By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplay.com contributor
PALMYRA — Two overtime games in three days proved to be no problem for the Fluvanna boys basketball team.
Fresh off an OT victory over Monticello on Wednesday, the Flucos found themselves in a similar position on Friday against rival Western Albemarle.
“I think our kids had some confidence going into overtime,” Fluvanna coach Munro Rateau said. “The first thing they said when they came to the bench was, ‘hey we did this [earlier], we can do it again.’”
That poise, along with a solid performance at the free-throw line, gave the Flucos the 66-64 win over the visiting Warriors.
Western Albemarle sophomore Ryan Ingram nailed a 3-pointer — his fifth of the game — as time expired in regulation to send the contest into OT with the teams knotted at 60-60.
In overtime, Western took a 62-60 lead off of another basket from Ingram. However, Fluvanna came up with a couple of stops and went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the win.
A last second attempt from Ingram — a three to win it — got stuck between the rim and the backboard, giving the ball back to the Flucos and sending the raucous home crowd into a frenzy.
“We had several really good chances to win,” Western Albemarle coach Darren Maynard said. “We were a rebound away from being in really good shape to win and didn’t get either one of them. Those are winning kind of plays that you’ve got to make.”
Early on, both teams appeared to be on a mission to shoot the lights out. Vinny Agee got things going for the Flucos as he drained a three to open the game. Western answered with a trey from Ingram before Agee, who poured in a game-high 31 points, hit another from outside the perimeter.
Western Albemarle, which connected on 10 threes in the game, converted back-to-back 3-pointers by Carter Berry and Chris McGahren to take a 9-6 lead.
The Warriors (15-5) led 16-15 by the end of the first quarter, but Fluvanna broke off a 6-0 run to start the second. All six points came courtesy of Jameel Wilson, who hit a three, converted a free throw and caught a fast break pass from Agee and finished with a nifty layup. Wilson, a sophomore guard, finished with 17 points.
Western responded with a quick 3-pointer from the sharpshooter Ingram and was able to chip away at the lead with some inside baskets. The Warriors tied the game at 28-28 on a pair of free throws by Carrington Murphy. Western went 8 of 11 from the line in the game.
The Warriors took a 31-30 halftime lead after hitting their sixth 3-pointer of the half.
The Flucos went on a 11-0 tear early in the third, with Agee scoring seven straight points. The 6-4 senior forward, who was double and sometimes triple-teamed much of the game, got a quick steal, made a layup, was fouled and completed the three-point play to give Fluvanna a 35-33 advantage. Agee was responsible for nine points during that run.
“He doesn’t get frustrated out there,” Rateau said of Agee. “He really keeps his head and when he gets the chance to catch the ball and score he can just flat out shoot it.”
The Flucos’ biggest lead was eight before the visitors battled back to tie it at 44-44 by the end of the third.
The teams kept it close the rest of the way, but the edge came at the foul line, where Fluvanna went 9 of 13 in the fourth and finished 28 of 38 for the game.
“It was a nailbiter,” Agee said. “When guys didn’t make shots, other guys contributed well. When we made extra passes, we got open shots and I think once we got open shots that’s when the whole game started to open up.”
Agee had a big night on the boards as well, grabbing 11 of his game-high 14 rebounds on the defensive end. Julian Bonner added eight points in the win.
Ingram paced the Warriors with 20 points, while Murphy finished with 13.
Western plays host to Powhatan Tuesday, while Fluvanna looks to keep the momentum going against league-leader Charlottesville.
