By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
RICHMOND – Experience paid off for the Western Albemarle girls basketball team against Brunswick on Saturday.
With the help of the senior quartet of Ellen Shaffrey, Carolyn Schneller, Kelsey Swanson and Raven Ward, the Warriors prevailed 62-54 against the Bulldogs in the Group AA, Division 3 quarterfinals at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center.
“I think maybe having this many seniors out there all at once helped us a lot,” Western Albemarle coach Kris Wright said. “We’ve been through a lot of games against very good teams. That would be the seventh team we played this year that was in their individual state tournament from (Group) A all the way to private schools. I think playing the schedule we did helped us be aware of how good the competition at this level is.”
Western Albemarle (21-6) got off to a strong start, holding Brunswick to just one field goal in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Warriors’ offense picked up in the second quarter, as they broke to a 26-5 lead.
Western was able to control the boards and limit the Bulldogs’ second-chance opportunities for much of the game. Shaffrey and Schneller carried the rebounding load, combining for 38. Shaffrey grabbed a game-high 24 boards, while Schneller pulled down 14.
“One of our keys to winning was controlling the glass,” said Shaffrey, who scored a team-high 19 points and had six steals and three blocks. “So it was just the mentality of going out there and being aggressive and wanting the ball.”
However, the Region I champions battled back, going on an 8-2 run before halftime to cut the deficit to 15 points.
The Warriors’ double-digit lead dwindled in the third, as Brunswick continued to climb back into it. The Bulldogs used an aggressive pressure defense to spark their offense and got some timely 3-pointers from Myneshia Walker as they pulled within four points in the third quarter. Brunswick cut the lead to one point with two minutes to play in the third before Western got some breathing room with a couple of offensive putbacks by Shaffrey and Schneller.
“We tried to contain the ball handlers, trying to get the guards to slow down the pace and get the ball inside,” Brunswick coach Juliana Grant said. “And that was pretty effective for us. That gave us time to come back, retaliate, get steals and come in for a shot.”
The Bulldogs (23-3) took the lead twice in the fourth on baskets from Jamara Malone. The senior also made a nifty turnaround jumper to tie the game at 50-50.
Western withstood the furious rally as Shaffrey and Sydney Fewell made key baskets and the Warriors made enough free throws down the stretch to pull away.
Schneller finished with 11 points and Mady Baker also reached double figures with 10 and Fewell added nine points. Swanson chipped in six points and four assists.
Walker, a freshman, poured in a game-high 27 points, while Malone scored 20 and pulled down 10 rebounds.
The Warriors will face R.E. Lee in the state semifinals on Tuesday at 11 a.m. in Richmond. Western is familiar with the team from Staunton, having faced them earlier this year. The Warriors fell 59-37 in that game and are obviously hoping for a different outcome this time around.
“We’re hungry to go out there and show how we’ve improved throughout the season and show our depth,” Shaffrey said.
