THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 14, 1996 TAG: 9602140563
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
The word is out in the Southeastern District: Don't try to run with Indian River.
Churchland, which gave up a season-high 102 points the first time the teams met, controlled the tempo Tuesday night and consistently worked the ball inside for what ordinarily would be high percentage shots.
Unfortunately for the Truckers, they couldn't dunk the ball in a hula hoop. Churchland made only 15 of 55 shots from the field (27.3 percent), and the second-ranked Braves cruised to their 11th straight victory, 58-45.
Indian River (15-3, 11-1) remained one game ahead of Deep Creek and Oscar Smith with two to play.
This was the first of four games in four nights this week for the Braves - they play host to Booker T. Washington tonight - and the slower tempo may actually have done them a favor by saving their legs.
If nothing else it hammered home the fact that more teams are going to adopt this strategy against the Braves in ever more important games.
``We've got to be able to play half-court offense,'' Indian River coach Freddie Spellman said.
The Braves' idea of half-court offense in the first half was to take the first open 3-pointer. They hit 5 of 13, but needed a 9-2 run in the last three minutes to open a 30-25 lead.
``In the second half we settled down and passed it around. We didn't take the first shot,'' Spellman said.
They also got Jason Capel involved - or he got himself involved. Capel took only three shots and scored five points in the first half.
``In the second half I decided to be more active,'' he said. ``I went where the ball went and crashed the boards.''
Capel scored 12 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half and finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. All of his field goals came in the paint, including two on stickbacks.
Indian River led 36-29 when it went on an 18-4 run to open a 21-point lead. Capel contributed 10 points and David Selby and Edward Seward had four each. Selby finished with 15 points and Seward had five of the Braves' seven blocked shots. by CNB