There’s a simple fact at work right now for Albemarle’s boys basketball team.
They refuse to be satisfied.
They’re not satisfied with making the state tournament.
They’re not satisfied with advancing to the final four again.
“We weren’t satisfied with what we did last year,” said senior Austin Katstra. “We’re going to look to win that game tomorrow and get to the state championship.”
With Katstra playing the way he did in Albemarle’s 65-55 win over Varina in the Group 5A state quarterfinals Friday that ended with a 10-0 run by the Patriots in the final two minutes, Albemarle may not have to be satisfied with the final four. Katstra poured in 28 points and pulled down 15 rebounds while also notching four blocks and four assists. Throw in a clutch performance by Jake Hahn and J’Quan Anderson relentlessly attacking the rim and the Patriots are just flat out tough to beat.
With the win, the Patriots earn a spot in the Group 5A semifinals against L.C. Bird Saturday at 4:15 p.m. in Hampton Friday they took Varina’s best shot, and while the Blue Devils’ resurgent effort in the second quarter threw Albemarle off course for a while, the Patriots refused to wilt.
“We got a little rattled I’d say,” Hahn said. “We stopped rebounding as well as we were. We were just looking for a boost or a bucket or something because we were struggling there for a little bit.”
Hahn provided one of those boosts, scoring to put Albemarle up 59-55 after Varina tied the game with 2:22 remaining on a Zion Ross lay-up. Katstra scored just before Hahn’s bucket and Hahn followed with two more free throws, putting Albemarle up 61-55. Hahn spends so much time doing all the little things for Albemarle that it can be easy to forget just how productive on the offensive end and just how clutch the senior can be when Albemarle calls for it.
“He played a great game, he knocked down those two clutch free throws at the end where it would have been hard to pull away without them,” Katstra said. “He was just all around great.”
Katstra eventually iced the game with two uncontested dunks and Albemarle escaped with the win to keep their season alive.
Albemarle built a 16-5 lead in the first quarter and appeared set to control the quarterfinal clash from end-to-end, but Varina woke up and Albemarle led by just five going into the half. That forced the Patriots to adjust and control what they could control.
“We just have to stay in our system and run our stuff, and I felt like we did that down the stretch,” Hahn said. “We made a few really good passes and boxed out a lot.”
Tyrese Jenkins led Varina with 20 points and seven boards on the night while also nabbing three steals. Teammate Kenneth Southerland had 11 points and six boards.
Hahn finished with 10 points and eight rebounds while Carter Key had four assists for the Patriots. Anderson notched 11 points on the night and was an efficient 5-for-8 from the field. Katstra didn’t miss much himself, going 12-for-17 on the evening for the Patriots.
“He really likes to step up on the big stage,” said Albemarle coach Greg Maynard. “The tournament championship games and the state tournament and stuff, but he’s a heck of a player.”
The win puts the Patriots back in the state semifinals, the same round that last year’s historic run, equaling an tremendous push despite having to re-tool the squad’s backcourt this year and adjust accordingly.
“It’s great, but we’re not going to be satisfied with that,” Maynard said.
There’s that phrase again.
