THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 14, 1996 TAG: 9603140525
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
There will be a bit of familiarity at 4:30 p.m. today when Kempsville takes the court against James Robinson at Liberty University's Vines Center for the Group AAA girls basketball state semifinal game.
The Chiefs, who breezed through area competition last season and took a 29-0 record to the state semis, will be on the same court, the same bench - and face the same opponent.
``This year I think we're better prepared and know what to expect,'' said Kempsville coach Greg Dunn, whose team enters the match with a 27-3 record. ``I think we're a much better team than last year.
``It might sound funny with the three losses, but I think we're battle tested.
``We've been through tight games with tough opponents. Every game we've had to win with everything on the line, we've won.''
The Chiefs will rely on their running game to carry them past the Rams. However, James Robinson, the Northern Region runner-up, is used to a slower-paced game with a set offense.
``We want to force the tempo,'' Dunn said. ``We don't want to give Robinson the chance to set up and go inside.''
The Rams, who outscored their opponents by nearly a 2-to-1 margin in the regular season, like to feed 5-foot-10 senior forward Kate Von Holle and 5-11 senior forward Kim Oakes in the paint.
Kempsville will counter with its sharpshooting from the perimeter - the Chiefs are better than 40 percent behind the 3-point arc - and rely on Toni Patillo, a 5-8 junior forward to grab the boards. Patillo had nine rebounds in Kempsville's 58-39 quarterfinal win over Clover Hill and averages 7.3 boards a game.
``I think it'll be much more familiar,'' Dunn said. ``Last year, we were overwhelmed with the whole experience. Now we'll be able to focus more on the game and playing Robinson.'' by CNB