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Charlottesville girls pull away from Orange in second half

Through the first 16 minutes of Friday night’s girls basketball contest between Charlottesville and Orange County, it seemed that the game was destined to go down to the wire. The Black Knights and Hornets traded small leads throughout the first half and Charlottesville held a slim three-point lead at halftime. 

 

But Charlottesville came out in the second half and turned it on on both ends of the floor, building a 14-point lead by the end of the third quarter en route to rolling to a 63-36 victory. 

 

Both teams struggled with ball security in the first half and the first two quarters featured several turnovers and fast break baskets. Rayquel Allen stole the inbounds pass to start the game and converted the layup for Charlottesville. Orange County then struggled to break the Charlottesville press on their first possession, prompting a very early timeout by Orange County head coach Corey Edmonds. That first sequence set the stage for the second half of the game. 

 

Late in the first quarter, however, the Hornets got on track, and, after a pair of threes banked in, the Fighting Hornets held a 15-13 lead at the end of the first frame. 

 

Orange County’s Olivia Sciabbarrasi scored eight of her team-high 15 points in the first half, but her team continued to struggle to hold on to the ball with the pressure put on by Charlottesville. 

 

“We had a lot of energy in the first half, but a lot of times we’d get a tip steal and we’d throw it right back,” Charlottesville head coach Jim Daly said. “So I think things got better when we took care of the ball.” 

 

In the second half, Charlottesville stole the ball several times, turning many of those transition opportunities into easy layups on the other end. Even after made baskets, the Black Knights pushed the ball up the floor quickly, and Orange County struggled to slow them down. 

 

“It’s a fun group to watch in transition when they get out and run,” Daly said. “They share the ball. They finish.”

 

Charlottesville outscored Orange County 18-7 in the third quarter to take control of the game. Rayquel Allen scored a game-high 23 points, 15 of which came in the second half. 

 

“She [Allen] was just super active,” Daly said. “We’ve seen how skilled she is, how creative she is with her finishes. She works hard and she’s a wonderful kid.” 

 

The Black Knights ran away with the game in the fourth, outscoring Orange County 21-8. Andrea Lefkowitz finished with a double double with 12 points and 18 rebounds while Vanessa Antwi had 12 points and Makiaya Brown had eight.

 

With the win, Charlottesville improves to 3-1 and will play at Louisa County on Tuesday night. Orange County faces a quick turnaround, as they play at Albemarle Saturday afternoon. 

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