The Blue Ridge District basketball tournaments for both boys and girls have been cancelled due to this week’s inclement weather.
The tournaments were originally scheduled to begin with play-in games on Friday, but it was changed to a four-team format when previously postponed games were moved to this week. Then, when games this week were snowed out, it was decided to cancel it entirely.
There were thoughts of having just the top two teams play for the district championship, and that would have been fine with the boys as Northside and William Fleming are clear and above the other four teams. However, in the girls’ standings Fleming is undefeated in the district but both Staunton River and Lord Botetourt have a chance to be second.
“We have to get the regular season games in for regional seeding, and the region is set to begin next Friday,” said LB athletic director Tim Fulton. “There just wasn’t enough time to get the tournament in.”
Botetourt teams were scheduled to play Franklin County on Tuesday of this week and those games have been moved to next Monday, with the LB girls at home and the boys on the road. This Thursday’s games with Byrd are also up in the air at press time and could be moved to next week depending on the weather. The boys are scheduled to play the Terriers in Daleville while the girls go to Vinton.
Botetourt’s girls are 18-3 overall and 5-3 in the district after splitting two games last week. They were at 19-2 Fleming last Tuesday and lost 49-30. Turnovers proved to be the downfall as LB turned it over 20 times, leading to 22 Fleming points. Madilyn Winterton had 18 points and Maddie Caron had 10.
The girls bounced back with an 83-20 win at Northside on Friday. Botetourt outscored the Vikings 31-0 in the second quarter and led 53-6 at the half.
“Every player scored and every player recorded at least one assist and two rebounds,” said LB coach Renee Favaro.
Caron had a career night with 28 points and 15 rebounds, 10 of those on the offensive end. Winterton added 18 points, seven assists and six steals while Maggie Hoover added 14 points and seven boards. Abby Kingery had eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Cavalier boys are 9-12 and 4-4 in the district after splitting BRD games with Staunton River and Northside last week. The boys beat Staunton River in Daleville, 53-35, as Carson Edwards filled the stat sheet with nine points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Blake Lovern had 11 points and five boards and Landon Hayes and Aaron Lyle had eight points each.
On Friday the boys hosted 19-1 Northside and gave the Vikings one of the best games they’ve had all season. The Cavs led by two at the half before the Vikings rallied for an 83-71 win. Hayes had 16 points, Conner Dowdy had 14 and Edwards had nine assists and seven rebounds.
“I was proud of how we played against Northside from beginning to end,” said LB coach Josh Aliveto. “We played well against one of the better teams in the state for the duration of the game. One thing we need to understand better is that every possession against a team like Northside is extremely crucial. So, we need to clean up a few mistakes here and there but keep playing with the same intensity and effort as we finish the regular season and begin preparation for the post-season.”
