By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
RICHMOND – Having faced Brunswick three times in the state tournament in recent years, Charlottesville knew what to expect in its Group AA, Division 3 quarterfinals on Saturday night.
However, the Bulldogs’ size and athleticism proved to be too much for the Black Knights as they dispatched the Jefferson District team 56-40 to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.
Brunswick, the state runner-up the past four years, used a second-quarter surge to take the lead and never looked back.
“Charlottesville is a very good team, very disciplined, and plays with a lot of energy,” said Brunswick coach Bryant Stith, a former standout at the University of Virginia. “We just had to match their intensity from the beginning of the game. I thought in the second quarter our defensive pressure really picked up and we were able to create some separation to be able to hold them off in the second half.”
The Bulldogs (27-1) trailed 14-13 entering the second quarter, but went on a 13-0 tear to take a commanding lead. Brunswick limited the Black Knights to one shot for much of the quarter and held them to two field goals as they took a 30-18 halftime lead. Senior Javonte Green, who finished with a game-high 24 points, scored seven during the key stretch to help the Region I champions take control.
“It was tough. They have three big athletic guys and it was just hard for us to box everybody out and not give them second attempts,” Charlottesville’s Daquan Jones said. “They were just a better team tonight — they capitalized on second and third chances.”
Charlottesville (19-7) battled back, cutting the double-digit lead to five with 6:07 remaining in the contest. Jones scored on a nice move inside to cut the lead to eight, and the Black Knights were able to draw a couple of fouls and converted three free throws to get back into it. However, that was as close as they would get as Green scored a pair of baskets to extend the advantage again. The senior got some help from center Jaron Rice, who scored six of his 17 points in the fourth.
“Not only are they big, but they’re very athletic,” Charlottesville coach Mitch Minor said of Brunswick. “They’ve got good size and did a nice job of executing. I thought we made a good run, and unfortunately we had some unforced turnovers and they came back and capitalized on that.”
Jones and Devin Turner had 10 points apiece, while Dashaun Blakey paced Charlottesville with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Green added 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals for Brunswick, while Rice grabbed eight rebounds. Brandan Stith finished with six points and 10 rebounds.
Brunswick will face Spotswood, which advanced with a win over Martinsville, on Tuesday in the semifinals in Richmond.
