Barons keep rolling

ROANOKE — Blue Ridge set a school record with its 16th consecutive win with a dominant second half in a 60-54 victory over Roanoke Catholic on Saturday.

Blue Ridge (16-1, 5-0 VIC) came out sluggish, turning the ball over and missing shots from point-blank range. Coach Bill Ramsey’s halftime talk did wonders as his team evolved into a ball-hawking, smooth-passing squad.

“The energy has to be there. We are good in transition, but we have to play ‘D’ to get the ball,” said Ramsey.

His team did get the ball as they managed to convert several fast breaks. Many Barons were playing the role of a cornerback, intercepting passes to break away for easy buckets.

Darnell Turner dominated inside as he scored 22 points, grabbed eight boards and blocked seven shots. Speedy guard Denzel Wilson overcame his battle with the flu to shine in the second half. Wilson finished with 12 points and nine assists as his team came out of halftime on a mission.

“We got him hydrated,” Ramsey said. “When the game is on the line, he finds a way to make things happen.”

The Barons, who are ranked No. 1 in VIS Division I, created highlight-reel plays for much of the second half, capped off by a thunderous dunk by Scott Williams.

Clarence Turpin led the Celtics (13-4, 3-1) with 23 points.