ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 1996 TAG: 9612180067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
You can't say the William Fleming boys' basketball team stole anything, because not a law did it break.
What it did break, though, was Patrick Henry's heart.
The Colonels led but twice Tuesday night at the Salem Civic Center. One important occasion was 57-56 at the final horn.
Charles Burnette did most of the heavy second-half lifting for Fleming, scoring 16 of his 19 points after intermission. It was his free throw that put the Colonels up by a point with 52.8 seconds left.
There was some heavy perspiring yet to be done, however.
Patrick Henry had a chance to retake the lead it had maintained since going up 4-2 in the first quarter, but the opportunity was aborted when Ronnie Kasey, moving the ball up the floor, was whistled for a five-second turnover, the Patriots' third of the game, with 35.6 seconds left.
Kasey shook his head furiously at the ruling, but Patrick Henry wasn't finished yet.
Fleming's Richard Wilson was sent to the free-throw line with 23.6 seconds left to shoot a one-and-one. He clanged the shot off the front of the rim and it bounced straight back to him. Seconds later, PH had the ball back following a Fleming turnover. That, about eight seconds and a prayer was all it had.
``We were all out of time outs,'' said Jack Esworthy, PH's coach.
The Patriots' Malik Shareef had a good view of the hoop with a second to go, but his shot was a tad firm. He and his teammates collapsed in agony as the Colonels went into delirium at center court.
That's PH-Fleming for you, even if it is in early December and was the Roanoke Valley District opener for both teams.
``This rivalry is so intense it's all you think about all day,'' Burnette said. ``It's like a championship game every time out.''
Certainly Burnette played like a champion, scoring eight of the Colonels' last 13 points.
``I knew at clutch time I had to set the pace and hope that my teammates could follow,'' he said.
They did, particularly when the Patriots (4-1) had the ball.
``The only way we could have done it was to tighten up on the defense a little bit,'' said Roland Lovelace, Fleming's coach.
Lovelace and Esworthy are new to their current jobs. Lovelace is replacing Marshall Ashford, who in turn took over from Burrall Paye during the 1995-96 season. Esworthy succeeds Woody Deans.
Nobody had to explain the gravity of PH-Fleming to the new Patriots coach.
``They turned up the intensity on us and we didn't match it,'' he said.
PH got 16 points from Colby Leftwich and 14 from Shareef, but one of its most dangerous players, Devon Battle, was held relatively in check with seven points.
The Colonels (4-2) had a balanced attack with Brad Dunleavy contributing 15 points and Jaron Walker 12.
``We didn't get discouraged,'' Lovelace said. ``We had a good team effort tonight. When we needed to clamp down a little, we did it.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER Staff. William Fleming's Richard Wilsonby CNB(center) slices through Patrick Henry's Mike Peery (right) and Colby
Leftwich (left) for a basket during the Colonels' 57-56 victory
Tuesday night. color.