ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 20, 1996 TAG: 9601210008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Salem's 76-64 basketball victory over William Byrd was plenty sweet Friday night, no doubt about it.
Too bad the Spartans won't have long to enjoy it.
``I hope we can do it again tomorrow,'' coach Charlie Morgan said as he sent his players home from the Salem Civic Center with stern instructions to behave and get some rest.
But there will be no rest for this group after a tough Blue Ridge District game. The Spartans crank it up again tonight at the civic center as they engage George Washington-Danville in one of the four games of the Crestar Classic. The mighty Eagles may have the best Group AAA team in the state.
At the very least Friday night, Salem (5-5 overall, 2-1 district) looked like one of the very best teams in the Blue Ridge. The Spartans spotted Byrd (7-3, 0-2) a 10-2 lead, but once they caught up later in the quarter - thanks to a four-point possession on an intentional foul call on the Terriers' Jason Thomas - they never let up.
Salem guard Herschel Thomas made both free throws, then sank a short jumper to put the Spartans up 15-12. Salem was relentless after that and Byrd never led again.
Thomas was just getting started on a remarkable night on which he would score a career-high 31 points, 17 in the second half. Thomas also made 14 of 16 free throws and was the biggest contributor to the Spartans' 33-for-42 performance at the line.
``I knew I'd taken a lot of free throws, but not that many,'' Thomas said in astonishment.
Not that he was reluctant to step up to the line.
``Shoot no,'' he said.
Thomas buried his last 14, including a three-shotter with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
``I don't like to talk about free throws too much,'' Morgan said. ``It's one of those things you don't want them thinking about too much. Free throws are like ... once you start making them, you just get that much more confident.''
Andy Beach had a very nice game himself for Salem, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the second quarter as the Spartans were taking control. Beach canned four of six free throws. Center Eric Grinnell sank five of six on the way to an 11-point, eight-rebound night.
``Grinnell had a heck of a game,'' Morgan said.
So did Byrd's Chris Childress, whose feathery jumper and elusive moves produced 28 points. The Terriers' Mayo Wilson added 11, nine coming on 3-point shots.
``Childress is going to get his,'' Morgan said. ``All we tried to do was contain him.''
One of the ways they did that was to play a lot of zone defense.
``We're not as deep as I'd like to be nor as quick,'' Morgan said. ``So we have to keep people off-balance.''
Byrd had 19 turnovers, 11 coming in the first half and most of them resulting from the press the Spartans turned to once they gained the lead.
``We wanted to keep the turnovers under 15,'' said Paul Barnard, the Terriers' coach. ``Half of it had to do with Salem, which played very well, and half of it was us. We have to handle the ball better.''
Byrd never gave up and was down six points twice in the last three minutes, but Salem was tenacious at the stripe, making 13 of its last 16 to keep the Terriers at bay.
``We're down now, but we have the kind of kids who will respond,'' Barnard said. ``We will be back. We will be a force in the Blue Ridge.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 linesby CNB