THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501140351
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
It would be easy for Bayside coach Ron Jenkins to think back to nights on which his team failed to score 39 points.
Friday night, Bayside's bench scored 39.
On a muggy night that had Jenkins wishing he could turn on the air conditioning in the gym, South Hampton Roads' top-ranked boys basketball team used its quality depth to run past eighth-ranked Tallwood, 89-68, in a key Beach District matchup.
It was Bayside's seventh straight win and gave the Marlins (9-1 overall, 8-0 district) a two-game cushion in the district's loss column.
Tallwood (7-3, 7-2) fell into a tie with Green Run for second place.
``They're deep. Real deep,'' Tallwood coach Johnny Pope said. ``And when you get those kinds of minutes out of your bench, it gives you an opportunity to rest your starters and keep them fresh.''
The Marlins pressed from the outset and raced to a 20-5 lead in just over four minutes.
But Tallwood clawed its way back and cut the Marlins' lead to 24-20 three minutes into the second quarter, with Rian Everett bombing two 3-pointers during the stretch.
Everett finished with a team-high 18 points. Neil Roberts had 16 while Phillip Clay added 13.
``They caught us napping in transition a few times,'' Jenkins said.
The Marlins responded by extending the lead to 38-22 over the next three minutes as 6-4 forward Donald Mitchel came off the bench to score all 14 Marlins points during the stretch.
Similarly, 6-7 senior center Thomas Bennett came off the bench to score 10 of his 13 points in the third quarter, including a thundering dunk when teammate James Carter's fastbreak layup rolled off the front of the rim.
Starting forward Lashawn Jones had a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds, and Carter, the Marlins' other starting forward, had 10 points.
``I told everyone on the team they'd play tonight because I knew this humidity would take a little out of everyone,'' Jenkins said. ``I just told them they had to do the job. The bench really stepped up.''
In other Beach District games:
GREEN RUN 52, SALEM 48
Plaxico Burress and Will Brooks each scored 12 points in the second half and Eddie McInnis had six in the fourth quarter as the No. 9 Stallions (8-3, 7-2) rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit.
Burress finished with a team-high 15 points.
Anthony Williams had 19 points and Bernard Johnson added 13 for the Sun Devils (7-3, 6-3).
KEMPSVILLE 56, COX 53
Lex Sheriff drilled a 3-pointer from the wing at the buzzer.
Cox's Carl Lentz sank three free throws to tie it at 53-53 after being fouled attempting a 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining.
Sheriff finished with 14 points and Rayshawn Mitchell had 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for Kempsville (6-6, 5-4).
Xavier Wilson scored 19 points and Matt Whalen added 16 for the Falcons (7-5, 5-4).
OCEAN LAKES 56, FC 51 (OT)
Four different players scored for Ocean Lakes in overtime.
First Colonial (0-11, 0-9) came from six down in the fourth quarter to force overtime as Ross Winfield and Lamont Moore each scored six points apiece in the fourth quarter. Both finished with 14 points.
The Dolphins (4-8, 2-7) were led by Robert Elam's 17 points. Tobi Johnson had 12.
PRINCESS ANNE 49, KELLAM 38
Guard Mike Wilson scored 20 points as the Cavaliers (2-8, 2-6) broke a five-game losing streak.
Mike Shaughnessy and Jeremy Kent scored 13 points each for Kellam (2-8, 2-6). ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JIM WALKER, Staff
James Carter of Bayside, right, drives past Jake Lovelace of
Tallwood. Carter, a starting forward, finished with 10 points as the
Marlins' bench pitched in with 39 points.
by CNB