ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, September 13, 1996 TAG: 9609130147
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEITH POMPEY STAFF WRITER
For a while, Richard Thrasher's prediction seemed accurate..
An hour before game time, the William Byrd High School girls' basketball coach swore up and down the contest with Jefferson Forest would be close.
He had a good reason for feeling that way.
When the teams met Sept.5, the Terriers escaped with a four-point victory.
But this time, Byrd never looked back after a second-half run, defeating Jefferson Forest 74-56 in a non-district game Thursday night in Vinton.
``I'm pleased with this win,'' Thrasher said. ``Our kids did a good job. And they did a great job of getting the ball inside.''
That's an understatement.
Throughout the game, the Terriers' guards fed the ball to the low post. Six-foot forward Brandy Allen and 6-2 center Stephanie Parnell didn't disappoint their teammates.
Allen was 10-for-13 from the field, scoring a game-high 26 points. The junior also added 14 rebounds and four blocks. Parnell, a sophomore, finished with 13 points.
``I guess you can say that I was in the zone tonight or that this was a little bit of luck,'' said Allen of her season's best performance. ``But tonight's game wasn't all about one person. We are a whole team. It doesn't matter if I go out there and score a million points. It's all about how we as a team play. And I thought we did a great job.''
She's right.
As a unit, Byrd (5-1) shot 21-of-30 from the free-throw line. Also, eight of the nine players scored.
But early in the game, Jefferson Forest (1-2) looked as if it might avenge it's early-season loss.
The Cavaliers led 12-5 as Dawn Chewning and Andrea Gay, the Terriers' freshman guards, committed five first-quarter turnovers.
``That's when we had to regain our focus,'' Thrasher said. ``We were out there playing too quick. We need to do a much better job.''
And for the next three minutes, Byrd did just that, closing the gap to 16-13 to end the quarter.
The Terriers seemed to do no wrong in the second period, taking a 33-25 lead.
From that point on, Jefferson Forest couldn't take advantage of any of its opportunities. With Allen on the bench because of foul trouble, the Cavaliers had a chance to make a comeback in the third quarter.
Instead, they started to hurt themselves. Kristin Lowe hit a free throw that would have pulled Jefferson Forest to 44-33. But it was wiped out when Kodi Pollard was called for a lane violation.
The Terriers took advantage down the stretch, walking away with their 18-point victory.
``This game was very disappointing,'' said Dawn Coleman, the Cavaliers' coach. ``Byrd is a very good team. We matched up well against them [earlier this season]. I don't know what happened here. But I'm still proud of my team.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 61 linesby CNB