THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604180144
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
RASHAD SMITH WIPED the sweat from his face and stared at the scoreboard. His team, the Larkspur/Salem Magic, trailed the L/S Razorbacks, 21-18, at halftime.
``We need to play defense,'' he said, frowning.
Smith and his teammates played defense all right and some offense, too. They held the Razorbacks to 10 third-quarter points - and scored 23 themselves. Smith finished with 33 points in leading the L/S Magic to the intermediate community recreation league basketball city championship.
The Magic won going away, 59-42. In defeating their association rivals, the Magic avenged their only loss of the season.
The game was one of three championship games played at Larkspur Middle School recently. The intermediate teams are made up of 13- and 14-year-old boys.
IN THE FIRST CONTEST, the Woodstock Nets eked out a 44-43 win over the West Kempsville Hornets to claim the midget title at the 11- and 12-year-old level.
The Nets started strong and built a 31-15 halftime lead. The Hornets came back to outscore the Nets 14-7 in the third quarter and close the gap to 38-29.
Kanin Gray led the charge for West Kempsville, almost single-handedly taking over the Hornets' attack. Gray scored a game-high 21 points, but it was the point he didn't score that had him upset.
With the Hornets behind 44-42 and time running out, Gray grabbed a rebound and tried to put the ball back up. He was fouled at the buzzer and calmly sank the first foul shot. The second hit the rim and bounced out to give the Nets their one-point win and the title.
Slick point guard, John Gilchrist, led the Nets with 18 points, superb ball handling and leadership. Frank Studivant scored 14 points.
``It's John's second city championship this year,'' said his father and coach, John. ``He played on the Woodstock team that won the city championship in football.''
The junior boys, 15 and 16, capped the evening of basketball with another nail-biter. The undefeated Bayside Hornets had to go to overtime to beat the Woodstock Raiders, 65-62. The score was tied at 55 at the end of 40 minutes of play.
Bayside fell behind Woodstock early on. The Raiders used a strong inside game to forge an early lead, 14-12, at the end of the first quarter.
The Hornets pulled ahead, 27-26, at halftime.
Bayside coach George Phillips watched his team get ready for the second half and said, ``I'm satisfied. We didn't play that well, but if we play our game, we can beat them.''
Dameon Wiggins scored 20 points to lead Bayside's comeback.
NORTH BEACH DOMINATED the girls competition, taking both the junior and pre-teen championships.
The North Beach GWA - that stands for Girls With Attitude - beat a tough Bayside team 42-37 to take the title.
GWA was led by Shanty Shanks, called by her coach Ted Kelly, ``maybe the best player in the league,'' Michelle Snyder, Courtney Kelly, Ransome Witt and Caroline Snow.
``It's funny,'' said Kelly. ``These same girls went 0-10 at Virginia Beach Middle School and 7-1 during the regular season with us.''
North Beach won three games in two days to win the championship.
The North Beach Stars won the pre-teen title. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY EDWARDS
Ketron Hawkins goes for a score for Aragona in recreation league
play.
by CNB