The Rockbridge County High School girls basketball team won two of four Shenandoah District games last week to remain in the hunt for a Region 3C tournament spot.
The Wildcats (9-14 overall, 7-8 district) earned home wins over Waynesboro and Buffalo Gap last week, but suffered a home loss to Riverheads and a road setback against Fort Defiance.
RC started the week with a 44-40 victory over Waynesboro (7-13, 4-10) on Monday. When the teams had met previously on Dec. 12 at Waynesboro, RC had edged the Lady Giants 42-41.
In the rematch, scoring in the first quarter was limited for both sides as they adjusted to the flow of the game. After a back-and-forth quarter, RC led 9-8 going into the second quarter.
“We started a different group, a very unusual group with really no size,” said RC head coach Darrell Plogger said. “It’s five that don’t usually play together.”
After settling into their offense, the Wildcats started the second quarter on a 7-0 run, as they started to hit more shots and lock down on defense.
“We went to playing what I call junk defense,” said Plogger. “We were struggling in man, and we were struggling in zone, so we mixed them together.”
That defensive strategy forced Waynesboro into tough shots and allowed RC to build a 21-11 lead by halftime.
The teams traded shots in the third quarter, each scoring 11 points in the period. The Lady Giants stepped up their physicality in the third quarter and continued that into the fourth quarter.
RC struggled with Waynesboro’s physical play in the fourth quarter and had a difficult time making shots. The Lady Giants’ defense forced tough looks, which translated into efficient scoring on their end.
“We missed some good opportunities to score,” said Plogger. From the free throw line, we didn’t finish it off great either. That combination of things allowed Waynesboro to get back in.”
Waynesboro cut the score down to three points with about a minute left in regulation with help from Azaraya Paulsen who stepped up in the second half with a few big baskets.
RC managed to run most of the clock down after the Lady Giants failed to intentionally foul before Mulitalo hit a free throw to ice the game.
Lola Mulitalo led RC with 22 points and 16 rebounds while making three blocks and grabbing three steals. “She’s so consistent, that is becoming a normal game for her,” Plogger said.
Dez Butler contributed 10 points and four rebounds for RC, while teammate Genesis McCoy had a big night on the glass with seven rebounds.
Shavea Torian led Waynesboro 20 points and added six rebounds and four steals. Paulsen scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers, while T’Shayln Howard chipped in four points and five rebounds.
RHS 57, RC 34
Plagued by turnovers and cold shooting, the Wildcats suffered a 57-34 home loss to Riverheads in Lexington last Tuesday.
RC committed 32 turnovers, 18 in the first half, and shot 35 percent (14-of-40) and 1-of-12 from threepoint range, while the Gladiators (13-7, 7-6) committed just 13 turnovers and shot 36 percent (23-of-50) from the field.
The game was close early on, with Riverheads taking an 8-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. RC’s Genesis McCoy then tied the game with a bank shot early in the second quarter, but Kallie Poole responded with an inside shot for the Gladiators, and the Riverheads would not trail again. Capitalizing on RC turnovers, Riverheads took an 18-11 lead into halftime.
The Gladiators carried the momentum into the second half, extending their lead to double digits in the third quarter. RC’s Bella Dorey made a three-point play to cut the Riverheads lead to 33-19 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Riverheads extended its lead to more than 20 points, and both teams had mostly reserves playing the final few minutes.
Mulitalo was the only double-digit scorer for the Wildcats, contributing 14 points and 11 rebounds while making three steals and blocking one shot. Dorey, who made a shot just before the final buzzer, scored eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, while McCoy chipped in five points. One of RC’s reserves, Kyra Strowtridge, hit a 3-pointer in the final two minutes.
Chesney Dunlap led Riverheads with 17 points, sinking two 3-pointers, while Abi Bennington scored 14 points, and Avery Glover had 13.
RC 44, BG 22
Fueled by hot shooting by Natalie Samante, the Wildcats battled to a 44-42 home win over Shenandoah District rival Buffalo Gap on Thursday night in Lexington.
Samante led all players with 16 points and pulled down four rebounds, shooting 4-of-5 from threepoint range and scoring 14 points in the second half.
“She saved us,” said Plogger of Samante,. “There was a point where we were struggling, and she got hot. She played great.”
With the win, the Wildcats avenged a 44-43 road loss to Buffalo Gap (614, 3-11) on Dec. 19.
In the rematch, the Bison took an early 6-2 lead, but RC then went on a 7-0 run and led 11-8 after the first quarter. The Wildcats stayed ahead for the remainder of the first half, taking an 18-15 lead into halftime.
To start the third quarter, Gap’s Rachel Showalter hit a 3-pointer to tie the game, and teammate Brailyn Green was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Bison a 21-18 lead. Gap stayed ahead until Samante made a 3-pointer with just over a minute left to tie the game at 29-29, and Samante made her third triple of the quarter just before the clock expired to give RC a 32-30 lead.
The game remained close in the fourth quarter, and Samante hit another 3-pointer to give RC a 38-35 lead with a little under four minutes left. Showalter made an inside shot to cut RC’s lead to one, but Butler then knocked down a 3-pointer to extend the Wildcats’ advantage to 41-37.
The Bison got the lead back with just over a minute left, after a pair of baskets and a free throw that put them up 42-41, but the Wildcats responded with an inside basket from Lola Mulitalo to take a 43-42 lead. After a defensive stop, Mulitalo was fouled with 3.1 seconds left and hit 1-of-2 free throw attempts, and the Bison had one more long shot that missed, leaving the Wildcats to celebrate.
Mulitalo scored 13 points and led RC with 14 rebounds and four blocks while contributing three assists and three steals. Butler added seven points, three steals, two rebounds and two assists, while McCoy chipped in three points, five boards and two steals.
Showalter paced the Bison with 12 points, while Green and Lindsay Lyle each scored eight points. RC and Gap each committed 19 turnovers.
FD 47, RC 38
The Wildcats concluded the week with a 47-38 road loss to Fort Defiance on Friday.
Mulitalo led RC with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Dorey scored 11 points. Butler contributed six points for RC, and McCoy chipped in five.
Caroline Hanger paced Fort (8-12, 6-8) with 23 points, while Nora Knicley scored 16 points for the Indians.
The Wildcats struggled with a lack of depth after Samante, who was held scoreless, fouled out.
With the victory, Fort avenged a 62-61 overtime loss to the Wildcats on Jan. 13.
The Wildcats, who were in 10th place in Region 3C last week, with 12 teams making the regional tournament, will conclude the regular season when they play host to Alleghany (1-19, 0-13) tonight, Wednesday, at 6 p.m.. Before the game, the Wildcats will honor their four seniors: Dorey, Mulitalo, Samante and Brooklyn Beverly.
