Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995 TAG: 9502210093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
For three quarters, Pulaski County and William Fleming played for the boys' basketball championship in the Roanoke Valley District.
In the final quarter, Fleming led the Cougars on a wild goose chase on the way to a 56-47 victory Monday at Patrick Henry. Despite losing twice to Pulaski County during the regular season, the Colonels are the RVD champions by virtue of the victory.
It also puts Fleming into the Group AAA Northwestern Region tournament next week. That's no surprise as the Colonels have been there every year since the Jimmy Carter administration ended in 1980.
Fleming went to a delay game in the final quarter and frustrated Pulaski County. It was a payback for the same strategy the Cougars used just last Thursday when they whipped Fleming 60-54 in Dublin to set up a tie for the regular-season title.
The maestro of the delay game was the RVD's top guard, Derrick Hines. He went to work early and was effective all night en route to a game-high 25 points.
``We wanted the lead in the fourth quarter to go to the stall game,'' said Fleming coach Burrall Paye. ``Really, this is a 24-minute game. When a team has the lead after 24 minutes, that means it has a better chance of winning.''
Of course, Fleming had to do some different things than it did in Dublin last week. One was to get on the boards. Fleming had a 37-24 edge in rebounding thanks to 10 each from James Stokes and Sterling Tate. The two juniors each blocked a couple of shots in shutting down Pulaski County inside.
Tate was the real surprise. He came up with eight rebounds and all of his 10 points in the second half.
``I just saw it and went for it,'' said Tate, who is still trying to come back from knee surgery last fall. ``Stokes and I hit the boards real hard. Coach told us it was our time to get the boards.''
The other thing that Fleming did was shut down Pulaski County's Eric Webb, who did a number on the Colonels last week and in the second quarter Monday. Webb had 12 points at the half and scored the first basket of the third quarter. He didn't get another shot until late in the fourth quarter and never scored another point.
``We ran a defense designed to cut off one individual. [Charles] Burnette guarded him and wherever he went, someone would go and help out,'' said Paye.
Pulaski County coach Pat Burns agreed rebounding was the difference. ``I knew they'd try to slow the ball down as soon as [they] could,'' said Burns. ``But Fleming played better as a team here. I don't know that we played as well as we did in the other two games. We weren't getting the movement and they overplayed us.''
Fleming made 24 of 47 shots from the field compared to 16 of 43 for the Cougars. Fleming led 51-42, but a technical foul on Stokes, a couple of missed free throws and a turnover enabled the Cougars to sneak back within four, 51-47. However, Hines hit one free throw and Keath Hampton hit two more to clinch the victory.
by CNB