Gaels pull inside job on 'Dogs

January 04, 2001

Gaels pull inside job on 'Dogs

By CURT HORNBECKER / Staff Correspondent

If Martinsburg boys basketball coach Dave Rogers had one wish, it might be that his club could have done what St. Maria Goretti did Wednesday night.

Or at least that they would have tried more often.

continued

Fifth-ranked Goretti was consistently successful at dumping the ball into the paint to Rodney Gibson, Matt Spierenburg and Matt Tanner - especially in the second and third periods - which resulted in them hitting 16 of 18 shots from the floor in that 16-minute span, and claiming a 60-50 victory.

The No. 7 Bulldogs, meanwhile, seemed content to launch bombs from beyond the arc.

"We started out the ball game with about four different players shooting 3s," said Rogers, "and I think we missed them all. We just have to be patient enough to run our offense, and keep the defensive tempo."

Despite the lofty shooting percentage, Goretti (9-3) still had to stave off a late Bulldogs (2-5) rally to escape with the win, turning the ball over 17 times in the final three quarters while starting point guard Derrick Davis was out with the flu.

"We were the walking wounded out there tonight," said Gaels coach Cokey Robertson. "Davis was out with the flu, Gibson played sick, and (Josh) Carter had a bloody nose at halftime."

Goretti's lead peaked at 19 points midway through the third quarter before Martinsburg began hitting its outside shots, creating some open space inside.

A 14-9 run to end the third period was followed by a 7-2 run to start the final eight minutes, closing the gap to 53-44 at the 5:28 mark. The three-and-a-half minute drought that followed could have doomed the 'Dogs, but Goretti managed just three points in that span.

But Martinsburg responded with six straight points to trim the lead to 56-50 before Tommy Wills and Tanner drilled two free throws apiece in the final 44 seconds to ice the win. Wills' two free throws were the only two shots the senior took all evening.

Buck Springette and Kevin Pittsnogle paced the Bulldogs with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Tanner led the Gaels with 20, Gibson finished with 19, and Spierenburg had 14.

Goretti 60, Martinsburg 50

MARTINSBURG (50)

Barrett 9, Ware 8, Springette 11, Yurish 3, Morris 3, Triggs 4, Bullett 2, Pittsnogle 10. Totals 21 4-5 50.

ST. MARIA GORETTI (60)

Gibson 19, Tanner 20, Spierenburg 14, Carter 5, Wills 2. Totals 24 10-12 60.

Martinsburg8111813-50

St. Maria1515219-60

Three-point goals-Martinsburg 4 (Springette, Barrett, Morris, Yurish), Goretti 2 (Gibson, Carter).

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