Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 15, 1995 TAG: 9509150091
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
William Byrd forward Cathy Smith was held to eight points, but Kristi Dyer and Brandy Allen did just that Thursday night. Each scored in double figures as the Terriers defeated Blacksburg 72-57 in non-district girls' basketball in Vinton.
The Terriers remain undefeated at 7-0, while Blacksburg dropped to 2-5.
``We stepped up and played better offensively,'' said Allen, a sophomore. ``But I've seen us play better defensively.''
The Terriers (7-0) led 50-43 going into the fourth quarter and pulled away.
Dyer led Byrd with 14 points.
``The score didn't reflect how hard we played,'' said Blacksburg guard April Rogers.
Since their tallest player was 5-foot-10 Andrea Feret, the Indians (2-5) went to a 2-3 zone defense in the first half to counter 6-2 Stephanie Parnell and 6-0 Allen.
The strategy worked. Blacksburg committed 16 first-half turnovers, while the Indians committed only 10. For the game, Byrd had 30 turnovers and the Indians 18.
``We've been averaging too many turnovers,'' said Richard Thrasher, the Terriers' coach. ``We're not making good decisions passing the ball.''
The equalizer for Byrd, however, was free throws. Byrd was 15-of-27 from the line; Blacksburg hit only seven of its 17 attempts. Dyer was 4-for-4, all in the fourth quarter.
The key for Blacksburg was stopping Smith, and the Indians succeeded - for a half. The 5-8 junior was held scoreless in the opening 16 minutes.
``We know she's a good player,'' said Micky McGuigan, Blacksburg's coach. ``We went with the best matchup.''
The Indians paired Rogers with Smith.
Blacksburg's 5-4 senior scored eight consecutive points during a stretch spanning the first and second periods and had 15 of the team's 29 first-half points. She finished with a game-high 25.
Smith scored her first basket with 3:42 left in the third quarter on a put-back of Allen's miss to give Byrd a 44-37 lead.
Blacksburg, which went to a full-court press in the fourth quarter, hung close for half of the final quarter. But Brennan Sigel, who finished with seven points, scored on a follow with 3:15 left to give Byrd a 12-point lead.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB