THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603080284
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 17 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CAMDEN LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
THE GIRLS basketball season at Camden County High School came to an abrupt end this past Wednesday night because of some sharp shooting by Gates County.
The Lady Barons used timely 3-point shooting to rally back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to upset Camden 48-46 in the second round of the girls 1A state playoffs.
Gates, just 12-11 going into the game, went on to play Perquimans County in the ``round of 16.'' For Camden, ranked fifth in the state, the season ended at 21-3. Those watching the game called it a major upset.
Camden's Sherita Bernard connected on two free throws to give the Lady Bruins a 40-31 lead with 6:07 to play in the game. Gates played right into Camden's game plan, but it backfired for the Bruins.
Camden head coach Dianne Overton said the Lady Bruins wanted to force Gates to shoot from the outside.
The Lady Barons obliged. Patika Jordan sunk a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the Camden lead to 40-34 with 5:58 to play. After Cheryl Davis made a free throw, Jordan launched another three to bring Gates within two points at 40-38 with 4:30 to play.
Gates took its first lead of the game since the first quarter when Kenyada Pretlow lofted a 3-pointer to put the Lady Barons up 45-44 with 2:48 to go. Camden regained the lead seconds later on a jumper by Bernard. It was Camden's last points.
The Lady Bruins kept putting Gates on the foul line to stop the clock and Gates kept missing free throws. With 2:11 to play, Davis was fouled on the inside and missed two free throws. Camden lost the ball on its next possession on a steal by Hope Riddick. Riddick missed a shot, but Demetria Riddick grabbed the offensive board and went up with a jumper to put Gates up 47-46 with 1:21 to play.
Camden turned the ball over again and was forced to foul twice to stop the clock to get Gates to the foul line. With 24 seconds to play, Jordan was fouled by Connie Spellman and made her first free throw to put Gates up by two. She missed the second free throw but Hope Riddick grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled in the process with 22 seconds to go. The Lady Barons could have put the game out of reach, but Riddick missed both freebies. On the last miss, Riddick recovered the ball, but was called for traveling with 18 seconds to play.
With a chance to tie the game or take the lead, Camden's Anquonette Stiles threw the ball away. Davis was fouled for Gates and proceeded to miss the front end of a 1-and-1.
Camden still had a chance to tie the game when Spellman was fouled by Hope Riddick with two seconds to play. But Spellman missed both free throws and a last second shot attempt at the buzzer failed for Camden.
The Lady Bruins played sloppy for parts of the second half, but controlled the game until the beginning of the fourth quarter after a 14-2 run to end the second quarter.
Gates head coach Lulu Eure said her team's only chance was to play tough defense.
``I told them to pick up and play good defense and see what happens,'' Eure said. ``We didn't let them penetrate. Our game is to make the other team shoot from the outside. We've played man-to man all year.''
Gates lost both meetings to Camden during the regular season. The Bruins won easily 57-38 and 64-50. Overton said the difference in Gates' win Wednesday was that the Lady Barons shot much better from the floor.
``Our strategy tonight was to let them shoot from the outside and they hit them,'' she said. ``They had not shot well from the outside all year but they did well tonight. We started throwing the ball away and forcing shots that were not there.''
Overton said that she realized Camden would have a tough time in the playoffs because of the team's lack of height.
After the game, she said she was satisfied in what the Lady Bruins had accomplished, including the Albemarle Conference championship and the Albemarle Conference Tournament championship.
``Everything after the conference is gravy anyway,'' Overton said. ``We won the conference and the conference tournament for the first time in a long time.''
It was the last game for senior Holly Meads who has meant so much to the Camden program over the last four years. by CNB