By Logan Riddick / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
As the clock ticked under three minutes to play in Thursday night’s Conference 23 Tournament semifinal, third-seeded Fluvanna County held a 48-47 lead over second-seeded Charlottesville. Then, sophomore guard Caleb Gage sparked the game’s deciding run, as the 5’5” guard drove for an inside bucket-and-the foul, then hit the free throw and ignited the home crowd.
“We knew we had plenty of time left and didn’t lose our composure,” said Charlottesville coach Mitch Minor. “We got a good drive for a layup, a three-point play to put us back up. We got that one, then a couple turnovers, and that was the difference.”
Along with a defensive switch-up that unleashed an effective half-court trap, the Black Knights came up with stops, steals, and enough free throws to complete a 9-0 run en route to a 61-53 victory.
“We started playing a 1-3-1 to give them a different look,” said CHS senior Leon Straus. “We saw they couldn’t handle it so we just stayed with that and started getting turnovers. That’s what we like to do, speed up the game.”
Straus connected on six of eight free throws down the stretch as the ball went to his hands when the Flucos were forced to foul.
“Coach trusted me to make the free throws, so we set up our press break [for me],” said Straus, who finished with a team-high 18 points. “They had to foul, so all I had to do was take my time and just make the free throws.”
Straus got off to a fast start by scoring the Knights’ first three baskets of the game. Charlottesville opened an 11-5 lead as Fluvanna called its first timeout at 3:22 in the first quarter. The Flucos closed to 15-13 entering the second, but Straus hit a triple to start another CHS spurt. Trailing 26-17 midway through the quarter, the Flucos came out of a full timeout and responded with eight straight points. The Knights led 27-25 at halftime with Straus and Fluvanna freshman forward Aamir Simms leading the way with 10 points apiece.
“Every time we’d make a run, they would fight right back,” said Minor. “I thought we could control the tempo of the game with our [three] guards, and we did for a while. We got our spurts, but they did a good job also when they missed a shot. We were much shorter and they got some stick backs which was critical because in the first half they didn’t have a whole lot of perimeter jump shots. They really made free throws and got layups.”
Fluvanna made an early run after the break as senior Goddy Flannigan came alive. The Fluco forward tallied 10 of his team’s 12 points in the frame, and his trey at the 3:10 mark gave Fluvanna a 36-33 lead.
“We had a hand in his face and he still made the shots,” Minor said.
CHS got some help from junior center Troy Hughes off the bench, as his offensive rebound and put back capped a 7-0 run that gave the Knights a 40-37 lead heading into the fourth. Fluvanna started hot again with three straight 18’ jumpers from Flannigan (2) and Talavious Hughes to take a 43-40 lead with 6:20 to play.
Over the next three-plus minutes, the teams battled back and forth within a one-possession margin before Gage’s three-point play changed the dynamic. Simms was called for his fourth foul in a loose ball situation in front of the Fluvanna bench at the 2:42 mark, and the ensuing response prompted the assessment of a technical foul on the Flucos’ bench. Although the Knights hit just two of four free throws, Gage quickly cut down the lane for a lay-in on the post-technical possession. Straus came up with a steal on defense, and then Mica Girstantas knocked in a pair of free throws after Simms was forced to commit his fifth with 1:04 left. Up 56-48, Straus matched free throws for Fluvanna buckets to the final buzzer.
“From where we were at the beginning of the year, with nobody ever playing a varsity game, and then going into the last two and a half minutes leading the number five team in the state, I’m just really proud of the effort,” said Fluvanna coach Munro Rateau. “I think this game was indicative of how good the top four or five teams in the Jefferson District were this year. I told our kids, ‘we won 12 games, and next year we’re going to win 24 because we’ve got everybody back.’”
Flannigan led Fluvanna with a game-high 22 points. Simms finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
“Goddy was hurt in football and didn’t get cleared to even practice with us until December 10,” Rateau said. “If he would’ve been able to start in November as a healthy basketball player, I don’t know if anybody in the area would be better than him. He’s really played really well for us the last three weeks.”
Gage tallied 12 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Senior forward Isaiah Green joined Straus and Gage in double figured with ten. Girstantas and Jordan Saylor each added six points.
Charlottesville (20-3) now travels to Winchester to face top seed Handley in the Conference 23 final on Friday night at 7:00. Regardless of the outcome, the Knights will have a spot in the 4A North bracket, where play begins next week.
