The Lord Botetourt girls’ basketball team is just two wins away from a trip to Richmond for the state Class 3 championship. Botetourt will play Turner Ashby in a state quarterfinal game this Friday night at the Cregger Center at Roanoke College in Salem.
Tip-off time for Friday’s game is 6:45 pm and it will be the second game of a Virginia High School League state quarterfinal tripleheader. The evening opens with a 5 pm game between Tuesday’s Glenvar-Radford boys’ winner against Central-Wise in Class 2. The Botetourt girls play next, and the evening wraps up with the Cave Spring boys against Liberty Christian in what promises to be an exciting Class 3 quarterfinal.
If Botetourt wins Friday the Cavaliers will be back at Roanoke College next Tuesday, March 10, for a game against the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal between George Mason and Booker T. Washington of Lakeland. The state championship game is Friday, March 13, at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. That’s scheduled for 6 pm.
First, however, the Cavaliers have to get by 24-4 Turner Ashby Friday night at RC. The Knights lost to defending state champ Spotswood in the Region C championship last week.
“They play fast and look to drive a lot and pressure if possible,” said LB coach Renee Favaro of the Turner Ashby team. “They have beaten everyone not named Spotswood this year.”
Botetourt reached the state quarterfinal with a 57-42 win over Abingdon at Lord Botetourt High last Saturday night. That was a big win, not only because it gave the girls back-to-back regional championships for the first time ever. By winning, the Cavs get to play at Roanoke College on Friday while Abingdon has to play 25-2 Spotswood at East Rockingham High School in the state quarterfinal. The last two state champs, Lord Botetourt and Spotswood, wouldn’t play until the state championship game. Last year Spotswood beat LB in the state semifinal by five points, 47-42.
Botetourt’s win over Abingdon gives LB a 23-3 record and the Cavaliers have won 21 of their last 22 games. Botetourt made a season high eight three pointers in that win and Briana Myers held Abingdon’s leading scorer 10 points below her season average.
“The girls really worked together and communicated well in our half-court defense,” said Favaro. “They bought into our defensive game plan and executed it well.”
Miette Veldman had 22 points and 10 rebounds against Abingdon and Taylor Robertson had 15 points and eight boards with three three-pointers. Sophomore Ally Spangler came off the bench and provided some big buckets while scoring 10 points.
In the region semifinal against Magna Vista last week the Cavaliers were all over the Warriors, winning 74-23. The Cavs held Magna Vista to 11 points in the first half while building a 38-11 lead, then increased the lead to over 40 in the third quarter of a dominating performance.
“We played with unmatched energy and great defense,” said Favaro. “We switched defenses throughout the game and Magna Vista had a hard time adjusting. We scored a lot of points in transition.
Robertson had a career-high 26 points against Magna Vista and Veldman had the first triple-double of her outstanding career with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Grace Taylor added 11 points off the bench.
Last week Veldman was named Blue Ridge District Player of the Year along with a first team All-BRD selection. Robertson was also named first team and Meredith Wells was a second team choice. All three are seniors looking to go out with a bang, and the ride continues at Roanoke College Friday.
