THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010604
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Superiority at the foul line and a pressing defense that prompted 10 backcourt turnovers enabled Menchville to turn back Green Run 73-66 in the Eastern Region boys semifinals Thursday night at Churchland.
The loss ended Green Run's season at 20-5 and sent the Peninsula District champion Monarchs (22-3) into the region championship game tonight against Indian River.
More importantly, the victory qualified Menchville for one of the two state tournament berths from the region. The game figured to match Green Run's strong inside game against the perimeter shooting of the Monarchs. And that's the way it shaped up in a first-half tug-of-war.
Plaxico Burress and Will Brooks dominated inside for the Stallions and Menchville connected on four 3-pointers with Green Run grabbing a 38-36 lead at halftime.
But in the stretch run it was Menchville's defensive play and an 11-for-12 effort at the free-throw line by the Monarchs' Mark Ardrey that proved to be the difference.
Green Run, No. 2 seed from the Beach District, had seven more field goals but didn't even get a free throw opportunity in the final quarter. The Stallions made only three foul shots. Menchville connected on 20.
``We just missed our chance,'' said Green Run coach Mark Butts. ``We kept turning the ball over when we had them on 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 breaks.
``The funny thing is that we actually shot the ball better than we usually do. We hit better than 60 percent in the first half (18 of 26) but we weren't getting as many shots as we usually get. Maybe we were too tentative.''
The Stallions knocked Maury from the unbeaten ranks two nights earlier in double overtime, and Butts said he wasn't sure how much that victory took out of his team.
``There's no question it was a very emotional game,'' he said. ``We didn't come out with the same fire at the start of this one.''
Added Butts: ``Menchville is a helter-skelter-type team and we didn't want to get in that kind of game with them. But we still wanted to get our fast break going. We just committed too many turnovers.''
The 6-1 Ardrey, who finished with a season-high 26 points, figured Menchville would be playing Maury.
``But I believe Green Run is a much stronger team inside than Maury, and they had us in trouble for a while,'' he said. ``We really worked on our pressing defense, and that paid off.''
Green Run built up a five-point lead at 47-42 with 5:02 left in the third quarter, but David Macklin countered with three straight field goals in a nine-point run by the Monarchs.t The teams were last tied at 57 with 4:59 remaining in the game when Ardrey took control at the foul line. Nine of Menchville's final 11 points came on Ardrey's free throws.
Green Run was hampered when Kenyan Mullen got into early foul trouble, spending several long stints on the bench. He fouled out with 1:37 left and Green Run trailing by seven.
Reserve Lanier Washington, who contributed 11 points in less than three quarters of play, also fouled out for the Stallions.
Burress, one of six seniors ending their careers for Green Run, tossed in 23 points. He made 11 of 21 shots.
Will Brooks had 15 points and Bobby Glos scored 11 in their final game. by CNB