Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502070029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWIGHT FOXX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
This time it was Pulaski County's turn to make the big plays down the stretch.
The Cougars regained sole possession of first place in the Roanoke Valley District girls' high school basketball race Friday with a 39-33 victory over Cave Spring.
With three games remaining in the season, Pulaski County (15-2, 8-1) has a one-game lead over Cave Spring (12-4, 7-2) for the regular-season championship and the district's automatic berth into Northwest Region play.
In the previous meeting between the teams Jan.25, Cave Spring made the game's clutch plays down the stretch en route to a two-point victory.
But this time in a grudge match - the teams split their first two encounters - that featured 11 lead changes and eight ties, Pulaski County seized the moment. Cave Spring led 33-32 with 4 minutes, 56 seconds remaining after two free throws by Aimee Beightol.
It would be the Knights' last points of the game. Cougars center Kim Cruise changed the lead for the final time when she took a pass from point guard Carrie McConnell and converted a layup to give Pulaski County a 34-33 lead with 2:54 left.
Cruise was fouled but missed her opportunity for a three-point play, but teammate Kara Buckner grabbed the rebound and reset the Cougars' offense.
Jodie Hallett, the game's high scorer with 15 points, scored on an assist from McConnell to stretch Pulaski County's lead to 36-33 with less than two minutes remaining. It was a play that Hallett and McConnell ran numerous times in the second half.
``Carrie McConnell and Jodie Hallett play so well together,'' Cougars coach Rod Reedy said. ``They seem to know what each other is going to do - like Cave Spring's Allison and Aimee Beightol.''
Added McConnell: ``We didn't really use it a lot in the first half. We tried it early in the second half and it worked. It was open so we took what we got.''
McConnell made a jump shot to give the Cougars a 38-33 lead at the 1:09 mark that virtually wrapped up the game. Cave Spring missed an opportunity to get back into the contest with 30 seconds left.
The Knights appeared to have forced McConnell into a turnover at halfcourt and seemed headed for a breakaway layup. But McConnell regained possession of the ball and was fouled by Aimee Beightol - her fifth - with 18 seconds remaining.
``It went our way this time,'' Reedy said. ``In those few possessions at crunch time, whoever can get that loose ball or lucky break would win. It happened for us this time."
Pulaski scored the final seven points with the last point coming on a free throw by Lisa Skeens with four seconds left.
Hallett said the key in the final three minutes was defense. Cave Spring turned the ball over twice while Pulaski County had no turnovers.
``We knew we had to pick it up,'' Hallett said. ``We didn't want it to end up like last time.''
Knights coach Linda Long reflected on two ``what ifs'' after the game. What if her team had converted on an offensive rebound when it was winning by one point with less than four minutes remaining? And what if the defensive rebound that Pulaski County's Kara Buckner got with her team winning 34-33 had been snatched by a Cave Spring player?
``They made the big plays in the final three minutes and we didn't,'' Long said. ``We didn't have the leadership. I thought we looked confused on offense the last four minutes.''
Both coaches expected a nip-and-tuck contest and said if the teams meet again it would be the same.
``I hope we meet two or three more times,'' Reedy said. ``If we meet six times, that would be tremendous for both programs.''
Long said she doesn't like the idea of playing her district rival three times during the regular season and hoped that girls teams in Group A, AA and AAA could play together in the winter or the fall.
``After awhile, it gets sort of old,'' Long said. ``If we meet five or six times, I'm going to run out of things to say. I'm going to say, `OK, girls, do what you did last time.'''
Long said she doesn't like the idea of playing her district rival three times during the regular season, but then regrouped and said she looked forward to a potential Part IV sequel.
``Our goal is to get to the district tournament finals and win the district championship,'' Long said.
by CNB