It’s exactly how you want to go out. A second straight state title.
Lexi Mallory and the rest of the seniors on Miller’s girls basketball team haven’t had to end their season with a loss since they were sophomores, and they’re aware of the luxury.
“We actually came out strong, playing as a team,” Mallory said. “It feels great — not many people get that, especially two — so it feels great to have that.”
The Mavericks tore apart Nansemond Suffolk Academy from the tip Saturday afternoon to win 57-25 over the Saints, securing Miller’s second-straight state championship. The title was the Mavericks’ fourth in the last six years, but coach James Braxton explained he’s not getting tired of winning them yet.
“No, because I started slow,” Braxton said. “I think the first three times I got to the state championship we lost. I was starting to feel like Marv Levy with the Bills for awhile. But we kind of got over the hump and we’ve built a pretty good program through the kids.”
Miller took control early in a drastic departure from their slow start against Atlantic Shores in their semifinal on Friday, leaning on solid shot selection and an improved effort on the boards.
“We’ve had a lot of close games this year against teams that we felt like we should’ve put away,” Braxton said. “Tonight we actually came out and put the other team away.”
Micah Maloney was a big reason the Mavericks were able to take control as she poured in all 15 of her team-high points before halftime. Lilly Riggleman then closed the door after the break, scoring all 12 of her points in the second half.
“It was exactly what we were looking for,” Riggleman said. “We knew Williamsburg Christian had dropped down a division, so we were expecting this game (against Nansemond Suffolk) the whole year.”
Adrienne Darden followed her 23-point second half outburst in the state semifinals with a solid 11-point outing against NSA and Mallory’s 13 points rounded out the bulk of the scoring for Mavericks.
