ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080102
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THE HIGHLANDERS turn the tables on J.I. Burton with some defense of their own to win 83-58 in Group A boys' basketball.
Early in the third quarter Thursday night, J.I. Burton decided to press Glenvar.
For a time, it appeared to be a good move.
Wrong.
It led to the dismantling of the Raiders as the Highlanders romped to an 83-58 victory in the Group A boys' basketball tournament at the Salem Civic Center.
The Highlanders (19-6) advance to a semifinal March 15 at the Vines Center in Lynchburg and will play the winner of tonight's Northumberland-Fluvanna game.
Glenvar, which lost in the state championship game last year, is seeking the school's first boys' title since the Highlanders claimed the 1975 Group AA crown.
J.I. Burton (14-12) of Norton resorted to the press to try to cut into a 12-point deficit. It worked for a time as the Raiders forced six turnovers in the first four minutes of the third quarter and trailed by seven before Glenvar called time out.
Point guard Josh Williamson, who scored 11 of his 15 points in the third quarter, then hit two free throws to put Glenvar in front 41-32.
Then the Highlanders pressed, forcing a Raiders miscue, and Williamson converted a layup. Quickly Eric East added a layup and Cory Willis, who had a game-high 23 points, finished an 8-0 run with a follow shot to make it 47-32 and end the suspense.
``We debated whether to press them earlier,'' said Art Lawrence, Glenvar's coach. ``When they decided to press, we also decided to press. I wasn't entirely comfortable in a half-court game.''
The second half, thanks to the press, was all Glenvar. The Highlanders hit 20 of 27 field-goal attempts after intermission and continued to rebound well. They dominated the boards 41-16 overall, thanks to Willis' 12 rebounds.
``Our team plays good when it's an up-and-down game,'' said Williamson, who sat out much of the first half after picking up two fouls.
``On their press, I was getting too deep in the corner instead of staying in the center,'' he said. ``At the timeout, we just wanted to regroup and turn the game up a notch.''
J.I. Burton dominated early as Mark Sturgill hit two long 3-point shots and junior point guard Doug Campbell ran the Raiders' offense almost to perfection.
Campbell also led the press with four of his six steals in the third quarter.
Glenvar, however, led by 11 points at the half on late baskets by Williamson and East.
The Highlanders took the lead for good when a Willis follow shot made it 14-12. The basket was part of an 11-0 run by Glenvar that featured three buckets by Willis, including one 3-pointer.
``They physically outmanned us,'' said J.I. Burton coach Stan Kelly, a veteran of many state tournament games. ``They have such big people and are fairly quick. Our strength is to move the ball and press people. If you can't score, it's hard to press people.''
Willis was Glenvar's most consistent player. He also dished out four assists and was an offensive factor in every quarter. He had 11 points in the opening period to keep the Highlanders close when they hit only eight of 19 shots.
``Coach Lawrence told us if we got the offensive and defensive rebounds, we'd win the game,'' Willis said. ``He also told us they'd probably start out in a spread offense, and if they did, we'd go to a trapping defense.''
Still, the Highlanders started slowly.
``I don't want to put another team down, but we didn't shoot the ball well early,'' Lawrence said. ``In the first quarter, we were falling away instead of going up strong.''
``It's been like that,'' Willis said. ``We've started slowly, then got it working.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff Glenvar's Aaron Kawa brings the ballby CNBupcourt against J.I. Burton's Todd Goode on Thursday.