Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501190026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RINER LENGTH: Medium
It was homecoming and the standing-room crowd that had gathered at Auburn High School made a mockery of the sign on the front wall of the gym that read ``Maximum Occupancy 1125.''
And at the end of the game, the Eagles had reason to celebrate. They had beaten Floyd County 94-67 in the Three Rivers District boys' basketball opener for both teams.
The victory was made possible by a trio of scorers and a team of composure.
Jon Reed (32 points), Terry Millirons (26) and Kenny Wojciechowski (20) combined to outscore the Buffaloes. That allowed Auburn (8-3) to end a 10-game losing streak against Floyd County (5-3).
Included in the streak was a 77-73 setback in the final of the Floyd Xpress Mart tournament this season, when the Eagles blew a 22-point lead. But this time there would be no comeback by the Buffaloes.
``We were expecting'' Floyd County's pressure defense, said Millirons, a 6-foot-3 senior. ``The first time around, for a lot of the players that was the first time they had ever gone against it and we didn't handle it very well. This time we knew what to expect and we played well.''
Auburn scored the first four points of the game, and by the end of the first quarter it had stretched the lead to seven points as Wojciechowski seemed to score at will inside.
``I just got the open shots,'' said the 6-2 junior, who had eight points in the opening period. ``I went to the open spots, and I looked for my teammates to get the ball to me.''
In the second quarter, those passes enabled Reed to score 11 and Millirons nine as the Eagles extended their lead to 49-27.
``When they pressed us [in the first meeting], we didn't handle it and we made some of the dumbest passes,'' said Reed, a 6-foot senior who also pulled down a team-high six rebounds. ``Tonight we came out and made really quick passes. We beat their press with those passes.''
As the Eagles opened as much as a 39-point advantage, their defense forced 22 turnovers - 15 in the first half.
``I didn't think we were in sync the whole game,'' said Alan Cantrell, Floyd County's coach. ``Our offensive movement was a step slow when we had the ball. We never could get anything going.''
Ben Kiser led Floyd with 14 points.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB