THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603020392
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Indian River found a team willing to run with it Friday night, but Menchville proved to be just as fast, with even better mileage.
The Peninsula District champion Monarchs pressured the Braves into 22 turnovers, hit seven 3-pointers and got a huge lift off the bench from Keith Wilson and Paul Michael to upset the defending champions 68-66 before a crowd of about 2,700 at Churchland.
The loss ended a 19-game Indian River winning streak.
Both teams advance to next Saturday's state quarterfinals, but Indian River has to travel. The Braves (23-4) will play either Hopewell or Douglas Freeman at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond. Those teams meet tonight for the Central Region title.
Menchville (23-3), which has won 16 in a row, will play the loser of that game at Churchland.
``It's all right,'' Indian River's David Selby said. ``We're still going to win the state championship.''
They may have to come up with a new game plan first.
Menchville used all the tools at its disposal to force the tempo of a game that featured 14 lead changes and five ties.
The Monarchs pressed full court, trapped in its half-court man-to-man and frequently released a guard to trigger the fast break. They made liberal use of nine players, and their reserves outscored Indian River's 16-2.
``We were tired in the fourth quarter,'' Selby said.
Even a tired Jason Capel is a force, however, and the 6-8 sophomore almost lifted the Braves to victory on sheer strength of will.
He scored seven of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and picked up an assist on Selby's layup that put the Braves in front 66-65 with 1:00 left.
Menchville called timeout with 48 seconds left and put its fate in the hands of senior point guard David Macklin. He is the team's second-leading scorer at 13 points per game, but had scored only two to that point.
But the Monarchs' master of the end game found a seam on the left baseline and just beat Capel to the basket for a layup that made it 67-66 with 33 seconds left.
``I hadn't been in a groove the whole game, but that's the time I usually come through,'' he said. ``I saw Capel there. If he blocks it, he blocks it.''
Indian River had two chances to win.
Selby. who scored 18 points, missed a 20-foot jumper with 15 seconds left. ``I think I just shot it too quick,'' he said.
Menchville grabbed the rebound, and the Braves were forced to foul three times before finally putting the Monarchs in the one-and-one with eight seconds left.
Carnell Draughn hit the front end to make it 68-66. He missed the second shot, but four seconds ran off the clock before Draughn lost the rebound out of bounds.
Indian River called timeout to set up a final play. Capel took the ball at the baseline and threw a baseball-style pass to James Boyd about 25 feet from the basket.
Boyd soared high to make the catch, but when he came down he was fronted by the Monarchs' 6-4 Justin Catlett and lost control. Mark Ardrey scooped up the loose ball and ran out the clock.
Ardrey led Menchville with 15 points, all on 3-pointers.
MENCHVILLE (23-3): Draughn 13, Ricks 13, Macklin 6, Catlett 4, Ardrey 15, Michael 8, K. Wilson 6, Williams 2, D. Wilson. Totals 30 1-2 68.
INDIAN RIVER (23-4): Boyd 15, Selby 18, Rouse 4, Capel 22, Seward 5, Wilson 0, Basnight 2. Totals 30 4-5 66.
Menchville20 16 18 14 - 68
Indian River19 18 16 13 - 66
3-point goals: Ardrey 5, Draughn, Ricks, Boyd, Selby. Total fouls: Menchville 12, Indian River 9.
Peninsula champs run win streak to 16; both teams head to state. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Lawrence Jackson/The Virginian-Pilot
Menchville's Paul Michael fakes the shot while Indian River's Edward
Seward stays put. Michael and Keith Wilson led a strong Monarchs
bench effort.
by CNB