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County cruises into state final
RICHMOND -- Loudoun County jumped on Charlottesville from the opening tip, building a 42-14 halftime lead before cruising to a 77-45 victory in the Virginia Division 4 semifinals March 10 at the Siegel Center.
Loudoun County earns its first-ever trip to a state title game in girls' basketball.
The Raiders (24-5) will face either Turner Ashby or Hidden Valley for the state championship March 14, 7 p.m. at the Siegel Center.
"Our system's pretty simple: If you're open, you shoot," said County coach Kevin Reed, whose team sank three of its first five 3-pointers to mount a 21-5 lead after one quarter.
“We do a lot of shooting in practice, and I think that's one of the biggest thrills as a coach,” Reed continued. “Kids go in there, and as soon as they're open, the shot's flying."
County's tenacious defense and propensity for generating turnovers was reminiscent of the final quarter in the Region II Division 4 title game against the same Charlottesville team Feb. 28, when the Raiders outscored the Knights 18-8 for a 12-point win.
This time around, Charlottesville was coerced into 29 turnovers, 20 of them in the first half.
Kerry Sarver, the only holdover from the Raiders' 2006 state semifinal team, produced a strong all-around effort from her point guard spot. She brought down seven rebounds, dished nine assists and came up with five steals, in addition to eight points.
"Kerry is the coach of the year as well, as my lone senior," laughed Reed, the titular Dulles District Division 4 Coach of the Year.
Sarver sounded like a coach in her post-game comments.
"Our whole system is based off our defense and our rebounding," Sarver said. The Raiders out-rebounded the Knights 47-41, garnering 23 off the offensive glass.
Sophomore Brittany Batts was an igniter from outside, drilling three of her first five 3-point attempts on her way to 23 first-half points.
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