ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, October 18, 1996 TAG: 9610180052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
There were shocking developments in Three Rivers District girls' basketball competition Thursday night.
There is now competition in what could be the best Group A girls' basketball league in the state.
Glenvar was outstanding defensively in the fourth quarter in beating guest Floyd County 54-50 to avenge an earlier defeat.
It was the first time Floyd County (15-2 overall, 5-1 district) had lost a Three Rivers game. Ever. For that matter, memory failed in trying to recall the last game the Buffaloes lost in the Mountain Empire District, the circuit they played in prior to the formation of the new district.
You would have thought that every single member of the Highlanders' team had been told they'd won the state lottery, so animated was their celebration.
``We knew we could do it,'' Glenvar's Bonnie Willet said. ``We're here in the Three Rivers now. We're ready to dominate.''
The last time the teams saw each other, it was Floyd County dominating the Highlanders, who were playing their first Three Rivers game after defecting from the Pioneer. Floyd County had a better fourth quarter in that one, one in which it scored more than the five points it had Thursday.
``We didn't execute some things offensively,'' Floyd County coach Alan Cantrell said. ``And they may have wanted it a little bit more than we did in the fourth.''
The Highlanders (12-4, 5-1) took their first lead at 48-47 on a Willet layup with 78 seconds to play. Willet was fouled but failed to complete the three-point play.
Glenvar went 6-for-12 from the free-throw line down the stretch, Willet going 4-for-9 over the same span to finish with 15 points.
``That was one of my worst nights free-throw shooting,'' she said.
The team went 11-for-20.
``That almost came back to bite us,'' Glenvar coach Dennis Layman said.
Erika Hale added 19 points for Glenvar to surpass the 1,000-point mark for her career. Julie Sowers had 12 points and a pair of 3-pointers for Floyd County, Amy Vest added 11 points and three 3-pointers, while Sara Conner chipped in 10 points.
``We're still there,'' Cantrell said. ``We've still got a long season to go. We'll see Glenvar again.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 linesby CNB