Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502160032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Not only was Salem able to erase a 19-point second-half deficit while squeezing the Terriers within an inch of their hoop-playing lives, but it did so while surrendering only six fouls.
The remarkable comeback earned the Spartans a 74-71 Blue Ridge District victory, securing second place behind front-running Northside in the district standings and plunging Byrd into third with a game left.
While Salem was avoiding foul difficulties, Byrd (16-4 overall, 6-3 in the district) was having a fit with them. In the second half alone the Terriers were whistled for 15 fouls. The Spartans were in the one-and-one with 24 seconds left in the third quarter.
``We wanted to play good defense and not foul because we know they're a good free-throw shooting team,'' said Bryan Monroe, Salem's starting point guard.
Usually, you figure on the team that is defending a lead to be the one going to the line frequently.
``But [the Terriers] weren't attacking the basket,'' said Charlie Morgan, the Spartans' coach. ``They just wanted to lay back there and shoot jump shots.''
There were two reasons for that. One was that Jeremy Obenchain, the Terriers' center, sat out a lengthy period of the second half after being whistled for his fourth foul with less than a minute left in the third quarter.
''We could have used Obenchain,'' said Paul Barnard, William Byrd's coach. ``We didn't get into the offensive flow in the second half. That had a lot to do with Salem.''
The other difficulty the Terriers had was that guard Chris Childress, their sharpshooting junior, effectively was removed from the second-half proceedings by Kevin Garst. Childress scored 16 points in the first half, six after intermission. Childress' desperation heave to tie the score was off at the buzzer. It was questionable whether it was launched in time anyway.
Michael McGuire also had 22 points for Byrd.
``When we started to press them, that kind of got Childress out of the offense,'' Garst said. ``They got into the uptempo game and they stopped trying to work it into him like they had in the first half when they were getting so many easy shots.''
The easy shots were all going to the Spartans (12-7, 7-2), although they were making some tough ones, too, especially Chad Pendleton and Garst. Pendleton had 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Garst drilled all three of his 3-pointers and had 15 of his 17 points in the second half.
``I started getting a few more open looks,'' Garst said.
The only thing Spartans center Matt Woolwine seemed to be looking at was the free-throw line. A 66 percent shooter from the line when the night began, Woolwine went 13-of-14 from the stripe on the way to scoring a game-high 23 points.
``The Matt Woolwine of old,'' Morgan said.
At times this season, people seem to have overlooked the fact that Salem is the defending Group AA champion. The Spartans played as though they had a reputation to uphold Tuesday.
``Our season hasn't gone completely like we wanted it to,'' Woolwine said. ``But it's not over yet.''
by CNB