Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 25, 1995 TAG: 9502280022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
It was an inside job.
The Cougars spent Friday night going for layups on the way to a 70-60 victory over Cave Spring in a Roanoke Valley District Tournament semifinal at the Salem Civic Center.
Pulaski County, despite hitting two 3-point shots in the opening three minutes, scored 41 of its first 61 points from five feet or closer. With their layup drill, the Cougars set up a fourth meeting this season with William Fleming. The championship game tips off at 8:30 p.m. today at the civic center.
Pulaski County (18-4) never trailed. The Cougars took an 8-0 lead on a layup by Eric Webb and two 3-point shots by Bryan Ratcliff.
``This is one team we're as big as,'' said Pat Burns, Pulaski County's coach. ``We may not be taller than them, but I feel like when we're as big, we can go inside.''
Chris Carr, Cave Spring's coach, agreed the game was decided in the paint.
``If we had an inside man, we'd be a totally different team,'' Carr said. ``We don't have someone inside to stop opponents.''
Tyrone Hash scored 21 points and Webb 19 to lead the Cougars. Matt Burns, who is bigger than any Knights player, grabbed 11 rebounds as Pulaski County held a 27-22 advantage on the boards.
After falling behind, Cave Spring (12-10) struggled to get back in the game. Trailing 31-30, the Knights missed the final shot just before the half and two right after intermission. Ratcliff connected for the Cougars and Pulaski County began to put some space between itself and the Knights.
``I don't think we would have panicked if they had taken the lead,'' Pat Burns said. ``We were down to them 20-12 at our place and came back to win.''
Carr, though, thought his team's failure to get the lead was a key.
``Those shots just wouldn't go in, and it kind of summed up the night,'' said Cave Spring's first-year head coach.
Hash said the way the Knights rallied had him concerned.
``We had that good lead and didn't attack,'' he said. ``But that got us up for the second half.''
The Cougars also kept Cave Spring's Matt Matheny from dominating. The senior forward scored 19 points, but his last three field goals came when the Knights were out of the game in the final minute.
``We kept changing our defense,'' Burns said. ``We didn't want him to get in a rhythm.''
Cave Spring shot well, making 24 of 49 field-goal attempts against a good defensive team. However, the Knights made only four of 17 shots from 3-point range and that hindered any rally.
The Cougars were even better, connecting on 24 of 39 shots and hitting 18 of 26 free throws as Cave Spring kept sending Pulaski County to the line in hopes the Cougars would miss. Hash, Burns and Webb took all but three of Pulaski County's free throws.
Now the Cougars face a Fleming team they have beaten in two of three meetings this season. Pulaski County lost a playoff game Monday and had to win Friday to wrap up a berth in the regional tournament.
``It wasn't that hard to come back'' from Monday's loss, Hash said. ``We got up after Fleming won [over Franklin County] because we knew had had a regional berth on the line. So we played hard.''
``I'm just relieved and glad to go to the regional,'' Burns said. ``No one picked us. They picked those two teams [Fleming and Cave Spring].''
While the Knights didn't earn their first trip to the region, they did have their first winning season since 1991. Last year's team, after leading most of the year in the district race, finished 10-10.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***