ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 16, 1997 TAG: 9703170112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM THE ROANOKE TIMES
The Minutemen win their second consecutive Group AA boys' basketball title.
It didn't take Mark Hanks long to figure out how his Liberty boys' basketball team could win a second consecutive Group AA championship.
With his team down 10 points to Spotswood, the coach told his team to look for its two leaders - Raymond ``Peanut'' Arrington and Robert Carson.
Liberty went right to the two juniors, who put on a clinic to lead the Minutemen past Spotswood 77-71 for the state championship Saturday at the Vines Center.
``Spotswood came out smoking,'' Hanks said. ``You know, we don't like to feature one player too much. When the state championship is on the line, you have to go to the big-time players. So, I told them at the first timeout [less than six minutes into the game], look for Robert and Peanut more.''
The two returning starters from last year's state championship team combined for 51 points. Between them, they connected on 16 of 20 free throws and 17 of 33 field-goal attempts as Liberty stretched its string to 53 consecutive victories over public school teams. The only blemish in two years was a loss to national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy.
When Spotswood grabbed a 16-6 lead, Arrington and Carson hadn't scored and hardly had touched the ball. Things changed in a big way after that, although Liberty (28-1) trailed until Arrington hit his first and only 3-point shot to make it 34-34 early in the second half.
``My shots [from outside] hadn't been falling, so I knew I had to drive, get easier shots and draw fouls,'' said Arrington, who shot all 10 of his free throws in the second half.
Carson gave a preview when he drove for an eight-footer that cut the Minutemen's deficit to three at the half. In the second half, Carson always seemed to be trying to isolate a defender and take him one-on-one toward the basket.
``I just tried to take it inside because I'm stronger than anyone they had guarding me,'' Carson said.
After Arrington tied the score, Spotswood (24-5) regained the lead quickly on a follow shot by O.J. Kilby. The Blazers opened a five-point lead and appeared ready to take control again when Liberty, in one sequence, was whistled for two personals and not given a steal on a ball the officials ruled the Minutemen had kicked. That was followed by another Kilby basket, making it 48-42 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.
``I didn't think some of those were fouls,'' Arrington said. ``It gave us a boost the rest of the game and kind of got us going.''
The Minutemen followed with an 8-2 run and tied the score at 50 on a layup and free throw by Arrington after a 3-pointer by Kelly Garrett. The teams swapped leads until early in the fourth quarter, when Arrington made a free throw and a follow shot, and Carson connected on two free throws to make it 63-58 with 3:41 left.
``They wore us down with their depth and quickness,'' said Spotswood coach Jim Kramer, whose team also got into foul trouble. ``We had our two best players on Arrington. When [Dirk] Taylor got in foul trouble, we had to go to [Dick] Bruce, who had been on Carson.
``Their two key players took over for them and, at this level, that's what you want them to do.''
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN THE ROANOKE TIMES Liberty's Cheyneyby CNBPreston drives past a Spotswood defender Saturday during the Group
AA basketball championship game in Lynchburg. color