THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602280507
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Green Run's bookend frontcourt stars Will Brooks and Plaxico Burress combined to write the last chapter of Maury's storybook season Tuesday night.
The seniors teamed for 48 points and 22 rebounds as the Stallions upset undefeated Maury 69-57 in double overtime in the longest Eastern Region tournament game since 1988.
Maury lost that one, too, 20-19 to Indian River in game of stallball that went triple overtime. The Commodores also fell in overtime to Kecoughtan in 1992.
This game cut short the Commodores season at 23-1. Green Run, 20-4 and the Beach District tournament runner-up, advanced to a semifinal meeting against Menchville at 6 p.m. Thursday at Churchland.
``That's the best game I've ever been involved in,'' Green Run coach Mark Butts said.
Green Run trailed 39-32 with six minutes left in regulation when Burress and Brooks took over.
They scored 31 of the Stallions' final 36 points, including 22 of 24 in the two overtime periods.
Burress finished with 25 points, despite missing 10 of 15 free throws, and grabbed 15 rebounds. Brooks scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
``Burress and Brooks just dominated in the second half,'' Maury coach Jack Baker said.
Green Run had a chance to win in the final seconds of regulation, but Rod Cooper missed a layup and Burress' follow rimmed out.
The Stallions twice opened a four-point lead in the first overtime and led 53-49 with 58 seconds left. Ricardo Trevisan, who led Maury with 16 points, hit a layup off a feed from Ike Richardson to pull the Commodores within two with 49 seconds left.
Then Green Run committed a pair of mistakes that nearly cost it the game. Brooks turned the ball over on an unnecessary drive and after Richardson missed a 3-pointer for Maury, Burress bricked two free throws with 12 seconds left.
Tim Sweeney rebounded the second miss and got it out to Tommy Spruill. He missed from the lane and the ball went out of bounds to Maury with four seconds left.
Jake Schultz threw the ball in from under the basket to Spruill stationed beyond the 3-point arc. He stepped up and buried a two-point jumper with one second left.
Green Run quickly regained the lead in the second OT when Burress hit the first of two free throws. Brooks grabbed the miss and put it in.
The lead was still only three points with 1:49 left when Green Run began its final run. The Stallions scored the last nine points of the game as Maury missed repeatedly from 3-point range, then fouled.
Maury shot only 34.3 percent from the field and was 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.
Maury had survived four close calls down the stretch, but the Commodores weren't feeling undue pressure, sophomore guard Tim Sweeney said.
``In most of those games we were playing teams for the third time and didn't come out pumped out,'' he said. ``Tonight we were pumped up. They were just too physical. Too good.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Green Run's Bobby Glos, center, celebrates with his teammates after
the Stallions' 69-57 double-overtime victory Tuesday at Maury. It
was the Commodores' first, and last, loss of the season.
by CNB