For a Photo Gallery from this game, click here.
Bryan Rothamel/Senior Writer FlucoBlog.com, Special to Scrimmageplay.com
After playing 40 straight minutes between regulation and a pair of overtimes, Fluvanna’s Mia Loyd stepped to the line with her team down by a point to rival Western Albemarle. Unfazed, Loyd calmly hit her two free throws for the Flucos with less than two seconds left on the clock, handing Fluvanna a berth in the state quarterfinals.
“I had to do it for my team,” said Loyd, the Jefferson District’s player of the year. “They have worked as hard as I have and for me to pay them back by making those free throws, I’ll do it. And I did it.”
Western Albemarle trailed 32-22 early in the fourth quarter, but they ended regulation on a 13-3 run that sent the game to overtime and the fun started. With 27 seconds left in the first overtime, Kelsey Swanson drove downcourt and found an open Carolyn Schneller who hit a jumper to give Western a one-point advantage.
Fluvanna quickly brought the ball right back down and came up with an answer. Senior Sarah Ryan passed to Ashleigh Harris who was fouled on a missed 3-point shot. The Flucos freshman made her second free throw to send the game into a second overtime with the score knotted at 39.
Both teams played to a stalemate again with the game tied with under a minute to play in the second overtime. Ellen Shaffrey was fouled on a missed shot and made the first of two free throws with seven seconds left, again giving the Warriors a one-point advantage. Mia Loyd rebounded the second free throw and raced the length of court and found her way to the charity stripe with 1.7 seconds remaining. Her two made free throws brought Fluvanna to their first trip to the state tournament since joining the Jefferson District.
“I love these girls to death,” said Fluvanna coach Chad White. “They have been working their butts off since day one. They deserve everything they are getting now.”
An emotional WAHS coach Kris Wright said following the game, “Can’t say enough about kids on both teams — battling as hard as they could battle for as long as we would let them battle.
“One team came out on top, it was unfortunate it wasn’t us but Fluvanna deserved it. They earned it, it wasn’t like we lost the game.”
Swanson and Virginia Carew led Western with 11 points apiece. Carew hit three 3-pointers in the fourth to rally Western. Carolyn Schneller finished with 10 points and five rebounds of her own. Shaffrey had 11 rebounds while Raven Ward had six points and nine rebounds.
Mia and K-anna Loyd led Fluvanna with 17 points each. They were the only Flucos to score in the first 20 minutes of action.
Fluvanna improves to 21-1 overall and next travels to Orange to play undefeated Millbrook High School. Game time set for 6 p.m. Western Albemarle completes their season finishing 17-7 overall and 16-4 against Jefferson District opponents.
