ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512110081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
CHRISTIANSBURG overcame Auburn again with speed and size in a 64-48 victory Friday.
For Auburn High's basketball team, it was the same result, more attractively presented.
For Christiansburg, it was the same result more difficultly achieved.
A week removed from a blowout victory, the Blue Demons produced a 64-48 win when the Eagles paid a return visit Friday night.
Conclusion?
Auburn must have learned something.
``When you consider we have one player who had varsity experience for us [Kenny Wojciechowski] and we've played two games since the last time we saw Christiansburg, then I'd say it's experience,'' Eagles coach Kevin Harris said. ``Granted, it's not much time, but if we can improve that much every week ... ''
Christiansburg (2-1) blew the game open in the second half and cruised behind Carlton Ashbrook, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Darrell Calloway, who scored 11 points to go with eight steals.
``Carlton isn't overly big [6 feet] but he really has a knack for scoring inside against bigger people,'' Christiansburg coach Gerald Thompson said.
Wojciechowski scored 32 points for Auburn in the previous meeting, but this time was held to 12. Randy Teel chipped in 11.
``They did a better job of handling our press this time,'' Thompson said. ``And I think some of our guys thought we were going to have another cakewalk, but it didn't happen.''
For a team hammered 83-52 by the same opponent one week ago, Auburn looked like a group that was intent on a different result by halftime Friday. The Eagles' inexperience showed, but veterans Wojciechowski and Conrad Hughes [a transfer from Shawsville, where he played for the Shawnees], seemed to have a knack for keeping their team calm.
Christiansburg was clearly the more skillful team but couldn't find a way to assert its dominance in the first 16 minutes. A couple of times during the second half, Christiansburg went up by eight points, but a couple of 3-pointers by Hughes kept the Eagles from falling too far off the pace.
Christiansburg was up only 36-30 at the half despite 10 steams and just two turnovers.
But events turned quickly against Auburn in the second half. As usual with such swift reversals, opposing defense had a lot to do with it. Christiansburg's advantage in size and quickness became more apparent.
The quarter was a nightmare for the Eagles (0-4), who leaked nine more turnovers while scoring only two points. Christiansburg wasn't exactly wearing out the scoreboard operator, but a 22-5 run was good enough to pretty much put this one in the bag.
Christiansburg didn't shoot particularly well against the Eagles' zone, making only 10 of 27 in the second half and 25 of 63 (39.7 percent) for the game. Ten of 13 players scored, however.
NOTE: Please see microfiml for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB