Charlottesville’s girls basketball team knew it had to get going in the fourth quarter or the Black Knights’ season was going to swiftly come to an end at the hands of No. 5-seeded Fluvanna County in the Region 3C quarterfinals.
“We knew from the beginning it was going to be a win or go home situation, but in the fourth quarter it was really close and we really didn’t like that,” said Charlottesville guard Lakia Thompson.
The Black Knights turned that distaste into results as the No. 4 seeded Black Knights stormed out of the gates in the fourth and picked up a 57-45 win to extend their season and set up a clash with top-seeded Fort Defiance Thursday night on the road with a state tournament berth on the line.
Charlottesville (16-6) trailed 38-37 right at the start of the fourth but a Rayquel Allen bucket and then a dump off pass that Makiaya Brown finished off got the Black Knights going. A putback from Ania Cafferillo off her own miss helped transform the spurt into a full-fledged run. Allen scored nine in the frame and Fluvanna just couldn’t find an answer fast enough as Charlottesville took a 47-41 lead and never let Fluvanna seriously challenge again, forcing a critical series of turnovers in the backcourt.
“We said if we’re going to lose three quarters to win one, that’s the way to do it,” said Charlottesville coach Jim Daly. “We showed a lot of fight, I have a lot of faith in our seniors and I told them what I loved is that in every timeout there was no doubt in their eyes. And Rayquel attacking the basket is special, she can be elite doing that.”
Allen, a sophomore, scored nine of her 16 points in the fourth while also coming up with five steals on the night and Thompson finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds, spearheading an impressive rebounding effort by the Black Knights’ guards.
“(Rayquel), hats off to her, that kid just said she’s going to win,” said Fluvanna coach Nick Ward. “I saw the interview she gave after Monticello and she said we’re going to get it and she didn’t lie. The entire game changed when she said ‘we’re not going to lose’.”
It helped too that Cafferillo posted a career high 11 points and 12 boards for a crucial double double. Vanessa Antwi finished with eight and Brown chipped in seven including a big-time first half 3-pointer.
The Flucos played particularly well for three quarters in a matchup that often leads to some offensive headaches for the two programs as they both know each other so well and play each other so often. Alana Carter-Johnston finished with 17 to lead the way offensively. But points were hard to come by in the second half, especially in the fourth where the Flucos managed just seven points as Charlottesville ramped up the defensive intensity.
Taty Turner and Aniah Webb each finished with nine points on the night.
While it was a frustrating finish for the Flucos, the squad is junior-heavy and this is the kind of loss that can drive success a year from now with a talented group set to return next season.
“I think it does, you could tell (CHS) was poised in that fourth quarter, they picked it up to a regional level,” Ward said. “I think Aniah is the only one with any regional experience.”
The Black Knights will play Fort Defiance Thursday in the Region 3C semis.
