THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 28, 1995 TAG: 9501280391
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Booker T. Washington played uncharacteristically sloppy basketball in the closing minutes of regulation, then returned to form to beat Granby, 95-81, in double overtime Friday night.
The Bookers, ranked fourth in South Hampton Roads, improved to 11-2 overall, 3-0 in the Eastern District. Second-ranked Granby, which had come in as the area's only remaining unbeaten boys team, fell to 14-1, 3-1.
The game's ebb and flow repeatedly brought a capacity crowd of 2,500 to a frenzy. But some of that crowd had already departed when Granby made its fourth-quarter run.
The Bookers led, 63-54, with four minutes left, but the Comets came charging back. A 3-point goal by Shawn Hobson was followed by a Hobson dunk with 1:49 remaining that cut the Bookers' lead to 67-65.
The Bookers increased the lead to 71-65 with 1:25 remaining on two free throws by Kenny Brown and a basket by Kevin Fuller. But the Bookers went cold at the free throw line, making just one of their last four foul shots in regulation.
``I've got one of the best jump shooting teams I've ever had here,'' Booker T. coach Barry Hamler said. ``But we couldn't hit our free throws tonight.''
The Bookers finished 23 of 43 (53.5 percent) from the line.
Rashard Russell's free throws with 48 seconds left cut Granby's deficit to 72-68 and when the Bookers' Shawn Wilson turned the ball over on a baseline drive with 40 seconds remaining, the Comets scored again on a putback by Toweh Ketter, who finished with 18 points, with 27 seconds left.
Wilson finished with 22 points. But Hamler was so upset with his star senior, who entered leading the area in scoring at 23.8 per game, that he wouldn't allow Wilson to field questions afterward.
``I thought Shawn Wilson played poorly all night,'' Hamler said. ``He's a great player but he's got to learn to give it up on nights when people are keying on him.''
The Comets put Booker T.'s David Gallop on the line with 21 seconds left and he missed the front end of a one-and-one. Wilson appeared to come down with the rebound, but Hobson stripped him in the lane.
When Tiran Matthews missed a 3-pointer, Ketter tipped it in to send the game to overtime.
Fuller and Anthony King exchanged 3-pointers to start the first overtime, then the Comets received a severe blow when Hobson fouled out trying to steal an inbounds pass one minute into overtime.
``I saw the ball, but I didn't see Dewayne Jacobs,'' said Hobson, who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds. ``He wasn't where he ended up when the ball was passed.''
Jacobs missed the front end of the one-and-one and both teams played loosely over the next minute until King scored on a driving layup for a 77-75 advantage.
After the Bookers failed to convert twice offensively and the Comets once, Granby had the ball with 50 seconds left when Russell missed a driving layup. Booker T.'s Ashley Berry rebounded and Brown was fouled at the other end by Granby's Ricardo Trevisain with 41 seconds remaining.
But in the excitement, Berry shoved one of the Granby players and was called for a technical.
Brown hit his two foul shots and Russell made one of the two technical free throws for a 78-77 Granby advantage.
The Bookers' Gallop, who finished with 13 points, picked up his fifth foul with 25 seconds left in the overtime, putting Milton Hyman on the line.
Hyman missed and Ketter fouled Berry, who with 12 seconds left made one of two foul shots for a 78-78 tie and a second overtime.
``We should have won it in that overtime,'' said Granby coach Jim Harvey. ``We had Cliff Townes and Hobson both on the bench fouled out and still should have won.''
The Bookers dominated the second overtime and when Brown, who finished with 24 points, scored on a spinning layup along the right baseline, Booker T. led, 87-80, with 1:30 remaining.
``A lot's been written about Granby this week,'' Hamler said. ``People were seeming to forget that the Eastern District title has to come through Booker T.'' ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Booker T. Washington's Ashley Berry, left, and Granby's Russell
Rashard contend for a loose ball in the Bookers' win Friday night.
by CNB