THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 16, 1996 TAG: 9603160501
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Nansemond River came up three seconds short in its last bid for a Group AA state boys basketball championship on Friday.
Gregg Reynolds' layup in the final seconds lifted Liberty to a 59-58 victory over the defending state champions at Liberty University.
The Minutemen (24-0) will play Lakeland, a 64-54 winner over Northside in the other semifinal, today at 2:45 p.m. in the state final.
Nansemond River (24-3), which had beaten Liberty in last year's semifinals, is moving to the Southeastern District and Group AAA next season. Little went right for the Warriors in their final game in Group AA.
Region I Player of the Year Montoria Valentine fouled out after playing just three minutes of the second half and Nansemond River made only 1 of 6 3-pointers in the game.
Liberty held Nansemond River standout Antoine Willie to 17 points, nine below his season average, and Valentine to five rebounds, 12 below his average. The Minutemen also forced 18 turnovers and the Warriors made only 7 of 13 free throws.
``I don't know what it was,'' said Willie, whose team averaged 13 turnovers per game. ``We just wasn't into it.''
The Warriors called timeout with 1.8 seconds left after Reynolds' basket gave the Minutemen their first lead since midway through the third quarter. After the timeout, Maurice Fofana's long pass to Willie was knocked down by several Minutemen.
``We knew what was coming,'' Liberty coach Mark Hanks said. ``We were going to double-team Willie and it ended up we had three people around the ball.''
The Minutemen jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first quarter behind treys by Neil Roop and Robert Carson, but Nansemond River answered with a 14-1 spurt. The Warriors went up 28-17 on a short jumper by LaShaun Pugh with 5:50 left in the first half.
Liberty, after shooting quick 3-pointers in the first quarter, became patient in the second, passing the ball three or four times before each shot.
``We knew we had to keep it in the 60s or 70s,'' Liberty's Raymond Arrington said. ``We caught on to what they were doing (on defense) and got patient.''
J.J. Coles' basket just before the half made it 32-28 Nansemond River at intermission.
The Minutemen came out patient again in the second half and waited for openings in the Warriors' defense. Liberty, which has only one player taller than 6-foot-3, used its quickness to get around Nansemond River, which has three starters over 6-3.
The Warriors, who outrebounded Liberty 39-26, held off the pesky Minutemen for most of the second half. Two Anthony Jones baskets made it 52-47 Nansemond River at just under five minutes left before Liberty began its final comeback.
Ryan Stevens hit a trey and Arrington added two free throws to cut the Nansemond River lead to 58-57 with 32 seconds left. Pugh then missed the front end of a one-and-one before Liberty called a timeout with 15 seconds remaining.
Reynolds took a pass from Carson and drove down the right side of the lane and was fouled before his shot rolled in.
``I was trying to be aggressive,'' Reynolds said. ``But I wanted to take a shot with enough time for us to foul if I missed.''
Pugh and Jones finished with 10 points each for Nansemond River. Arrington had 17, Reynolds 11 and Carson 13 for Liberty. ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTOPHER REDDICK\The Virginian-Pilot
Nansemond River's Lashaun Pugh, left, and Liberty's Robert Carson
battle for control of the ball.
by CNB