Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503030136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Northside High School's basketball team is sort of like the celebrated charming rogue of story and stage.
The Vikings might look like quiet, refined young gentlemen, but they know how to play rough when the time comes.
Northside used equal measures of finesse and muscle to stuff Laurel Park 71-55 in a semifinal of the Region III tournament Thursday night at the Salem Civic Center. The Vikings (18-7) advance to their fourth Group AA tournament in five years.
Northside will play Liberty for the regional title at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Roanoke College's Bast Center. Both regional finalists qualify for the state tournament.
Laurel Park (19-6) is big, strong and fast, but the Vikings conceded nothing inside or outside.
``It was an aggressive game and all aggressive games can end up being pretty physical,'' said Northside guard Ben Peete.
The Vikings pulled away in the second half, then used a swarming man-to-man defense to choke off any attempt at a comeback. Laurel Park, the Piedmont District regular-season runner-up, made 22 of 50 shots for the game, but was 10-for-30 (30 percent) in the second half.
The Lancers scored one point in a span of 5:37 in the fourth quarter.
``We were in foul trouble,'' said Frank Scott, Laurel Park's coach. ``It takes you out of your game. The kids can't play.''
Warrick Scott, the coach's son, scored 18 points in his final high school game. Rashad Wall and Girard Foster combined for 24, but the Lancers didn't have much of an inside attack in the crucial stages of the game. Most of the offense was coming from the outside.
``Coach [Billy Pope] told us to lay off Foster and help Maurice Garrison with anybody else who came into the paint,'' said Dana Gibson, Northside's 6-foot-6 center.
Gibson hauled down 14 rebounds to stake the Vikings to a 36-29 advantage on the backboards. He also blocked four shots to go with nine points.
The Vikings were typically fearless offensively. They shot 50 percent for the game (22-of-44) with guards Justin Porterfield (22 points) and Peete (21) combining for seven of the team's eight 3-point goals.
``They're gamers, both of them,'' Pope said of Porterfield and Peete. ``They both love to play and they both love to play in big games.''
Once Laurel Park got into foul trouble, Northside kept the pressure on. The Vikings took 27 free throws, 10 more than Laurel Park, and outscored the Lancers 19-7 from the line.
Peete and Porterfield were a composite 12-for-17 on free throws.
Laurel Park and Northside are well-known to each other. They've met three times in regional play, with the Vikings winning the last two. They also have an annual preseason scrimmage.
Said Pope: ``That's so long ago that that's not much of a factor at all.''
by CNB