for-12 from the free throw line, including 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter.
Pulaski's Tyrone Hash scored 34 points in two games last week, including 23 in a 69-48 loss to Cave Spring. The senior scored 11 points in a 66-58 victory over Patrick Henry.
by CNB