Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 15, 1995                   TAG: 9511150074
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FIELDALE-COLLINSVILLE ELIMINATES LIBERTY

The Minettes never answered their wakeup call as Fieldale-Collinsville pulled away in the second half for a 53-43 victory in the opening round of the Region III tournament Tuesday night at William Byrd High School.

The Cavaliers (20-6), who attained their first 20-victory season since 1977, advanced to meet William Byrd in the second half of Thursday's semifinal doubleheader. At stake will be a berth in the state tournament.

Fieldale-Collinsville never had advanced this far in Group AA competition.

Liberty, the Seminole District runner-up, finished 19-5.

F-C spotted the Minettes the early lead, but once it forged ahead right before intermission, it never let up. The Cavaliers led by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter. Liberty never was closer than eight points in the last eight minutes of the game.

``I think we were scared and intimidated at first,'' said Marcia Mincer, F-C's coach. ``The girls sat and watched the first game [between Brookville and Lord Botetourt] and those are two pretty good teams. I think it scared them.''

The antidote was a stiff dose of 1-3-1 press.

``That took their minds off being scared,'' Mincer said.

The Cavaliers, winners of the Piedmont District tournament, got 12 points from guard Yvonne Hall and 11 from 6-foot-3 center T.J. Hayes. Carrie Quinlan added nine and Suzanne Stoneman and Rayni Cooke added eight each.

``We've been emphasizing playing as a team more,'' Mincer said.

Liberty got most of its scoring from Kellea Whorley, who overcame a sore elbow to pump in four 3-pointers on the way to 16 points. Sue Cowlbeck operated inside for 13.

Liberty led most of the first half and was up 18-9 when Whorley sank a jumper for two of her 10 first-half points.

But starting with a 3-pointer from the the Cavaliers' Hall, F-C went on a 15-0 run that carried into the second half.

``I don't know what happened,'' said David Grant, Liberty's coach. ``It was like we just died. We started throwing the ball away and a lot of that looked like unforced errors. I just don't know.

``I think the big girl [Hayes] had us intimidated inside, although we've played against big girls before.''

NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.