Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502150074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PEARISBURG LENGTH: Medium
A layup here. A free throw there. And a big rebound, too.
Those exploits helped the Buffaloes hold off Giles 60-58 in a Three Rivers District high school boys' basketball game.
Floyd County (14-4 overall, 5-1 Three Rivers) was clinging to a 57-56 lead when it called timeout with 2 minutes, 31 seconds, left. Its lead in the game and in the district were both in jeopardy.
But coming out of the timeout, Warren provided a little breathing room. His layup bounced in, making it 59-56 with 2:19 to go.
Half a minute later, Giles' Adam Jones cut to the basket and chopped the lead to 59-58.
The Spartans (9-10, 4-4) could not take the lead, though. Josh Stephens missed a layup. Then his team committed a turnover.
Warren ended up with the ball and was fouled. He hit the front end of a one-and-one to put Floyd County in front 60-58 with 51 seconds to go.
Anthony Myers rebounded the missed free throw to put Giles back in business. But John King misfired and Warren grabbed the miss - the Buffaloes' first rebound of the fourth quarter - with 22 seconds remaining.
``It might have been that [Giles going for the shot] or it might have been just more desire,'' Warren said of the rebound after finishing with a game-high 16 points. ``We wanted to win this game. It might have been we just wanted it more than they did.''
Warren was fouled immediately but this time he missed the free throw.
Once again, Myers got the rebound for the Spartans. They called timeout with 15 seconds to set up for a potential tying shot. But when they came out of the break, the Buffaloes had changed their defense.
``They were in a triangle-and-two,'' said Giles coach John Hallett. ``I should have called timeout to restructure things. I've got to give [Floyd County] coach [Alan] Cantrell credit on that one. We just tried to make something happen.''
So with time running down and the designated shot - King underneath - unavailable, Aaron Myers launched a three-pointer from the right baseline. The shot was short and the Buffaloes' Jason Dalton pulled down the rebound with four seconds left.
Dalton was fouled and then iced as GIles used its last timeout. The tactic worked as he missed the free throw.
Jones got the rebound for the Spartans. But Aaron Myers had one second to throw the ball toward the basket to get a shot off before time expired. And when the desperation heave bounced off the backboard, the Buffaloes had won.
``I thought we executed some things real well out there,'' Cantrell said. ``We played strong defense and when we had to stop them we got a little more intensity.''
Stephens and Jones each finished with 14 to pace the Spartans.
by CNB