With the AAU national tournament two months away, the Charlottesville Lightning is in fund raising mode as they look to be a part of the bracket in Minnesota.
The U12 squad earned a bid in the tourney this past March when they defeated the Boo Williams Wildcats in the state championship 42-33 in a come-from-behind win.
At the state tournament, the Lightning posted wins over teams from all over the state including the Chantilly Hoop Magic (46-22), the Suffolk Lady Blazers (43-14), Chesapeake’s Boo Williams Red Tide (43-32), the Richmond Explosion (41-23), and the Boo Williams Black Widows (49-43). In the championship game; the Lightning trailed for the majority of the game and at the half, but rallied behind stifling fullcourt man-to-man defense in the final six minutes to beat the Wildcats.
Composed of eight players from Charlottesville and Albemarle County including Kendall Ballard, Emily Battle, Meghan Comer, Megan Duggins, Julia Haney, Heidi Karweick, Molly Shepherd and Ashley Taylor, the group is part of a non-profit organization led by coaches Kerri Taylor and David Haney.
In the tournament, Comer scored in double figures in five out of six games. She erupted for 20 points in the title game and added 14 points with 6 steals against the Explosion. Shephard had at least nine rebounds in five of the games, including a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds against the Explosion. Battle blocked at least four shots in three different games, including an impressive nine blocks against Suffolk; she added a 9-rebound game against the Wildcats in the title contest. Duggins posted two games with at least 7 rebounds as well. Taylor scored in double figures three times in the tournament, while Haney added a 12-point outing to her strong floor play as the point guard. Ballard, who had one five-steal performance, teamed with Karweik, Taylor, and Haney in the championship game to spark the come-from-behind win with defensive pressure and steals in the final minutes.
All donations are tax deductible and can be made by contacting Taylor at ktaylor@goodmanallen.com, visiting the team’s website or by phone at (434) 906-4594.
