ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996 TAG: 9609130099
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
Granted a wish Tuesday night, the Northside girls' basketball team wanted to defend against the simple two-point shot rather than the more difficult 3-point goal.
The Vikings got their wish, stopped a final drive by Floyd County's Amy Vest and secured a 58-57 victory at Northside's gym.
It was the first loss for Floyd County, ranked No.2 in Timesland. Third-ranked Northside (5-1) avenged its only loss, which game last week on the Buffaloes' court.
Floyd County (5-1) nearly made it two in a row thanks to 3-point shots. The Buffaloes hit eight of 14 attempts from beyond the arc, with Julie Sowers going 6-for-8. That was far better than from two-point range, where Floyd County was 11-of-46.
The Buffaloes got the ball with 6.7 seconds left. Vest drove from the right of the lane toward the baseline and took an off-balance 10-footer that wouldn't fall.
``We were trying to play man-to-man and contain them, make them take as much time off the clock as we could getting down the floor,'' said Marilyn Bussey, Northside's coach.
While Vest was a reserve, Floyd County coach Alan Cantrell said the play was set up for her.
``She can get a shot off falling down,'' Cantrell said. ``I didn't think we had enough time for a pass, so I just wanted us to take it to the hole.''
Earlier, Vest's layup tied the score at 55 with 1:06 left. That's when Northside's Amber Kern, also a reserve, stepped up. Kern drew a foul and hit one free throw to put the Vikings up by one.
She then stole the ball and was fouled with 30.6 seconds remaining on a drive for the basket. This time she hit both free throws to make it a 58-55 lead.
``The ball was tipped away and I intercepted it,'' Kern said of the steal. ``I didn't know anyone was behind me. I just wanted to go for the basket. On the free throws, I was just thinking, `I have to make them.'''
Floyd County wasn't finished. Sowers hit two free throws that gave her a game-high 25 points. A Northside turnover set up the final chance for the Buffaloes.
Sowers' big game, which included three steals, helped erase bad memories of the Buffaloes' visit to Northside a year ago.
``Last year in this gym, Julie turned her ankle. She shot poorly and a lot of little things frustrated her,'' Cantrell said. ``It's good to have players thinking like that and stepping up to play a good game.''
Northside's Crystal Barrett turned in another good game, with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She hit nine of 11 shots, all layups, and the Vikings shot well from the floor, going 22-for-47 despite missing four 3-point shots.
``Most teams play me really tight, but Floyd County tends to slack off on me,'' Barrett said. ``We knew after losing to them there, we had to go out and work even harder tonight.''
Barrett and Kern also received strong support from Amy Heath, a leader on the floor. Heath scored 12 points on an assortment of moves and added three assists and two steals.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB