THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701210417
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 52 lines
When the Manteo High School boys basketball team lost its first game, scoring leader Chris Sillis left early. The next day, fans around the school said the team couldn't win without the hot-shooting center.
The very next game, The Redskins, and Ian Lassiter in particular, proved that wasn't true. With Sillis in foul trouble early in the second quarter, Lassiter put on a clinic and finished the game with a career-high 27 points and 13 rebounds as Manteo dumped the Eagles 71-54 in Elizabeth City.
``The whole school was talking about how we couldn't win without him,'' said Lassiter, a 6-3 forward. ``We proved tonight that that's not true. This is a team.''
With Sillis on the bench with three fouls, Lassiter poured in seven points in the second quarter and picked up the slack on the boards. The Redskins led 35-26 at the half and were never really challenged the rest of the game.
Northeastern cut the Manteo lead to 14-13 with 7:38 to play in the first half on Javon Green's three-pointer. Manteo's Justis Bobbitt countered with a three to push the Manteo lead back up to four points with 7:07. Sillis left the game with his third foul at 6:41 and did not return the rest of the half. But the Redskins scored the next eight points on three free throws and a turn-around jumper by Lassiter and free throws by Bobbitt and Danny Davis. The Redskins led 25-13 with 5:02 to play in the half, and never lost control.
Lassiter, a senior, is starting this year for the first time. The Manteo hoops tradition has been so strong over the last few years, Lassiter has had to wait his turn. This year, he's making the most of it by being the emotional leader of a squad that opened the season at 10-1.
``I've gained a lot more confidence since last year,'' Lassiter said from his seat in the locker room at Northeastern High School, sweat dripping from his matted black hair. ``Chris (Sillis) and Danny (Davis) are both quiet and lead by example. I'm the one who does the talking and try to get the other guys fired up.''
Tradition was something that Lassiter, an A and B student who's interested in being an engineer, talked about after the win over Northeastern. Lassiter bristles when other people say that this year's Redskins are not as good as some recent teams.
``It's hard to live up to,'' he said. ``People have been talking about us not being as good. We're a smarter team. We play better defense and we're just as good as those other teams.''
Manteo head coach Bud Hendrix, who used Lassiter in a sixth man role off the bench last year, felt the Northeastern game was a learning experience for his team.
``What I enjoyed about it most was that the kids went to him (Lassiter),'' Hendrix said. ``At the half they said we have to go to Ian. When you get Ian man on man, he's a load under there. We have some individuals on this team that have something to prove. Ian proved something tonight.''