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Mountaineers outduel Black Knights

MADISON — For a game that was being played in the middle of January, it sure felt like it was the first week of March. Behind a boisterous crowd, two of the area’s best public boys programs took a break from their district play on Saturday night, and for the second time  this season an experienced Madison County squad was able to hold off a young but talented Charlottesville team, as the Mountaineers held serve at home with a 68-60 victory.

“It was great that our crowd was so into it but also that Charlottesville brought their ‘A’ game,” said Mountaineers coach. “They played exceptionally well. That was a battle and our kids really responded to it. I’m very proud of them for that.”

It was a game of runs to say the least. Madison jumped out to an early nine-point lead in the first quarter, but the Black Knights closed the gap to within four points heading into the second frame. Then Madison responded with a 17-4 run to go up by 17 with four minutes to play in the first half.

But with the game looking like it might get out of hand, Charlottesville started shooting from beyond the arc with precision. Slowly but surely the Black Knights bit into the Mountaineer lead, trimming the deficit to eight points at the half, and a little over halfway through the third quarter, it was suddenly a one possession game.

“I really thought that we did a great job of playing defense during that stretch,” said Charlottesville coach Mitch Minor. “We had to get the ball inside and we were able to do that with (Daquan Jones) and then that allowed us to kick it back outside for some open shots and our guys knocked them down.”

For the final 12 minutes of the game it was a back-and-forth and every time Madison would go ahead by two possessions, the Black Knights answered. Maurice Jackson’s fourth 3-pointer of the game cut the Madison lead to just one point, but in the final two minutes of the game, Patrick Lucas and Logan Terrell took advantage of their size in the paint and put the Mountaineers ahead by eight points.

A late Daquan Jones 3-pointer got Charlottesville back to within five points in the last minute, but when the Black Knights put Madison on the free throw line in an effort to stay in the game, the Mountaineers put the game on ice.

Terrell had a monster game, and when it was all said and done, he finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

“He demands the ball sometimes and we want all of our players to think that way,” Breeden said. “In Logan, we’ve just got so much confidence in him. He did a great job for us in those closing seconds for us in the fourth quarter.”

Casey Campbell had a well-rounded game at point guard for Madison as he finished with nine points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Patrick Lucas was equally impressive. Coming off off the bench, the senior managed to tally 12 points and 10 rebounds, with the majority of those coming at the offensive end.

“Madison is just so much bigger than we are,” Minor said. “I think the big difference in the game was their ability to get second and third chances.”

While senior Maurice Jackson led the Black Knights with 18 points, Charlottesville’s underclassmen continued to showcase their talent. Sophomore Daquan Jones put together a 17-point 10-rebound performance. Fellow sophomores Taquan Wicks and Rickquan Jones scored nine and seven points respectively.

Charlottesville (8-4) resumes district play when its heads to Western Albemarle on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Mountaineers (15-0) travel to Fluvanna County on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

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