Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501160074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After struggling for three games, the Vikings ended the suspense early and pulled away from Alleghany to win 70-47 in a Blue Ridge District early-season showdown between two of the league's better teams.
Northside (9-1 overall, 2-0 in the district) had played and won three consecutive games in which its opponents had chances to defeat the Vikings with a final shot. In this game, the only last-second shot was by Northside reserve Spence Peters, who hit a 3-pointer from near midcourt at the final buzzer.
Justin Porterfield and Dana Gibson made sure this one wouldn't be a nail-biter. Porterfield had eight of his nine assists in the first half as the Vikings left the floor at intermission ahead 37-24. Gibson, a 6-foot-5 senior center, had five of his eight blocked shots in the first half.
Porterfield had missed Northside's previous game with a sprained ankle, and the VIkings held on for a one-point victory at Blacksburg.
``It wasn't slowing me down. I was trying to do as much as I could,'' said the junior guard, who scored 11 points.
At the half, despite the Vikings' big lead, Alleghany (8-2, 1-1) had controlled the boards. In the third quarter, Northside outrebounded Alleghany 13-4 and by the end of the period led 50-34.
``We knew we had to come out stronger in the second half, not let down,'' Porterfield said.
Gibson said the team was aware it had not won the battle of the boards in the first half.
``We had to pick it up the second half, but Coach [Billy] Pope said to just go out and keep playing well,'' he said.
Gibson attributed his blocked shots to his teammates.
``They played great defense, and when they do that, it helps me to get blocked shots,'' he said.
Carl Watson, Alleghany's first-year coach, got his first look at the tiny Northside gym, which has been a trap for many good Blue Ridge District teams through the years. He felt the game came down to a point early in the fourth quarter when the Mountaineers had scored the first two baskets and were trying to make a late run.
``We had cut the lead to 12, and then they go on an 8-0 run to take it back to 20 - and three of the four [field goals] were stick-backs,'' Watson said, referring to layups by Porterfield and Sam Barrett, plus Maurice Garrison's tip-in.
Garrison had one of his strongest games, hitting all six of his shots from the field.
Northside missed several layups in the first half that might have made the victory come even easier than it did.
``From the second quarter on, we played well,'' Pope said. ``That we even had those [layups] shows that we were playing well.''
Alleghany made only 16 of 54 shot from the floor and was led by Rashad Worth, who scored 17 points. Northside made 29 of 64 and wound up with a 52-40 rebounding edge as guard Ben Peete collected eight boards, one fewer than Porterfield.
by CNB