THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 17, 1996 TAG: 9601170487
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Ten seconds. Tuesday night, it was the difference between staying alive or dying in the Southeastern District girls basketball race.
Oscar Smith survived, 40-39. Great Bridge didn't.
Trailing by one point, Great Bridge held the ball, running the clock down to the final 10 seconds. After a timeout, the Wildcats returned to the court to try to erase the deficit. But they had trouble with the Oscar Smith defense and the Tigers stole the ball.
The Wildcats were then haunted by a clean second half. It took three fouls and seven of the precious eight seconds remaining to put the Tigers on the free-throw line. Oscar Smith had made only 1 of 7 attempts for the night. Starr Parker's final attempt bounced harmlessly off the rim and Great Bridge grabbed the rebound . . . as the last second ticked away.
Thus, the Tigers (9-3 overall, 4-2 district) remained in the title hunt. Great Bridge (8-3, 3-3) fell out of contention.
``I'm just thrilled to death,'' Oscar Smith coach Patty Walsh said of the win at Great Bridge. ``I'm just really proud of my team, the way they came back. My freshmen and sophomores played like seniors.''
Great Bridge, which started four seniors, smothered the Tigers in the first quarter, forcing 11 turnovers en route to five-point lead.
In the second quarter, Oscar Smith rallied to tie the score at 17. Wildcat Joy Gilmore stepped to the line and netted a pair of free throws. Kelly Filer then hit a jumper for a 21-17 halftime lead.
The Tigers opened the second half with an apparent basket, but the referee ruled it didn't count because the clock had not started. The Wildcats took advantage of the emotional shift and racked up a game-high seven-point lead at 34-27. The Tigers then rallied again.
Freshman Joetta Thorpe sparked the comeback, grabbing three steals and scoring seven of her 11 points. Oscar Smith tied the game at 36, then took a 40-36 lead with 3:56 remaining.
``At first I was nervous, then I just started to warm up and kept going,'' Thorpe said. ``I watch the (opponent's) faces, watch a person's eyes, to see where they are focusing, then I run and get the ball.''
With 1:21 left, Oscar Smith had the ball and the lead. However, the Wildcats forced a turnover and the final countdown.
``My girls just seem to come back and come back,'' Walsh said. ``They forget the moment and play.''
Oscar Smith is now third in the district. Churchland (9-0, 6-0) leads the pack. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
BETH BERGMAN/Virginian-Pilot
Great Bridge's Kalisha Brown went down - and out of the game won by
Oscar Smith - with an injury.
by CNB