ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 13, 1996 TAG: 9612130093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
Jack Esworthy gave his Patrick Henry High School boys' basketball team a ``good old fashioned talking to'' during halftime of its game Thursday night at Salem.
``I told them we needed to pick it up defensively. They responded to it,'' said the Patriots' first-year coach. PH (2-0) did indeed get the message, as it broke a halftime tie and whipped Salem 74-63 on the Spartans' court.
Salem shot better than 50 percent during the first half. After intermission, the Spartans made 28 percent of their field-goal attempts (nine of 32).
Malik Shareef scored the first two baskets of the second half to give PH the lead for good. The Patriots tried to pull away a couple of times, but Salem always crept back, closing to 59-57 in the final period when Kwam Lewis sank a shot. Each time, PH refused to be caught.
The Patriots changed their offensive scheme in the second half. PH got the ball guard Ronnie Kasey and he did a number on Salem's defense. Kasey finished with 20 points, six assists and a steal. Boo Battle led PH's scoring with 23 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Patriots dominated the boards 54-32.
``When they gave me the ball, I just drove to the hole and dished off,'' said Kasey.
Kasey wasn't afraid to put up the ball, firing 20 shots and hitting four 3-point goals. ``He definitely shot more than I remember,'' said Salem point guard Sam Lazzaro, who was matched with Kasey at times.
Battle grabbed nine rebounds during the first quarter. He slowed by the third period when he didn't score, then rebounded with 10 points during the last period to help PH keep the lead.
Esworthy ``told me someone had to go for the glass,'' Battle said of his rebounding.
``I just said `someone,' but I didn't care who it was,'' said Esworthy.
PH also did a fine defensive job on Salem's top returning scorer, guard Herschel Thomas. He managed only seven shots and five points.
``I told them to be aware of where Herschel was,'' said Esworthy, who quickly is learning who to target on other teams.
``Ronnie [Kasey], Mike [Peery] and Dominic [English] all did a nice job on him,'' said Esworthy.
Lewis and Andy Beach combined for 27 points for Salem, and Eric Grinnell, the starting center from last season who didn't open because of a sprained ankle, came off the bench for nine points. Thomas grabbed seven rebounds.
``They played a lot of different defenses and to be prepared for all of them this early in the season is tough,'' said Charlie Morgan, Salem's coach.
It was the first time a Morgan-coached Salem team has lost a home opener since he became the Spartans' coach five years ago. ``I wanted a real tough opponent, and Patrick Henry has a real good team,'' he said. ``The biggest thing I'm upset about is all the offensive rebounds they got.''
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB