ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 2, 1995 TAG: 9512040037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.
It is a compliment to George Mason's girls' basketball team to say that it beat Floyd County at its own game Friday.
Nobody else in Group A has managed that lately.
The Mustangs defended like crazy and maintained a maximum level of aggression throughout to unseat the two-time defending state champion Buffaloes 64-60 in the state semifinals at the Salem Civic Center.
George Mason (28-0), which has missed the final four the past two years because of losses by a total of three points in the Region B semifinals, stopped Floyd County's winning streak against Group A competition at 63 games.
``You just saw the state championship game, as far as I'm concerned,'' Floyd County coach Alan Cantrell said. ``George Mason has a great team and our girls have nothing to be ashamed of.''
George Mason coach Lori McConnell said simply, ``I don't think I've ever felt so good in my life.''
The Buffaloes (21-6) were down by eight points in the fourth quarter, but never gave up and had the deficit to 63-60 on a 3-point goal by senior Charity Shrewsbury with 23 seconds left. But Charissa Bautista hit one of two free throws for the Mustangs to push the lead back to four and Floyd County never scored again.
Bautista's miss interrupted a string of 13 straight made free throws by George Mason going back to the third quarter. In all, the Mustangs made 15 of their last 17 foul shots and were 23-for-32 for the game.
``In the playoffs, we've been shooting 70 percent from the line; before that, I don't even want to talk about,'' McConnell said.
Free-throw shooting may have been the difference in the game in view of the fact that Floyd County outshot the Mustangs from the floor, outrebounded them 39-35, and had three fewer turnovers (18 to 21).
``I don't think there was a player on this team who thought for a minute that we weren't going to win this game,'' said Mustangs forward Jennifer Williams, who scored 15 points to go with eight rebounds.
A good time for doubt to emerge would have been in the first half, when George Mason jumped all over the Buffaloes to start the game only to have the tables turned and Floyd County take a 34-27 lead at halftime.
Some fiery oratory greeted the Mustangs in the dressing quarters at the break.
``I asked them if they thought they were better than Floyd County and they said they did,'' McConnell said. ``Then I told them they'd come too far to lose to a team that wasn't as good [as] them.''
George Mason opened the game in a press, but abandoned it later in the half.
``It was ineffective against them,'' McConnell said.
``We like teams to press us,'' Cantrell said. ``If they'd kept pressing us, I think we would have been all right. But that was a good coaching move on her part to get away from it.''
Instead, the Mustangs concentrated on their half-court defense, working mostly from a matchup zone. Denied the transition game, Floyd County was out of its element.
Melissa Cantrell, one of four Floyd County seniors and the team's leading scorer, was held without a point in the first half (she missed a good bit of it because of foul trouble) and finished with four points.
``She missed some shots she usually makes, but their defense had something to do with that,'' Alan Cantrell said.
Julie Sowers took up the slack with 15 points and seven rebounds, guard Sara Conner added 12 points, and sophomores Jill Quesenberry and Amy Vest chipped in 11 apiece. Quesenberry had 11 rebounds.
``They were very aggressive,'' Williams said. ``And they were tougher than we thought.''
George Mason got 13 points and three 3-pointers from Michelle Wilson, 12 points from left-handed center Sarah Jackson before she fouled out, and nine each from Maggie Kuhn and Bautista.
The Mustangs face a rematch with Wilson Memorial today at 1 p.m. Wilson Memorial, beaten by Mason in the Region B tournament, edged Northwood 57-55 behind a 30-point, 10-rebound performance from Erin Perry, who made 13 of 20 shots.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: MIKE HEFFNER/Staff. 1. Floyd County players (from left)by CNBJ.J. Sowers, Amy Vest and Lisa Smith watch the final seconds as the
Buffaloes' 63-game Group A winning streak is halted. 2. George
Mason's Kyra Lukomski (12) battles Floyd County's Jill Quesenberry
for a rebound in the first half. color. 3. Floyd County's Julie
Sowers (left) battles for possession of the ball with George Mason's
Brittany Templer on Friday at the Salem Civic Center.