THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 18, 1994 TAG: 9412150192
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
DATELINE: BARCO LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
What a difference a week makes.
It looked maybe it would be a long year for the Currituck County boys basketball team when the Knights took it on the chin by 28 points in a loss to Gates County. This past Tuesday, the Knights changed game plans at the half and the outcome was much different.
After a lackluster first half, Currituck County outscored Gates County 32-17 in the second half, including a 14-0 run in the third quarter, as the Knights dumped the Barons 48-43.
The Barons led by 10 points at the half and held a 34-21 lead with 5:13 to play in the third quarter on a short jumper by Wayne Hathaway. Then the Barons fell apart. Six straight turnovers led to 14 straight Currituck points over a four-minute stretch to end the third quarter. Kevin Gallop led the Currituck attack with six points during the run.
The Knights (2-4) took the lead for good to start the fourth quarter when Gallop and Ken Simmons both hit on jumpers. Both were transition baskets.
The difference in the game was Currituck's defensive strategy after the half. In the first half, Gates point guard Jason McAllister drove the lane with ease, scoring eight points and dishing off for several assists. His slam dunk with four minutes to play in the first half punctuated the point and gave the Barons an 18-10 lead.
Fearing his team was falling into the same pattern it did during the first matchup between the two teams, Currituck head coach Reuben Godfrey told his club to clog up the middle, and it worked. McAllister was held to just four points in the second half, and wound up shooting more from the outside the rest of the game.
``I told them at the half that they had to stop the point (McAllister), run the offense, and play better defense,'' Godfrey said. ``They did all of those in the second half. The first half was like the way we played them the last time. The offense just stood around. We still have to establish the point guard as our coach on the floor.
``But stopping the point guard was the key,'' he added. ``We stopped him from penetrating the lane and were able to intercept the ball.''
Gates head coach Clark Harrell, in his first year at the helm, said the Barons failed to put the game away in the third quarter, unlike the first meeting.
``I think the key was we had them on the ropes and stopped hustling on defense and hustling on screens,'' he said. ``We put ourselves in a difficult situation. We played solid the whole game last week. We got too nonchalant tonight when we got that lead.''
Gallop led the Currituck offense with 15 points and Ken Simmons, playing in his first game at point guard after an injury, added 14 points.
For Gates (1-4), Hathaway and McAllister both scored 12 points and Barnett Boone added 10 points. by CNB