THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 7, 1995 TAG: 9504050172
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
TEAMS FROM DEEP CREEK were the big winners last week in the Chesapeake Parks & Recreation Department basketball tournament, winning four of nine divisions and reaching the finals in three others.
The Tarheels (midget girls), Lakers (midget boys), Warriors (junior boys), and Supersonics (super senior boys) each brought titles back to Deep Creek.
Indian River teams battled squads from Deep Creek for three titles - the Celtics defeated the Spartanettes, 23-17, in the junior girls final; the Heat edged the Hoyas, 77-76, for the teen boys title; and the Knicks beat the Hornets in the senior boys final, 67-63.
The only division to shut out Deep Creek was the senior girls, where the Great Bridge Champs capped a perfect season with a narrow 31-30 win over the Great Bridge Internationals.
The River Crest, Great Bridge and Deep Creek Community Centers each hosted three championship games.
At RCCC, the midget girls took the floor first. The DC Tarheels came in with a 12-0 record under coach Sheryl Blalock.
The GB Wolfpack led 8-4 early in the third quarter, but the Tarheels went on a tear, taking control of the game with 11 straight points.
Tiffany Williams, Megan Jordan and Jessica Spence each scored four points for the winners.
Next up was the midget boys final, with the DC Lakers facing off against the Indian River Celtics. The Lakers breezed through the early rounds, defeating opponents by nearly 20 points a game.
So it was a little unexpected when the Lakers trailed, 14-13, at the half.
Even though they had a shaky start, the Lakers, who were undefeated, weren't worried.
``We're used to winning,'' said Frank Devonish.
The third quarter belonged to Lakers Trayvon Lathan and Marquise Jones. Lathan and Celtic guard Brandon Smith traded baskets to start the quarter, then Lathan hit the second of two free throws to tie the game at 16. From there, the Lakers went on an 8-0 run on three shots in the paint from Jones and a coast-to-coast layup by Lathan.
Jones kept Indian River in the game with a nice touch on the perimeter, but the Celtics still trailed, 30-22, after three.
The Lakers took their biggest lead, 34-24, on a Lathan free throw two minutes into the fourth. The Celtics fought back and cut the lead to six, but baskets by Devonish and Lathan put the game out of reach.
Lathan finished with a game-high 17 points, followed by Smith's 16. Jones scored 12 and Devonish 8.
``We got in the inside paint and made the layups and stuff,'' said Lathan, the only returner to coach David Lee Roberts' 1994 midget boys championship team. ``We hustled.''
The senior girls final capped the night and went right down to the wire. The GB Champs held a 14-12 lead at the half, but the GB Internationals went ahead in the third on a putback by Antonetta Bates. Tara Verna scored the Champs' eight points in the quarter to put her team back in front, 22-19.
Bates took control for the Internationals by opening the fourth quarter with six straight foul shots.
With three minutes left on the clock and the score tied at 28, Verna was fouled by Lisa Harris on a 3-point attempt. Verna hit the last of the foul shots to give the Champs a one-point lead. The Internationals missed on two one-and-one opportunities, and a turnaround jumper by Shella Wida gave the Champs a 31-28 lead with 1:09 left to play.
Harris missed the front end of a one-and-one with a minute left. Melissa Smith hit a bank shot at the buzzer for the final score.
Bates led all scorers with 12 points. Verna had 11. ILLUSTRATION: Andre Robinson, left, of Indian River is tied up with Adrian
Sloan of Deep Creek as David Boone moves in.
Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Pat Blathwaite cheers on her son, Frank Devonish, of the Deep Creek
Lakers.
by CNB