Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503140065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Rams shifted to a matchup zone that cut off Cave Spring's Cheryl Rhodes, and Robinson passed the Knights en route to a 54-43 quarterfinal victory Friday night at Salem High School.
Robinson (25-3) advances to a semifinal Thursday at the Vines Center in Lynchburg against the winner of today's game between unbeaten Kempsville and James River of Midlothian.
Cave Spring (21-5), which had played so well the past couple of weeks, saw its quick senior guards - Aimee and Alison Beightol - held to six points. Also, junior center Jacyln Banks, who had done well since moving to the post two week ago, was held without a field goal.
``All we had heard about was Cave Spring's guards. We tried to cut off their penetration,'' said Robinson guard Mandy Ronay. ``Karen Zee helped me to keep them from driving the lane.''
The Rams opened the game in a man-to-man defense. It cut off the Beightols, but freed Rhodes inside. The junior forward hit five consecutive field-goal attempts on her way to an 18-point game and Cave Spring took an 18-13 lead in the first quarter.
Robinson then went to the matchup. The Beightols still couldn't score and Rhodes was slowed. On offense, the Rams scored the first 10 points of the period to take the lead for good.
Robinson, a big, physical team, dominated inside. Stephanie Schwandt, a 6-foot-2 blue-collar player, grabbed 13 rebounds as the Rams outrebounded Cave Spring 43-33.
``The things we did to get us here, we didn't do tonight,'' said frustrated Cave Spring coach Linda Long. ``We have played extremely sound defense, we've shot well and we've hit free throws. They manhandled us inside. When it got physical the first half, we didn't step up to the different type of style than we're used to.
``They did a good job taking us out of our offense. If Cheryl Rhodes hadn't been ready, we might have scored only 10 points.
For Robinson, Kim Oakes and Kate Van Holle wound up with 22 points underneath. Zee and Ronay added 22, many from the lane
In the third quarter, Aimee Beightol went down with a wrist injury, but she quickly returned to the game. Nothing went right for the Roanoke Valley District's player of the year. Usually a 50 percent shooter from the field and 78 percent from the line, Beightol missed her first seven field-goal attempts and hit but one of five free throws.
Still, she had five assists and four steals before fouling out with barely three minutes left. Cave Spring was down 51-41, but Banks hit two free throws with 3:06 left to make it an eight-point game.
Twice, the Knights forced turnovers but didn't take advantage. First, Alison Beightol missed a runner from the lane. Then, Rhodes couldn't connect from the baseline.
Twice Robinson missed free throws, but each time Schwandt came away with the rebound.
``If we're going to be a state championship team, we have to control the boards,'' Long said. ``We've struggled with our rebounding all year. Tonight, we got crushed. They were shooting free throws the last few minutes, missed and we didn't get the rebound.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB