ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, August 30, 1996 TAG: 9608300031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
It might not have taken long to find the biggest threat to Lord Botetourt's goal of putting together back-to-back girls' basketball state championships.
Though it was only the first night of the season, William Byrd, the other finalist in last year's all-Blue Ridge District Group AA title game, showed this year's final could be a rematch. The Terriers rolled to a surprisingly easy 73-35 victory Thursday over perennial Piedmont District power Martinsville.
Northside, picked to finish second in the Blue Ridge behind Lord Botetourt, also was impressive in beating Group A power Glenvar 48-41. The Vikings will meet the Terriers in Saturday's championship game.
Byrd looked surprisingly sharp for a season opener and might have given Martinsville's veteran coach, Carla Giles, the worst loss of her career.
``If we can't play better than tonight, we might as well stay at home,'' Giles said. ``Byrd played super, we played horrible. We couldn't throw a pass, we couldn't hit a layuup, what few we had.''
Every Byrd player scored, but coach Richard Thrasher carries only five starters and four reserves. All of them appeared capable of playing with 6-foot Brandy Allen, who scored a game-high 17 points. Stephanie Parnell, a 6-2 sophomore, added 12 and Lara Nester had 15 off the bench.
``We're not as good as we're going to be,'' said Thrasher, uttering a scary statement for the next three months. ``I was pleased with the way we played defense. We've been harping on that in practice; get our hands up and move our feet. We did a good job of helping out.''
The Bulldogs were at a disadvantage because Erica Brandon, Timesland's Sizzlin' Sophomore of the Year two seasons ago, is playing with a metal rod in one of her thigh because of a summer car crash.
``She gets so frustrated,'' Giles said. Jamie Farrington scored 15, but couldn't get any consistent help.
Byrd hit 30-of-61 shots and made only one floor miscue in the third quarter. Freshman guard Andrea Gay had six assists off the bench.
Northside and Glenvar started slowly, with the Vikings scoring the only five points of the first quarter for either team. Eventually the teams started hitting and the Highlanders wiped out several deficits. Northside, led by 6-foot center Crystal Barrett's 16 points and eight rebounds, took a 39-28 lead into the final quarter.
``We were more patient in the second half,'' said Marilyn Bussey, Northside's coach. ``We had scrimmaged this team last week and it was pretty even. We managed to get a little distance in the third quarter. We were trying to get more movement in our offense.''
Glenvar's Erika Hale, last year's Sophomore of the Year, had 13 points, but the Vikings kept her pinned down most of the game. The Highlanders' Amanda Kennedy suffered a sprained ankle in the second half after hitting a couple of 3-point shots.
``We had a little bit of early season jitters,'' said Glenvar coach Dennis Layman. ``We had some poor techniques and positioning on our press and Northside took advantages of some positions we couldn't cover.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff Glenvar's Amy Layman (left) picks upby CNBher first personal foul while reaching in on Northside's Kristina
McMillian during third-quarter action at the William Byrd Tip-Off
Tournament on Thursday. The Vikings beat the Highlanders 48-41.