ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 1996 TAG: 9611200074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
When Richlands last saw Andrea Gay in summer team camp, the William Byrd point guard hadn't made it to high school.
Tuesday, the freshman point guard gave the Blue Tornado a lesson in the four-corners offense as Byrd rattled off a 65-43 victory in the first round of the Group AA girls' basketball tournament in Vinton.
The Terriers (23-4) move on to Bristol for the semifinals Friday, where they'll run into Lord Botetourt for the fifth and final time this year.
The defending champion Cavaliers qualified for another meeting with Byrd by winning at Marion, 69-50. The teams have split four meetings this year with the last two going overtime.
Richlands coach Fred Phillips said it all when he described Gay by saying, ``She's pure heck.''
The Terriers went to the four corners early when inside players Brandy Allen and Stephanie Parnell picked up two personals in the opening quarter.
``That's what we were going to do anyway,'' said Byrd coach Richard Thrasher. ``Richlands wants to play up-and-down the floor. So we do it with the intention of making them play defense. We got some good open looks at the basket.''
In the opening half, Lara Nester, Sarah Moore and Dawn Chewning combined for four 3-point goals. Chewning set the tone with a 3-pointer that gave Byrd a 3-2 lead it never relinquished.
Gay led both teams with 21 points. Most of her scoring came when Richlands (21-5) was forced to abandon a zone defense and play man-to-man. Gay shredded it at will for driving layups.
``When we played them last summer, she didn't play that way,'' said Phillips. ``You can attribute that to coaching and God-given talent. We wanted to take it to them, get them in foul trouble. Then they took it [outside] and we're not that good in man-to-man.''
Despite foul problems, Allen scored 14 points and hauled in five rebounds. Erin Caldwell led the Terriers rebounders with eight as they cleaned up the boards 39-19.
Richlands' leading scorer, Kristi Bennett, got only six points before fouling out in the third quarter. Crystal Armes, a 45 percent 3-point shooter, missed all 11 shots she tried from long range.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER\Staff. Stephanie Parnell (31) of William Byrdby CNBstands her ground as Cindy Tegeler of Richlands drives to the
basket. color.