THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501200215
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
AS THE SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT basketball season moves into its closing half, the title chases are heating up.
The boys race seems headed toward a showdown between Churchland and Indian River, but two other teams - Deep Creek and Norcom - cannot be written off.
The girls championship appears up for grabs after defending champion Deep Creek knocked off Churchland Tuesday night.
Most observers had figured Churchland and Deep Creek would slug it out for top honors in the girls division. But, prior to Friday's games, the pacesetter was Great Bridge and the No. 2 team was Oscar Smith.
Churchland and Deep Creek, both at 5-2 in league play, stood one game behind Great Bridge (6-1) and a half-game in back of Oscar G1BL22BAS Dunbar Smith (6-2).
Equally heated is the individual scoring race among the girls. Churchland forward Nicole Council has scored 215 points and is averaging 16.5 points per game. Close behind is Deep Creek forward Tamara Sivels with 211 points and a 16.2 average.
Also contending are Wilson's Latoya Owens, Churchland's Kizzy Butler and Great Bridge's LaShelle Griffin.
Owen is averaging 14.1, Butler is at 13.6 and Griffin stands at 13.5.
Churchland's D.J. Dunbar seemingly has a hammerlock on the boys' scoring crown. Dunbar poured in a career-high 43 points Tuesday in the Truckers' loss at Deep Creek, raising his average to 21.3.
It also boosted Dunbar into the No. 2 spot among Group AAA scorers in South Hampton Roads. He trails only Shawn Wilson of Booker T. Washington. Wilson sports a 23.9 average after a career-high 41 on Wednesday against Indian River.
The Southeastern's No. 2 men's scorer is Oscar Smith's William Bonner with a 17.9 average.
This year all teams will qualify for the district tournament. The regular-season champion is the top seed from the conference in the Eastern Region tournament. The district tournament winner (or runner-up if the regular-season winner also wins the tournament) will be the No. 2 region seed.
The district tournament is scheduled Feb. 20-24. First-round games will be on the home courts of the top two seeded boys and girls teams.
The semifinals and finals in both divisions will be at Churchland. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Churchland's Kizzy Batler, left, Beth Allison of Deep Creek and
Churchland's Nicole Council, right, go after a loose ball in a game
Tuesday night.
Photo
Dunbar
by CNB