Two years ago Western Albemarle bounced Brunswick from the Group AA Division 3 quarterfinals. The Warriors have gone through a lot of turnover on the roster since then. The Bulldogs, not so much. With a 3-pronged attack from Myneshia Walker, Desiray Bennett and Bria Stith, Brunswick was able to exact a little belated revenge on Western Albemarle with a 55-31 win and get to the final four for the first time ever.
“We’re glad that the third time around was better than the first two,” said Bulldogs coach Juliana Lashley-Grant. “Overall we played okay, but it really wasn’t as gorgeous or smooth as I would have liked to have seen. But it doesn’t have to be beautiful. A win is a win.”
After a slow start in the first, Stith and Bennett got the Bulldogs to an 8-point lead going into the second quarter by attacking the basket. Walker had to fight through initial foul trouble, but when she started chipping in with her long range game, the margin doubled to 16 points in Brunswick’s favor at the break.
“Our defense is really our offense and we got a couple of steals, interceptions there that really helped us out,” Lashley-Grant said.
It only got tougher after that for Western as it was held to just two points in the third leaving the difference at 28 points, and were it not for Bridgette Shaffrey’s play inside, it would have been a lot worse. The Warriors shot just under 10 percent heading into the final frame when coach Kris Wright was able to spark some life offensively from the rest of his team, urging all of them to play for pride.
While the game was out of reach, Western managed to outscore Brunswick 20-16 in the fourth quarter with some help from Anna Sumpter, Julia Haws and Rachel Cooke. At the end of the night, Shaffrey finished with a team best eight points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Sumpter finished with six points and five steals. Cooke had five points and five rebounds.
“There late we fought and at least showed some pride,” Wright said. “That was one of messages at the end, ‘make sure you fight and show some pride for your program,’ and we did that.”
While Brunswick hit six of it’s 12 3-point attempts, Western went 0-11. Knocking down five of her six shots from the perimeter was Walker who had a game high 16 points. Bennett finished with 15 points. Stith came up with 13 points and added 12 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
“Obviously we were very excited to be in the state quarterfinals for the second time in three years,” Wright said. “We wished we had played better in at least two, maybe two and half quarters of it. We didn’t play the fundamental style of basketball that we like to play.”
The loss ends Western’s season, but the Warriors return with a core of talent for next year including both Cooke and Sumpter. From the senior veteran who played twice in the state tournament, the key for Western next year is about mindset.
“I think the mental game is such a big portion of what the younger players will have to deal with (if they want to get back to Richmond),” Shaffrey said. “Next year I think it’s definitely going to be about confidence, knowing that they are good enough to play.”
