ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, October 9, 1996 TAG: 9610090065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
Northside won't want to remember the game, but the Vikings certainly won't forget the night the first half of the Blue Ridge District girls' basketball race ended.
Playing a longtime nemesis on the road, the Vikings thwarted every Salem rally to win 55-49 on Tuesday night on the Spartans' floor. The significance was more than revenge for a 19-point loss on this floor. It assured Northside of holding onto its share of first place in what has become a three-way race for the title.
Northside shares top billing with Lord Botetourt, a team it lost to last week, and William Byrd. Since Byrd and Botetourt play Thursday, the Vikings (11-2 overall, 6-1 district) have a chance to move ahead of one of their main rivals.
As for Salem, the Spartans didn't have enough guns. When Sarah Palmer picked up her third personal foul in the first half, coach Dee Wright, who was out of the hospital after surgery, had to do some substituting to stay with Northside.
Palmer never fouled out and finished with a game-high 19 points. But Northside's balance paid off with Crystal Barrett getting 16 points to go with 13 points each from Amy Heath and Samantha Webb.
``We had a talk at practice. A loss needs to happen to you,'' Heath said. ``It kind of brings you back to reality and shows you need to keep working hard.''
The Vikings had all sorts of problems with Salem (8-4, 3-4) despite never surrendering the lead after an early 8-0 spurt put them ahead 13-7. At times during the second half, Northside would get leads of from eight to 12 points and each time Salem came roaring back.
``It was an ugly, ugly game,'' said Marilyn Bussey, Northside's coach. ``We didn't do a good job in a lot of aspects. But Amy did a good job on some inside moves in the early part of the last quarter.''
Heath had a quick basket as she posted up against Salem's box-and-one defense.
The Spartans' defense was designed to cut off the 6-foot Barrett. Barrett had five rebounds and six steals, a rarity for a center.
``I kind of anticipate the pass a lot more,'' said Barrett. ``Sometimes, though, I get to them too late.''
Barrett and four other starters were in foul trouble for the Vikings and Northside had to use its bench. The foul problems, didn't plague the Vikings as they did Salem, though.
``I don't really have to do it all. The team just has to shoot more,'' Palmer said.
``We have no depth,'' said Wright, who had only nine players in uniform. ``But if we execute better, the shots will be there'' for players other than Palmer.
Salem held a whopping 37-26 rebounding margin with Erin Collins getting 12.
The Spartans' best chance at getting back in the game came at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter. Trailing by four points, Salem missed a shot and Barrett got a layup right before the end of the third quarter. Then, Salem turned over the ball to start the fourth quarter and Heath went inside to make it an eight-point margin, from which the Spartans wouldn't recover. see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER STAFF Sarah Palmer (10) of Salem passes toby CNBan open teammate as Samantha Webb of Northside applies defensive
pressure.