Buffalo Gap-Brunswick preview; Grace girls win; all-region teams named, MBU dancing in DIII
Buffalo Gap-Brunswick: The rematch
A week ago Buffalo Gap roughed up Brunswick to the tune of a 20-point win the Region 1B girls basketball championship. Now, the two teams will meet again Friday at Harrisonburg High School in the Class 1 state semifinals.
Gap got there by beating Westmoreland 73-27 while Brunswick beat Essex 56-52 in the state quarterfinals Tuesday.
The game Friday has more on the line than the regional title game did. In that game, played at Brunswick, both teams knew, win or lose, they had a least another game left. On Friday, when the ball is tossed in the air at 7 p.m., both teams will know that its win or call it a season.
"In some ways it makes it easier because it's an opponent that you're familiar with, that you scouted the first time you played them," Gap coach Phillip Morgan said about facing a team that they just played. "The downside of that is, they're going to make changes."
One of the changes Brunswick's Terry Stith would like to see from his team is more made shots from the outside, especially from behind the 3-point line.
Alexandria Harrison, Brunswick's 6-foot-2 center and the Region 1B player of the year, did most of the damage against the Bison in the paint, scoring 29 of her team's 40 points. Only three other players scored for the Bulldogs. That probably needs to change if Brunswick is to win the rematch.
"(Harrison) everybody double teams and triple teams her," Stith said. "We've got to be ready to make some shots from the outside."
Stith pointed to LaKera Hill, Isavela Cortez-Toledo, Jalauni Seward, Ajanai Smith and Brianna Simmons as players who all have the capability of hurting Buffalo Gap from the outside. In the regional championship game, those five combined for only nine points and one 3-pointer.
Harrison is averaging 30 points in the postseason for Brunswick. She averaged 23 during the regular season, but Stith said there were a lot of games with a running clock. Even if Stith wants to see his players shoot from the outside, if Brunswick is going to beat Gap they will have to get the ball to Harrison early and often, and the senior will have to control the boards.
"Her size is a factor," Morgan said. "She's tall, she's strong and all of that, but she's got good footwork around the basket. We've got to put pressure on their guards and make passes tough. And when it gets in there, if we can move her out, and I don't know if we can, but if we can make her catch it just a step farther from the basket, those shots are just a lot tougher."
Morgan pointed to the defense of Chloe Emurian and Hannah Coffman as key to slowing Brunswick.
"Chloe and Hannah work so well together, move together," Morgan said. "They're both a huge factor down there. Hannah has the ability to go up and get the ball and Chloe, it's about positioning and timing. Chloe is like our Energizer Bunny inside. She just works hard and keeps getting after it."
One of the keys for Gap against Brunswick was the outside game. In the regional championship, Karah Richie hit four 3s and Avery Bradley hit three. Bradley followed that up with four 3s in the state quarterfinal win over Westmoreland.
"Avery is playing with a great deal of confidence," Morgan said. "Karah is playing very well. Bailey (Talley) and Kayleigh (Hemp) have both hit 3s for us in this stretch. Right now we're shooting very well from the perimeter."
Gap will be trying to reach the state championship game for the second time in three years. In this postseason, they look like a team on a mission.
"This is the time of year you want to be playing your best," Morgan said. "Right now, as a group, I think we are."
All tickets will need to be purchased online at GoFan. There will be no cash accepted. The game tips at 7 p.m. at Harrisonburg High School.
Grace Christian wins in VISAA quarterfinals
STAUNTON — Grace Christian girls basketball beat Brunswick Academy 46-41 Wednesday in the VISAA Division 3 state quarterfinals.
Lucy Wells led the Warriors with 15 points, five assist and four steals. Kaitlyn Harper added 13 points and Aubrey Greenmun scored nine points in the win.
Grace will play in the VISAA state semifinal game Friday night at 5:30 p.m. at The Steward School in Richmond against Carlisle School.
All-region basketball teams named
Buffalo Gap coach Phillip Morgan was named the Region 1B girls basketball coach of the year. Two of his players — Bailey Talley and Hannah Coffman — were named to the first team all-Region 1B. Gap's Chloe Emurian was named second team all-region.
On the boys side, Buffalo Gap's Logan Hewitt was named second team all-Region 1B.
The all-Region 2B boys team was recently announced. Fort Defiance's Sam Garber and Stuarts Draft's Donovan Jenkins both made first team. Second-team honors went to Fort's Gio Armendariz Cruz and Draft's Landon Graber.
Stuarts Draft's Augusta Seibert was named to the first team all-Region 2B girls basketball team. Fort Defiance teammates Mia Alexander and Trinity Hedrick were named to the second team.
In Region 3C, Staunton's Durrell Hamilton made first team for the boys, and Staunton's Manny Chapman and Wilson Memorial's Chase Snyder were named to the second team all-region.
Wilson Memorial's CC Robinson made second team all-region 3C.
Mary Baldwin joins five other Virginia men's teams in DIII big dance
STAUNTON — Mary Baldwin University's men’s basketball will play in the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time ever. The Fighting Squirrels will travel to Cleveland for a Friday night game against Case Western Reserve.
The first round game tips at 7:15 p.m. Case Western is 21-4 and ranked No. 12 in Division III. Mary Baldwin, which is 17-10 headed into the game, qualified for the tournament by beating Greensboro College 72-62 on Saturday to claim the USA South tournament title.
It will be the second of fwo games at Case Western Reserve's Horsburgh Gymnasium. The opening game of the pod will be Michigan's Hope College (22-6) and Indiana's Anderson University (23-4) at 4:45 p.m. The two winners will play Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
Mary Baldwin is one of six teams from Virginia in the tournament, joining Hampden-Sydney, Randolph-Macon, Virginia Wesleyan, Christopher Newport and Marymount. Christopher Newport is the defending national champion and Randolph-Macon won it the year before that.
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— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Buffalo Gap-Brunswick preview; Grace girls win; all-region teams named
