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VHSL Group 5A Quarterfinals

Albemarle versus Hampton (18-9) at Old Dominion University, 7:15 p.m.

 

The Basics: It’s taken a long time for Greg Maynard to lead an Albemarle squad to the state quarterfinals as the Patriots have often come up just a game short by running into incredible opponents over the years. But this week, Albemarle wedged its way into Group 5A’s elite eight and they’ll face a talented group of Hampton players, a squad who’s nine losses have come against top-notch opponents from the Tidewater and Richmond including two against Region 5A South champion L.C. Bird. At this level, every game is going to be tough, but a long journey to Old Dominion University’s Ted Constant Center makes things more interesting. Albemarle picked up some momentum with a win over Potomac Falls in the 5A North Region consolation game. They’ve played in tough environments, they’ve faced top-notch teams. Like everyone else who’s gotten to this point, they’re battle tested. Now the question becomes whether they can put it all together against perhaps their toughest opponent to date. They’ll need everyone to be firing on all cylinders against the Crabbers, who bring an array of scorers to the table and represent a program that has regularly found itself in these state tournament situations. Sometimes though, it’s the team that has little to lose that can play the most loose, that can put together a flawless performance that flips the script. Albemarle will get that chance Friday night.

 

Key matchup: Hampton’s frontcourt takes on Conference 16 player of the year Austin Katstra. At this point we all know what Katstra brings to the table with 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The junior has been the Patriots’ highest impact player since he was a freshman, and he continues to add elements to his game and expand his range. He’s also the key piece for the Patriots in Friday’supset bid. If he can put together a monster game or as he often does facilitate someone else’s big game with some efficient passing out of the post when the opposition collapses, it’s going to go a long way for the Patriots. That’s when he gets Jake Hahn and Grant Kersey open shots and they make them count. Katstra facse a team that has some serious height, including 6-foot-5 small forward and Richmond commit Marquis Godwin. But Katstra still has the strength and skill to be difference-maker against the Crabbers.

 

Who to watch: Albemarle’s Myles Adams-Yates.The Patriots’ defensive stopper may face his toughest challenge to date. He’ll likely draw the assignment against Hampton’s Jalen Ray, who finished with 20 points in the Region 5A South title game loss to L.C. Bird. Ray is an electric scorer who will test Adams-Yates, who’s made a habit of clamping down on opposing standouts all year. Look for Adams-Yates to also manage a portion of the ball-handling duties as Hampton will likely look to pressure Albemarle’s backcourt and keep the ball out of Katstra’s hands.

 

The line: Hampton by 3. The Patriots face a tall task, but Katstra is enough of a force to keep Albemarle in it and give them a shot.

 

VISAA Division I State Girls Semifinals
Bishop O’Connell (19-9) versus St. Anne’s-Belfield (21-3), 1:30 p.m.

 

The Basics: This is what St. Anne’s-Belfield’s girls basketball team has been pointed at all year– a chance to play their way into the state championship game. They’re on the cusp now and they’ve gotten there in their own unique way, employing a well-design approach that has frustrated recent opponents in particular from the opening tip. STAB may not have the depth to play fast for 32 minutes, but when the Saints do decide to unleash their pressure, up tempo attack as they often do early in games, it can have devastating consequences. The Saints built a 24-2 lead in the state quarterfinals against Flint Hill and held the Huskies at arm’s length from there to pick up the win. Can that formula work against Bishop O’Connell? Well for starters, this is a big jump up as the Knights are a frighteningly talented bunch and have an array of scoring options, with five players scoring nine or more points in the state quarters. So this one is much more likely to be a war. Look for the Saints to to push the ball when it’s prudent to do so, but they also know that they’ll likely be in this one for the long haul and one knockout blow may not be enough to keep the Knights on the deck.

 

Key matchup: STAB’s guards and Bishop O’Connell’s guards duke it out. There will be a ton of backcourt talent mixing it up Friday in the semifinals, with STAB’s Bri Tinsley and Jovia Winkey matched up with Boston College-bound Jasmine Taylor and 5-foot-8 guard Brie Perpignan handling things for the Knights. Taylor may be the better-known, more established standout for O’Connell, but Perpignan torched Atlantic Shores for 23 points in the semifinals. Whoever gets the best of the backcourt battle will have a big leg up as the Saints and Knights fight for a spot in the final.

 

Who to watch: STAB’s Jayla Davis. Davis has been banged up at times this season, but the Saints’ speedy guard is back running at full steam, as Flint Hill learned in the state quarterfinals when she scored 11 points. Davis, who is also a defensive terror who nabbed six steals against the Huskies, can help bolster an already potent STAB lineup and make it near-impossible to handle when she’s on. With Bishop O’Connell likely focusing on Bri Tinsley at the point and Ashley Taylor’s sharpshooting, that could open things up for Davis in the lane.

 

The line: St. Anne’s-Belfield by 1. This one should be close with winner getting a shot at juggernaut Paul VI in the final.

 

VISAA Division II State Girls Semifinals
Seton School (24-3) versus Miller School (18-12), 4:30 p.m.

 

The Basics: Miller’s girls are now just a game away from the final, but things are going to get a lot harder Friday afternoon. Seton is on a mission, earning a spot in the state final four for the first time since 2004, though Miller did edge them out in back in November 51-39. Still, the Conquistadors’ balance has to have the Mavericks worried, with four Seton players scoring in double figures during a quarterfinal victory over Atlantic Shores. Miller though can count on similar balance around standout Imani Bryant, who scored 21 points against Norfolk Collegiate in the quarterfinals. The Mavericks have options including Abby Morrill, who knocked down a pair of fourth quarter 3-pointers in Miller’s last win. Can the Mavericks summon enough offense to get past the Conquistadors and scratch out a spot in the state final?

 

Key matchup: Miller’s backcourt contends with Seton’s Jane Pennefather. Pennefather id s 5-foot-9 guard who can hurt the opposing team in a lot of ways. Against Atlantic Shores Wednesday, she posted a triple double with 20 points, 12 assists and 14 rebounds. The Mavericks will need a team effort to clamp down on the standout guard and they’re capable of it as they average better than seven steals per game. If they can limit their own turnovers and hem in Pennefather, that could be a recipe for a victory.

 

Who to watch: Miller’s Secret Bryant. Bryant had a big-time 3-pointer early in the third quarter against Norfolk Collegiate and the Mavericks need the junior to step up and have a big game against Seton. When teams collapse on Micah Maloney and Imani Bryant, Secret Bryant is one of the Mavericks who has to make the opposition pay. Bryant has improved throughout the season and she has the capacity to take yet another step with the Mavericks fighting their way to a potential repeat state title.

 

The line: Seton by 1. So much balance at this point is tough. But the Bryant’s could take over and turn the tables here.

 

VISAA Divison II State Boys Semifinals

Blue Ridge (23-3) versus Carlisle (17-11), 3:30 p.m.

The Basics: The Barons looked as good as ever in their quarterfinal against Hampton Roads — scary good, watch out good. Now they face the Chiefs for a fourth game with the Barons having won the previous three and the last in the VIC championship in overtime. The last game was a relatively high scoring affair, with overtime only adding to that total, but for the most part, these meetings have been defensive battles and methodical. Blue Ridge’s depth is huge in that department as they have a ton of moving piece particularly at guard to allow them to stretch the floor and play a truly tight man-to-man defense that’s been the staple of this program for so long now, even with Cade Lemcke in his first year as the team’s head coach. The Chiefs would prefer to make this a high scoring game as they have the options to do so, but that hasn’t happened so far with the Barons. Blue Ridge doesn’t have to change things up much in this meeting. Carlisle needs to find a way to get one of it’s big three scorers to pour it on. Easier said than done.

 

Key matchup: The Chiefs defense against Aamir Simms. The Barons power forward has become so versatile that he can dictate a game without it showing up much on the stat sheet. You have to account for his size in the paint, but he’s an excellent passer and he’s a quality jump shooter, so what to do you do? Well you don’t let him going inside, because Blue Ridge certainly has enough 3-point threats outside that an inside force is too much to deal with. The Chiefs need to make sure that Simms isn’t in a position to clean up on the glass and pile up easy baskets. Slowing this offense is so tough, but taking away the high percentage stuff has to be the priority here.

 

Who to watch: Blue Ridge guard Josh Colon. Listen, Scott Spencer is going to get his. Malik Johnson is going to get his. It’s when Colon comes on offensively that Blue Ridge’s opponents are left scratching their heads. Colon is almost a Johnson clone in that he’s lightning quick, hits three pointers, and can finish down low and initiates contact on top of that. When he’s putting up double figures, the Barons simply become too much to deal with. And with Spencer, Johnson and Simms commanding so much attention, he can get lost in the mix which only serves to his and his team’s advantage. You can’t blanket defend everyone.

 

The line: Blue Ridge by 3. To get to this you take the margin of victory by the Barons in the previous three meetings and divide by 3. So there you go. Carlisle’s really good, and beating a team four times is tough, but so is beating the defending champs once.

 

VISAA Division II State Boys Semifinals

St. Anne’s Belfield (20-7) versus Virginia Episcopal (12-8), 5:15 p.m.

 

The Basics: Basketball is a game of inches too apparently, and inches kept the Saints from bowing out against a Miller team that came out and threw everything it had against STAB and nearly came away with the upset. But how many times have we seen this in tournaments, a team narrowly winning and making hay with it? It’s not how you win, but that you win. The Bishops, who came in seeded seventh did what Miller couldn’t and pulled off the big upset of the tournament by taking down second seed Norfolk Collegiate. These are two special teams, and they are headlined by two elite talents. Get fired up, because it’s Javin Montgomery-DeLaurier vs. Sacha Killeya-Jones. Duke vs. Kentucky. Seriously, that’s the task for coaches Brian Kent at STAB and Curtis Staples at VES — figuring out to stop the one blue chipper and keeping your own from being stopped. This one is going to be really interesting. Getcha popcorn ready.

 

Key matchup: Javin vs. Sacha, in case you skimmed the last part. Yes it’s going to take a team effort to stop either, but it may come down to how well one works against the other because they are both the tallest, most talented kids on the court. Foul trouble is going to be huge, look for both teams to try and run at the other’s big man, and conversely set up to draw charges against these two high flyers. This is the first meeting this year between the two, so both coaches have a lot of tape to work with and some ideas. Don’t be surprised if it’s a game of offenses figuring out different looks, defenses figuring out what kind of zone they want to play. It’s as high profile a matchup as the state has seen or is going to see in a long, long time between two individuals. Which of course pretty much sets up the inevitable — someone else deciding this game as the two could very well cancel each other out. Nonetheless, it’s not often in tournament basketball you get two athletes so similar matching up like this. Enjoy it. The “in-the-know” coaches and fans will be in attendance for just this — and there will be a lot more than just this billing on the card. You’re getting your bang for buck here.

 

Who to watch: STAB’s Jalen Harrison. No Saints athlete has played in more high profile high school basketball games, and that’s saying something. Before he came to St. Anne’s he was a part of a Fluvanna County Group AA Division 4 final four team. He’s also got championship experience in other sports as he’s played in back-to-back VISAA Division II football state championships. He’s played in a VISAA Division I baseball state title game, another in the final four. And as talented as he is, as of late he’s been playing his best ball. He’s going to be a huge part of STAB’s effort to own the paint on both ends of the floor. And if he comes through with a big game, he could well provide the tipping point.

 

The line: STAB by 1. Let’s say the two big names cancel out, the Saints have the depth after that with Harrison, Kareeem Johnson and Jayden Nixon versus VES’s Justice Kitchcart, who’s a dangerous guard with the ball in his hands. And watch out for those latter two Saints to play spoiler — both Johnson and Nixon can change a game.

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