ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 27, 1995 TAG: 9512270093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
Based in Durham, N.C., Riverside High School is surrounded by quality college basketball programs. Nearby universities Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State have captured an armful of NCAA championship trophies over the past couple of decades.
So what was going through Riverside coach Larry Parrish's mind when Franklin County, winner of one game this year, opened up a 15-point lead on the undefeated Pirates in the second quarter of Tuesday's NationsBank Holiday Hoops first-round tournament game?
``They were playing very well,'' said Parrish, unaware of the Eagles' record. ``Everything they shot went in. We weren't doing a bad job, they just were playing better. The good thing was it was early in the game.''
Riverside shifted to a full-court press that created some turnovers, the Eagles cooled from the field and the North Carolinians rallied to win 67-56.
Riverside (7-0) plays the Northside tonight at 6 p.m., and Franklin County (1-7) plays a 2 p.m. losers' bracket game against William Fleming.
The Eagles made of nine of their 14 field-goal attempts (64 percent) in the first quarter, and every starter had scored by the 4-minute mark. Franklin County led 31-16 in the second quarter.
``We were doing a lot of things well,'' Eagles coach Calvin Preston said.
But when Parrish called for the press, Riverside scored eight consecutive points and by halftime had closed within five at 33-28.
``We had to pick up the tempo a little bit,'' Parrish said.
``Our biggest problem was that we had five guys sitting back waiting for someone to take control,'' Preston said. ``When things go bad for us, they can go real bad.''
The Pirates enjoyed their biggest advantage at 63-48, as Riverside turned a 15-point deficit into a 15-point lead in less than two quarters. Franklin County's first basket of the fourth period came from Henry Eggleston with 3:22 left.
Riverside's Antoine Morman scored 23 points, and Marc McPhatter added 14. K.C. Hancock led the Eagles with 19 points, followed by Bradley McCall with 14.
Parrish played his entire squad, as disciplinary action required some players to sit out early portions of the game.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Short : 49 linesby CNB