ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, December 19, 1996            TAG: 9612190085
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-1  EDITION: METRO 

CAVE SPRING OVERTAKES SPARTANS

THE KNIGHTS CAPITALIZE on a depleted Salem lineup to win 45-34.

Despite playing without three starters, Salem led into the fourth quarter before Cave Spring rallied behind Alex Phillips and made off with a 45-34 non-district boys' basketball victory Wednesday night.

Phillips, a 6-foot-6 senior, scored 10 of his 23 points in the second half. He also had 13 rebounds in addition to going 6-for-7 from the free-throw line in the last period.

Cave Spring (5-1), which was down 29-27 going into the fourth, closed with an 18-5 run.

Salem (0-3), coming off a 74-71 triple-overtime loss at Blacksburg on Tuesday, was without starters Herschel Thomas, Kwam Lewis and Eric Grinnell, all of whom were in street clothes because of a disciplinary matter. Those three scored 31 points against Blacksburg.

The Spartans balanced their attack among Marshall Wooldridge with eight points and Sammy Lazzaro and Andy Beach with seven each.

NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.

LENGTH: Short :   29 lines