Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502230110
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The script that calls for Salem to beat William Byrd with either a last-second shot or a miracle rally has been thrown away.
The Terriers' Michael McGuire rewrote the ending and finished the series between the two teams for this season. With Salem down by a point and looking for a winning basket, McGuire, a senior, stole a pass and converted it into a layup with 42 seconds left.
That gave Byrd breathing room. And the Terriers didn't squander this lead as they beat the Spartans 55-52 in a Blue Ridge District semifinal Wednesday at the Salem Civic Center.
That puts Byrd in Saturday's district championship game against Northside and in the Region III tournament next week. It also ends Salem's bid to repeat its 1994 Group AA championship.
``I think [Jeremy] Obenchain deflected the pass,'' McGuire said. ``I went and got it. I took off. I was going all the way. It was all or nothing.''
McGuire's defensive play would have meant nothing had Byrd not rallied earlier in the quarter. The Terriers trailed by 10 near the end of the third period, but got a lift at the buzzer when Chris Childress hit his first 3-pointer of the season.
``I've tried some 3-point shots,'' said Childress, who led all scorers with 21 points. ``It was supposed to go to Obenchain. He was covered, I was wide-open and I knew it was going in as soon as I let it go.''
Byrd (18-4) took control in the final period. The Terriers, who had squandered an eight-point halftime lead, tied the score at 47 on Obenchain's 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 53 seconds left.
``The five seniors said Salem had done it to us [come back to win]. Now it was our time to turn the tables,'' Obenchain said.
After Obenchain's shot, Kevin Tuck stole the ball and drove for a layup to put the Terriers on top 49-47. Ryan Reeves hit one free throw for the Spartans (14-9), but Obenchain then missed the front end of a one-and-one with 2:25 left.
At this point, Salem hadn't taken a fourth-quarter shot other than 11 free throws. McGuire's steal kept it that way.
``We didn't want to hold the ball,'' said Salem coach Charlie Morgan. ``We wanted to get it inside and get fouled. We had a set play. It wasn't a good pass and we didn't get it. That was the difference.''
Salem's Matt Woolwine made one free throw with 29.2 seconds left to make it 51-49, but Obenchain put away the Spartans with two free throws six seconds later.
Byrd put the defensive clamps on Salem's Kevin Garst, the third-leading scorer in the Blue Ridge District. Garst managed only four shots and scored six points.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB