THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 21, 1995 TAG: 9512210521
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Ike Richardson scored a career-high 28 points and second-ranked Maury snapped a five-game losing streak against No. 10 Churchland with 76-62 victory Thursday night.
The Commodores (8-0) led 35-29 at halftime and broke it open with an 11-1 run to start the third quarter.
Tommy Spruill scored seven of his 13 points during that stretch and Richardson added the other four.
``I told the team at halftime that we let down late in the second quarter and let them back in it,'' Maury coach Jack Baker said after Churchland whittled an 11-point deficit to six. ``Ike and Tommy are our experienced players and they stepped it up,''
Maury took its biggest lead at 50-33 and Churchland (4-3) never got it below double digits until Jason Lewis hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left.
Baker reminded the Commodores before the game that they hadn't beaten the Truckers since Joe Smith was a senior on Shirley Avenue.
``All we thought about all week was beating Churchland,'' Richardson said.
Richardson's previous high was 25 against Wilson and Cox this season.
Maury made 25 of 45 shots from the field (55.6 percent) and 24 of 30 from the line (80 percent). The Commodores hit 10 of 13 from the field and committed only one turnover in the third quarter.
``We've got good shooters and when we move the ball and take good shots we can do that,'' Baker said. ``We shot 60 percent Tuesday night against Western Branch but last week we were awful.''
The way Richardson penetrates and finds his teammates in scoring position they feel like apologizing to him whenever they miss, Spruill said.
``Ike played a great game,'' Churchland coach Mac Carroll said. ``He made some shots with defenders right in his face.
``Our biggest fear was Ike being able to handle and create and all their other kids hitting threes.''
Maury made only two 3-pointers to Churchland's five. But the Commodores scored 29 points off 20 turnovers. Five of those turnovers came in the first four minutes of the second half when Maury broke it open.
Ricardo Trevisan added 13 points for Maury.
Jason Lewis led Churchland with 24 points. Sadiki Tingling added 12 and Pat Dulin had 11. by CNB