ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701210036
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY STAFF WRITER
William Fleming's boys' basketball program is so steeped in tradition, the outstanding has become nearly routine.
The Colonels have advanced to the Group AAA regionals every season for nearly two decades, and appear to be on target to extend that streak this season.
On Saturday, the Colonels collided with a Potomac team that has established a glittering tradition of its own.
The Panthers' Sherman Rivers, a 5-10 sophomore guard who had missed his previous eight shots, scored on a tie-breaking, twisting drive down the lane with 9.9 seconds to play. Rivers converted the accompanying free throw and led Potomac to a 55-52 victory in the second game of the Crestar Roundball Classic at the Salem Civic Center.
``That play wasn't really by design,'' said Potomac coach Kendall Hayes, whose squad is 14-1. ``We talked about being aggressive offensively [during his team's final timeout], and [Rivers] made an aggressive play.''
Potomac's Cliff Hawkins and Mookie Felder, who scored 14 and 10 points respectively, were looking for the winning shot, but were well-covered by Fleming's defense. Hawkins passed to Rivers, who drove past R.J. Reynolds.
When Fleming rallied from a 12-point second-quarter deficit (29-17, just before halftime) to pull ahead of the state's eighth-ranked Group AAA team 51-50 with 2:06 to play, it appeared the Colonels had seized the momentum and weren't going to relinquish it.
Fleming missed a hurried opportunity to tie at the final buzzer.
``I thought our guys played fairly well,'' Fleming coach Roland Lovelace said. ``We hustled and did almost everything we had to do, to win. We just came up short.''
The Colonels, who 21 hours earlier rolled over Cave Spring 65-53, got off to a slow start Saturday. They committed two turnovers and fell behind 7-0 before Lovelace called a timeout. ``Potomac played us quicker than what we've been accustomed to lately,'' Lovelace said.
But behind Charles Burnette, who scored 21 points and rebounded ferociously, the Colonels slowly clawed back, moving within a single point late in the third quarter. Panther Robert Hall scored a layup as the period ended to move Potomac ahead 42-37.
Burnette scored seven fourth-quarter points, including two free throws that gave Fleming its only lead of the game, but Potomac didn't fold.
``I thought we showed a lot of poise,'' Hayes said. ``When you're ahead the whole game and then fall behind, two things can happen. You can either lose your head, or you can right the situation.''
Fleming, which shot 19-of-51 from the floor (37 percent) fell to 9-4. Potomac made 25 of its 57 field goal attempts (44 percent). NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 linesby CNB