R.L. Bynum
03-01-2008, 11:04 PM
Late run costs Bruton
The Region I girls final loss means the Panthers next must travel.
By MARTY O’BRIEN
mobrien@dailypress.com | 247-4963 EMPORIA — Points dripped as slowly as a leaky faucet on Saturday for much of the Region I girls basketball tournament championship game. The exception was Quaneva Avent’s scoring burst in the fourth quarter that lasted slightly more than a minute, just enough time to lead Greensville County to a 40-37 victory over Bruton.
The Eagles (24-1) trailed by a point when Avent scored all of the points in a 10-point run to give them the lead for good. She drained 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions, capping the final one with a free throw to give the Eagles a 34-25 lead with 4 minutes, 23 seconds to play.
The Panthers (21-6) got as close as three points twice in the final minutes but could not complete the rally. As a result, they’ll travel to play Region II champion Charlottesville next Saturday in a Group AA state quarterfinal, though not on the Black Knights’ home court. Charlottesville beat Brentsville District 43-39 in the Region II title game.
Greensville will stay near home to face Brentsville as a reward for winning its first regional title in 11 years. Eagles coach Ruby Allen said Avent, the Southside Player of the Year, deserves much of the thanks.
“After she made that first 3 during the run, I told our girls to get the ball back into her hands,” Allen said. “She averages 17 points, but she really should be scoring more.
“She does such a good job of getting the ball to the other players, she doesn’t score as much as she should.”
Still, she finished with a game-high 19 points. By comparison, Bruton’s Jen Falin, the Bay Rivers District Player of the Year, scored a season-low two points.
Eagles guards Sierra Thomas and Shavonte Battle took turns hounding Falin on the perimeter, limiting her to only five shots. So Falin focused on passing the ball to her teammates and finished with seven assists.
“Jen didn’t force things,” Bruton coach Wayne Burnette said. “That’s the sign of a good player.”
Falin would’ve had more assists, but the Panthers missed at least a dozen shots from point-blank range. They made just 16-of-48 from the field and 4-of-14 from the free-throw line.
“Missed shots and missed free throws are the story of the game,” Burnette said. “Otherwise I think we did a lot of things well, including rebounding against a team no one thought we could match up with.”
The Panthers also played well defensively, and almost won by trapping and pressing the Eagles into 22 turnovers. The Panthers forced the Eagles into five consecutive turnovers to end the first half. During that stretch, Bruton rallied from a six-point deficit to tie the game 15-15 at halftime.
The Panthers forced the Eagles into seven more turnovers during the first 10 minutes of the second half. Reserve center Sharmaine Baker benefited most from Falin’s passes and Jenny Rolley’s penetration, scoring a team-high 15 points.
Baker’s basket inside, after Rolley saved the ball at the baseline, and her free throw the next trip down the floor put the Panthers ahead 25-24 with 5:47 to go. The lead was short-lived, however, as Avent started her run of 3s from the left side.
Avent’s next 3 came from the left corner. Her third came from the top of the key: falling down as she was fouled.
“We’ve got to put this behind us and focus on what’s ahead,” Burnette said. “We’re going to get ready for the state tournament now.”
GREENSVILLE COUNTY 40, BRUTON 37
BRUTON (21-6): Fowler 2, Legaspi 4, Rolley 6, Samuel 6, Falin 2, Ellis 2, Baker 15. Totals 16 4-14 37.
GREENSVILLE (24-1): Doyle 3, Battle 2, Avent 19, Tyler 11, Flythe 5. Totals 14 7-13 40.
Bruton 5 10 7 15 — 37
Greensville 8 7 8 17 — 40
3-point goals — Bruton 1 (Samuel), Greensville 5 (Avent 5). Total fouls — Bruton 15, Greensville 15. Fouled out — Falin.
The Region I girls final loss means the Panthers next must travel.
By MARTY O’BRIEN
mobrien@dailypress.com | 247-4963 EMPORIA — Points dripped as slowly as a leaky faucet on Saturday for much of the Region I girls basketball tournament championship game. The exception was Quaneva Avent’s scoring burst in the fourth quarter that lasted slightly more than a minute, just enough time to lead Greensville County to a 40-37 victory over Bruton.
The Eagles (24-1) trailed by a point when Avent scored all of the points in a 10-point run to give them the lead for good. She drained 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions, capping the final one with a free throw to give the Eagles a 34-25 lead with 4 minutes, 23 seconds to play.
The Panthers (21-6) got as close as three points twice in the final minutes but could not complete the rally. As a result, they’ll travel to play Region II champion Charlottesville next Saturday in a Group AA state quarterfinal, though not on the Black Knights’ home court. Charlottesville beat Brentsville District 43-39 in the Region II title game.
Greensville will stay near home to face Brentsville as a reward for winning its first regional title in 11 years. Eagles coach Ruby Allen said Avent, the Southside Player of the Year, deserves much of the thanks.
“After she made that first 3 during the run, I told our girls to get the ball back into her hands,” Allen said. “She averages 17 points, but she really should be scoring more.
“She does such a good job of getting the ball to the other players, she doesn’t score as much as she should.”
Still, she finished with a game-high 19 points. By comparison, Bruton’s Jen Falin, the Bay Rivers District Player of the Year, scored a season-low two points.
Eagles guards Sierra Thomas and Shavonte Battle took turns hounding Falin on the perimeter, limiting her to only five shots. So Falin focused on passing the ball to her teammates and finished with seven assists.
“Jen didn’t force things,” Bruton coach Wayne Burnette said. “That’s the sign of a good player.”
Falin would’ve had more assists, but the Panthers missed at least a dozen shots from point-blank range. They made just 16-of-48 from the field and 4-of-14 from the free-throw line.
“Missed shots and missed free throws are the story of the game,” Burnette said. “Otherwise I think we did a lot of things well, including rebounding against a team no one thought we could match up with.”
The Panthers also played well defensively, and almost won by trapping and pressing the Eagles into 22 turnovers. The Panthers forced the Eagles into five consecutive turnovers to end the first half. During that stretch, Bruton rallied from a six-point deficit to tie the game 15-15 at halftime.
The Panthers forced the Eagles into seven more turnovers during the first 10 minutes of the second half. Reserve center Sharmaine Baker benefited most from Falin’s passes and Jenny Rolley’s penetration, scoring a team-high 15 points.
Baker’s basket inside, after Rolley saved the ball at the baseline, and her free throw the next trip down the floor put the Panthers ahead 25-24 with 5:47 to go. The lead was short-lived, however, as Avent started her run of 3s from the left side.
Avent’s next 3 came from the left corner. Her third came from the top of the key: falling down as she was fouled.
“We’ve got to put this behind us and focus on what’s ahead,” Burnette said. “We’re going to get ready for the state tournament now.”
GREENSVILLE COUNTY 40, BRUTON 37
BRUTON (21-6): Fowler 2, Legaspi 4, Rolley 6, Samuel 6, Falin 2, Ellis 2, Baker 15. Totals 16 4-14 37.
GREENSVILLE (24-1): Doyle 3, Battle 2, Avent 19, Tyler 11, Flythe 5. Totals 14 7-13 40.
Bruton 5 10 7 15 — 37
Greensville 8 7 8 17 — 40
3-point goals — Bruton 1 (Samuel), Greensville 5 (Avent 5). Total fouls — Bruton 15, Greensville 15. Fouled out — Falin.