THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409210162
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
They're baaaack!
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy dominated the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools in girls basketball last season.
But the most frightening thing is that the Saints cruised to the title with a team of sophomores.
With a year of experience under their hightops, this season doesn't appear to be any different.
As if the experience of juniors Leslie Greskevitch, Katherine Stewart, Sarah Putnam and Jill VanGuilder didn't provide enough force, the Saints continue to add youth to their attack.
Sophomore Amy Murden earned MVP honors in the Norfolk Collegiate Tip-off tournament last month, which the Saints won with ease.
It wasn't just the 14-year-old forward's 24 tournament points that had everyone oohing and aahing, it was the three-point shot she displayed during the championship game that defied her years.
N-SA coach Larry Riggs modestly says, ``She's going to be a good one.''
The only team that might be able to match N-SA in the depth department is Norfolk Academy.
The Bulldogs return four starters and have six players up from JV this season.
Senior Amanda Lee, who sank four treys in the Bulldogs' opener, tops the list. Sophomores Kendra Robins and Katie Rowen and juniors Angie Hucles and Catherine Ware round out the starting five.
``I think our speed and depth is our strength,'' said head coach Joanne Renn. ``We'll be using a full-court press most of the time and running whenever we can.''
Most coaches seem to be conceding the top two spots to Nansemond-Suffolk and Norfolk Academy. The rest of the conference is wide open.
``Once you get past those two, there is a lot of parity,'' said Norfolk Collegiate coach Larry Bowman, who also coaches at Salem High and guided the girls team to the state AAA championship last year.
``You have Catholic when they are healthy and Greenbrier . . . all of us could finish anywhere from third to eighth or ninth. It all depends on who is playing well head-to-head, I guess.''
Norfolk Collegiate returns four of its top eight starters and has added a 6-1 center from Catholic.
Sophomores Elizabeth Swearingen and Carol Baker, junior Melanie Sandford and senior Alicia Chandler are the lead returners. Transfer center Julie Tebault, an all-TCIS player at Catholic last season, adds size to the middle, which was one of the Oaks biggest concerns.
``That really solidified us a bit, I was concerned about our inside game,'' Bowman said. ``I think we're getting better every day. We should be a lot better in October than we are right now. We have a lot of youth and as they get more games behind them they will improve.''
Cal Woolard, Bowman's former assistant, took the helm at Greenbrier, a team that may be at the opposite end of the depth spectrum from N-SA.
``They are all new to me,'' Woolard said of his returning players. ``We really only have seven varsity players.''
But don't sell those seven short. Sophomore guard Casey Montgomery leads the pack. Erin VanFaussien, Robin Smith, Mandy Havens and Karen Carmichael round out the starting five.
Montgomery and Carmichael combined for 31 points to lead the Gators to a come-from-behind win in the consolation final of the Norfolk Collegiate Tip-off tournament.
Keith Cobb took over a winless Hampton Roads Academy team three seasons ago. Since then Cobb has guided them to 4, 7 and 8 wins, respectively.
In fact, the Navigators were 8-5 heading into the last seven games of the season when junior point guard Ashley Nevins broke her ankle. Without her, the Navigators went 0-7 to finish in eighth place at 8-12.
``The program is going in the right direction,'' Cobb said.
Twenty-nine players showed up to play basketball on the middle school team and for the first time ever the coaches were forced to make some cuts.
``We've never had to do that before,'' Cobb said. ``We used to be roaming the halls begging people to come out for the team just so we could put one on the floor. It's great that we have some numbers now.''
Nevins is back for her senior year, but she has been battling injury and illness for several weeks.
The rest of Cobb's squad is young, but very experienced. He will start a pair of freshmen who already have a year of varsity play under their belts.
Liz Manos and Haas Shaner started all last season as eighth graders. Sophomore Holli Kubicki is entering her third year of varsity play.
Junior Sarah Curbow, who Cobb says can play anywhere on the court, was an honorable mention all-TCIS pick last season.
``We have the experience it takes to win, we just need to show some consistency,'' Cobb said. ``But I think we are going to surprise some people. It should be a wide open scramble for third.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Amy Murden brings the ball down the court during practice at
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. The sophomore earned MPV honors in the
Norfolk Collegiate Tip-off tournament last month.
by CNB