Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lord Botetourt boys hang on for win
A 12-0 run pushes the Cavs past William Byrd, and Lord Botetourt will go on to play in the semifinals.
Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times
Lord Botetourt's Ben Matthias shoots during Tuesday's game.
Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times
Justin Goode (3) goes up for a basket.
varsity.roanoke.com
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DALEVILLE — Momentum is a fickle friend. Switching sides time and again in Lord Botetourt's 54-51 win over William Byrd, it finally settled on the home team.
Botetourt (10-15) trailed by five halfway through the fourth quarter, but went on a 12-0 run capped by consecutive three-pointers from Dustin Hassell and Zack Kelly to take a 48-41 lead with less than two minutes remaining.
Byrd (8-17) closed within a bucket but got no closer despite causing turnovers and forcing the Cavaliers all over the court in the final frantic minute. Zac Hill got a decent look at the buzzer to tie the game, but his 22-footer was a shade strong, bouncing off the back of the rim.
The win sends the Cavaliers to the Region III Division 4 semifinals where Amherst County awaits. The Lancers had a first round bye. The game will be played at Staunton River High School tomorrow evening.
Lord Botetourt coach Chad Conner said Byrd prevented his team from playing a fast game in the first half, but after the half, the court opened up, allowing a transition game more to his liking.
"From the start, we wanted to push the ball. It just didn't happen in the first half," Conner said. "In the second half, we were getting more opportunities."
Patience proved to be a virtue for both teams. The Cavaliers missed 16 shots in the first half and shot just 14percent in the first quarter, but as they started waiting for open looks, efficiency went up.
They shot 67percent in the second half.
"In the first half, we were taking quick shots," Conner said. "We did better when we looked for better shots."
For Byrd, coach Kevin Tuck said the team became impatient after gaining a lead in the third quarter.
"We came back after halftime, got a nice run and had a little lead. I thought we got a little impatient," Tuck said. "We didn't play very well with the lead."
Byrd recruited momentum to its side in the third quarter and used a 13-4 run to take a four-point lead.
A Justin Goode runner followed by a trey from Hassell and suddenly the Cavs were back on top.
Hassell led all scorers with 19 points, 12 in the second half.
"He can really shoot the ball," Conner said of the sophomore guard. "He likes to have the ball in his hands. He's like the cool side of the pillow; really even keel. Nothing fazes him."
Byrd was led by Hill's 12 points. Joe Barton scored 11, and Josh Marcus had 10.
WILLIAM BYRD (8-17)
Board 1 0-0 2, Hill 4 3-6 12, Collier 4 0-2 8, Barton 4 1-2 11, Goodman 1 0-0 2, Marcus 4 0-0 10, Doss 1 0-0 2, Patriquin 2 0-0 4. Totals 21 4-10 51.
LORD BOTETOURT (10-15)
Goode 3 4-4 10, Mathias 1 0-0 2, Hassell 8 0-0 19, Hickman 5 1-2 11, Smith 3 1-3 7, Thacker 1 0-1 2, Kelly 1 0-0 3, Hampton 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 6-10 54.
William Byrd 12 7 17 15 -- 51
Lord Botetourt 7 17 9 21 -- 54
3-point goals - William Byrd 5 (Burton 2, Marcus 2, Hill), Lord Botetourt 4 (Harrell 3, Kelly). Total fouls - William Byrd 15, Lord Botetourt 10. Fouled out - none.
