Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 10, 1995 TAG: 9511100104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After struggling for much of the year, William Byrd senior Cathy Smith seems ready to help take her team back to the Group AA girls' basketball tournament.
The Terriers forward showed the sharpness of last fall when she was co-Blue Ridge District Player of the Year by scoring 14 points Thursday night to lead Byrd in its 60-34 victory over Alleghany in a district tournament semifinal.
The victory sends the Terriers (21-2) to the championship game Saturday night in Vinton against Lord Botetourt.
``It's the end of the season and the district tournament. So you want to win. Especially on your home court,'' said Smith.
The Byrd scoring leader has been plagued by foul problems and frequently has been forced to leave games early in the first half in order to stay out of foul trouble. That happened again Thursday, but before she departed Smith had scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds in the first five minutes of the opening quarter. That salvo gave the Terriers a 13-3 lead and Alleghany (11-12) never recovered.
``I was frustrated because I was always in foul trouble. It was my fault. there was nothing I could do about it,'' said Smith, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
This past Monday, she also played a strong game and wasn't in foul trouble when Byrd beat Salem in a playoff for the Blue Ridge District regular season title.
``I've been playing better. It makes me feel better to know I am playing like I was last year,'' said Smith.
Alleghany didn't use the delay game employed during a first-round upset of Northside. But the Mountaineers couldn't stay with the Terriers on the backboards. Byrd had a commanding 48-24 margin in rebounds.
``We got the boards on them and that's what we needed,'' said Byrd coach Richard Thrasher, who loves a strong inside game.
Alleghany coach Danny Keene agreed. ``We even boxed out, but we're just not as tall. What's haunted us all year are [missed] layups and free throws.
``What's weakest about our program is that we don't push each other in practice. Then we go against other teams. We have to go full blast and we're not used to it.''
Kelli Runyon, another Byrd senior, is also playing well during this stretch. She scored 13 points and collected four steals to lead the Terriers' defense.
Alleghany countered with junior Natasha Chapman, who had a game-high 20 points. However, she made only 5-of-17 shots while the Mounties were 11-of-50 from the floor.
Byrd hit 20-of-45 shots, but was only 1-of-9 from 3-point range.
The Terriers took the heart out of Alleghany with a pair of last-second shots to end the first and second quarters. Ruyon hit a 3-point shot just before the end of the first quarter after Byrd held for 50 seconds. That put the Terriers on top 17-8.
Right before the half, Brandy Allen hit a short jumper from the side just ahead of the buzzer, giving Byrd an comfortable 31-18 lead at intermission.
``We do a lot of things we ought to do, but we just don't finish,'' said Keene, who returns four starters next year.
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.