Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 1, 1995 TAG: 9509010084
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Whatever, it was an early-season girls' basketball classic as William Byrd came from far behind to nip Martinsville 69-68 in the William Byrd Invitational on Wednesday night.
For the second game of the season, both teams appeared to be in midseason form. Neither club tired in the steamy gym.
Byrd (2-0) trailed by 11 points with 6:27 left as Martinsville (1-1) had used its speed and the touch of Erica Brandon, last year's Sizzlin' Sophomore of the Year, who had scored 24 of her game-high 25 points.
Then the Bulldogs started making turnovers. Byrd crept back into the game slowly and took its first lead since the first quarter when Brandy Allen hit a fadeaway from 10 feet with 44 seconds left.
``We weren't making good passes,'' said Martinsville coach Carla Giles, whose club used a spread offense to utilize its quickness and offset Byrd's tremendous height advantage.
``We were trying to force their passes more to the side and sprint to the gaps,'' said Byrd coach Richard Thrasher, who notched his 200th career victory in the second game of his 12th season.
After Allen's shot, the Bulldogs made their eighth turnover and were forced to foul. Kelli Runyon hit two free throws with 12.8 seconds left for a 69-66 lead.
The Bulldogs' Takeshia Mitchell, a 5-foot-3 freshman who kept Byrd off balance with her quickness, and Brandon both missed 3-point attempts before Melody Dallas hit a meaningless follow shot at the buzzer.
``Our passing in the first half killed us,'' said Thrasher. ``In the second half, we made better passes.''
Foul problems also plagued Byrd. Cathy Smith,a second-team All-Timesland selection last season, collected two personals in the first quarter and sat out the second period as Martinsville completed a 13-0 run and built as much as a 12-point lead.
Before the half, Sarah Moore sparked a comeback with a pair of 3-point shots and the Terriers were down by only eight at intermission.
Brandon continued her assault in the third quarter with nine points, but she scored only one in the final period and took only two shots from the field.
``I don't know what happened, maybe she got too flabbergasted,'' said Giles.
The shorter Bulldogs outrebounded Byrd 34-20 with Tresita Holland grabbing 12.
Byrd got big contributions from a pair of freshmen as 6-2 Stephanie Parnell had 11 points and Lara Nester sank a key 3-point shot early in the final period that was the start of the Terriers' rally.
Both teams shot well. Martinsville made 26-of-49 from the field and the Terriers, who have some outside shooting ability this season, hit 28-of-50.
In the opener, Glenvar (1-1) pulled away in the final minute as Amanda Rydell hit a layup and a free throw with 26.7 seconds left to snap a tie and spark the Highlanders to a 38-33 victory over Northside.
Then, after the Vikings (0-2) missed a couple of shots, Jamie Dowdy converted a pair of free throws to clinch Glenvar's victory.
Glenvar's Erika Hale led both teams with 20 points and the game came down to free throws, where the Highlanders missed only five while Northside misfired on 12 attempts.
Glenvar led most of the way, but the Vikings' Amy Heath hit a layup with 5:30 left to put Northside ahead 27-26 that started a see-saw contest until the Highlanders' late flurry.
In other games:
Lord Botetourt 85, Alleghany 57: The Cavaliers took an early lead and never looked back as they overpowered the Mountaineers in the Lord Botetourt Invitational.
The Cavaliers were led by Sarah Hicks with 20 points, Katrina Elliott with 19 and Sara Moore with 17. Alleghany's leading scorer, Katie Craft, had a game-high 23.
Botetourt meets R.E. Lee-Staunton in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Magna Vista will play Alleghany at 6 p.m.
R.E. Lee-Staunton 45, Magna Vista 41: Lee defeated Magna Vista in the Lord Botetourt Invitational. Katrina Lassiter paced Lee (2-0) with 14 points. Tanesia Kellam and Sandi Reid each had 15 points for the Warriors (0-2).
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB