THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 TAG: 9601310422
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
Nothing can make a liar out of coach more quickly than great talent.
Ten days after Green Run coach Mark Butts all but conceded the Beach District race to Tallwood, his Stallions played one of their best games of the season.
Will Brooks scored 32 points and the Stallions used their superior strength inside to overwhelm Tallwood 79-64 Tuesday night and rekindle their once-flickering title hopes.
``A lot has changed in 10 days,'' Butts said. ``I remember feeling pretty low after we lost those games back-to-back (to Bayside and Tallwood). But when Ocean Lakes beat Tallwood last Friday, it opened up a lot of things.''
For starters, it thrust Cox into first. The Falcons (10-1 in the district) lead Tallwood (8-2) by 1 1/2 games and Green Run (8-3) by two with five to play. But the Falcons still must play Tallwood and Green Run, with whom they split the first time around.
``Is it too late for us to win it?'' Brooks said. ``Oh no.''
Tallwood should have said ``Oh no'' when Brooks entered the gym. Brooks, a 6-foot-5 senior, is widely considered one of the most talented players in South Hampton Roads, but his career has been uneven.
He had scored more than 20 points only twice this season before Tuesday, when he unloaded on Tallwood for 20 in the first half. Brooks finished 12 of 15 from the field, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots.
Brooks got plenty of help from Plaxico Burress and Lanier Washington, who scored 15 points each. Washington was 3 for 3 from behind the 3-point arc and Burress grabbed nine rebounds and blocked two shots.
Neil Roberts led Tallwood with 30 points and Rian Everett added 21.
Tallwood led 7-4 when Green Run went on a 36-10 run.
The Stallions largely junked their jump-shooting attack and attacked the Lions inside. Of their 19 baskets in the first half, 13 came from the paint.
Green Run took its biggest lead at 40-17 with 3:42 left in the first half. Tallwood responded with a 14-2 run to get back within 42-31, but Washington hit a 3-pointer and Kwenyon Mullen and Rod Cooper added three free throws to increase the lead to 48-31 at halftime.
Tallwood cut the margin to 10 three times in the second half, the last time at 62-52 with 7:01 to play. But Green Run refused to fold. The Stallions went on a 15-5 run over the next four minutes to push the lead back to 77-57. by CNB