THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502230464
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
The last thing Bayside coach Ron Jenkins told his team after calling timeout with 6.6 seconds remaining Wednesday night was to crash the boards.
Boy did they.
The Marlins took four shots in those final six seconds, missed three and escaped with a 59-57 win over Green Run when Shawn Blassingill flipped in a four-footer from the lane as time expired.
The victory sent the Marlins (20-2) into Friday's Beach District tournament championship game and ended Green Run's two-year run of Eastern Region appearances.
Bayside, which had already secured a region bid as the regular season champion, will play the winner of tonight's game between Cox and Tallwood for the championship.
The Cox-Tallwood winner earns the district's second region berth.
Green Run (14-8) scrambled back from a 10-point deficit with 5:30 left to pull even at 57-57 on three free throws by Eddie McInnis with 9.6 seconds to play.
Bayside pushed the ball to half court and called timeout. When Green Run came out in man-to-man, Jenkins called a second timeout, expecting the Stallions to change defenses.
They didn't, and Eric Carballo forced an off-balance 3-pointer from the right wing. James Carter grabbed the rebound and went straight up.
Bobby Glos blocked the shot and 6-8 Marcus Riddick rebounded for Bayside. Riddick's stickback was short and the 5-8 Blassingill got his turn.
``I was hanging in the corner when the first shot went up,'' Blassingill said. ``I ran to the basket and looked up at the clock, and there were like two seconds left.
``I just grabbed the ball and put it in. It bounced my way.''
The basket was Blassingill's only field goal of the game.
Green Run's Will Brooks, who led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, had another word for it.
``They just came up lucky,'' said Brooks, who appeared remarkably composed under the circumstances. ``It'll hit us tomorrow.''
Green Run needed some help to get back in and got it in a variety of ways.
Lashawn Jones, who led Bayside with 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, fouled out with 1:21 left and the Marlins in front, 55-50.
The margin was seven when Bayside's David Miller was called for a technical after swatting the ball following his layup with 49 seconds left.
Gloss, who was 6 for 6 from the line in the fourth quarter, hit both technical free throws to make it 57-52. Plaxico Burress (12 points, 10 rebounds) hit a jumper from the lane with 34 seconds left to cut it to three, and the Stallions fouled Miller with 26.3 seconds left.
Miller missed the front of the one-and-one, and Green Run called timeout. McInnis took a 3-pointer from the right wing and Carter, who got part of the ball, was called for the foul.
McInnis hit all three free throws to set up the wild finish.
The margin of victory was Bayside's closest of the season. The Marlins beat Green Run, 65-62, in the season opener.
``Green Run always plays us tough,'' Blassingill said. ``But there is a lot of heart on this team, and we dug down deep.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by Richard L. Dunston, Staff
Bayside's James Carter shoots over Ronnie Green of Green Run in the
Marlins' 59-57 win Wednesday night.
by CNB