Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503030050
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Dana Gibson, a 6-foot-6 1/2 center, and 6-0 Maurice Garrison have been exerting their strength and finesse down low to put Northside in position for another trip to the Group AA state basketball tournament.
The Vikings play in the Region III semifinals tonight at the Salem Civic Center at 6 p.m. against the winner of a Tuesday game between Laurel Park and Altavista. If Northside wins, the Vikings will be in the state tournament for the third time in the last four years.
Gibson is in his fourth year on the varsity while Garrison, a two-year starter, is in his third season. Coach Billy Pope took a chance and brought Gibson up as a freshman to play behind 6-5 Walt Derey, now a scholarship football player at the University of Virginia.
Garrison came up a year later after playing a season at the junior varsity level. He is well built which explains why he is able to maneuver like a big man even though he isn't particularly tall.
Garrison averages just over 10 points a game, mostly on stickbacks. Gibson leads the Vikings in rebounding with an 8.5 average and is fourth in scoring at eight points a game. He also has blocked as many as three shots in a game.
``As far as ability plus the personality of those two,'' said assistant coach Ed Culicerto, who has been the one working with them during most of their careers, "it's been a great ride. Maurice is very deceptive around the basket. He's a powerful kid, who has the good sense in posting up and good moves to the basket.
``Dana is more of a cut and catch player in the high post. Then he faces the basket. He's a good passer. It seems like these two are playing reverse roles, but they're not.''
In the case of Gibson, Pope took a chance four years ago. Instead of letting Gibson get experience playing as a junior varsity center, he had him sitting on the bench behind Derey and seeing little playing time.
``We kind of lacked depth at the big man position. We asked Dana what he thought about coming up to work out with the varsity one Saturday in practice. He said, 'Great.' We never sent him down again. We thought about it, but we decided that it would be better for him to work every day in practice against Walt and Jimmy [Porter, the Vikings' other big man],'' Pope said.
``That was fine with me,'' Gibson said. ``I figured by the time I got to 11th or 12th grade, it would be good experience. I had played with Walt since I came to junior high and he taught me a lot. He was really strong and smart on the court.''
Gibson was on the bench as a sophomore the day Derey broke a state tournament rebounding record held by former UVa great Ralph Richardson. He also got to play in the state tournament when the Vikings were far behind in a game against Nansemond River in the championship contest.
``It was kind of exciting for me, but I'd rather we'd have won the game,'' said Gibson.
Gibson is being recruited hard by Emory & Henry in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and he has also heard from Bridgewater and Roanoke colleges. ``I'm not sure what I'll do," he said. "I'll either go to community college and study something in the automotive field or go to Division III.''
Garrison, who has become very friendly off the court with Gibson, is not tall enough to be recruited. If his basketball career is to continue after this season, it's likely to be in the military service. Garrison is thinking of joining after graduation.
If you watch Garrison, you have to wonder how he's always able to play among the taller players and score without getting his shot blocked.
``Rebounding is just being athletic,'' said Garrison. ``I just try and put my body on people, box out and get good position down low.''
Pope praised the way Garrison has played late in the year.
``Maurice had a slow time in the middle of the year,'' said Pope. ``Down the stretch, though, he's played very well for us. The thing is that Maurice has a big man's moves in a small man's body.''
Garrison played for the North Roanoke Bullets and then went to Jackson Middle School in Roanoke where he played as an eighth-grader in 1991.
``I was supposed to go to Patrick Henry [the next year], but we moved. I think I had a good chance to make the varsity there,'' said Garrison.
If he had done that, Garrison would have been a member of the Patriot team that won the state championship.
Pope says being guard-oriented as a coach is not always the best thing for his Vikings.
``When a lot of people see our guards, they know them by name. When we've been at our best, though, is when our big guys have played their best. Go down game-by-game and you'll see that's true,'' said the Viking coach.
by CNB