Due to the new COVID-19 protocols, Monticello’s Eric McCall inbounded the ball to Stefan Matthews to kick off senior night for Charlottesville’s boys basketball team. Matthews was immediately swarmed by the Black Knight’s trap defense and Nick Motley picked up the steal for CHS. He dished it to fellow senior Khishon Gray who immediately found Chris Stewart, also a senior, for a rim-rattling dunk to start the night.
The five senior starters for CHS helped push the Black Knights to a 20-5 first quarter lead and they never looked back in a 74-26 win over Monticello, the Black Knights’ second win of the season.
Charlottesville pressed the Mustangs most of the first half, causing multiple turnovers and easy fast break buckets. Lamont Bullard and Devin Shifflett, the other two seniors for CHS, checked in up 11-5 halfway through the first. Shifflett buried a three and Bullard wreaked havoc in the paint, scoring nine points as part of an extremely balanced offensive attack for Charlottesville.
The Black Knights took a 43-15 lead into the break, and led 58-22 after three. Ten out of the 11 CHS players scored.
Charlottesville athletic director Rodney Redd said it was a very special senior night for this class. Over his four years at CHS, Nick Motley has started every game and been a huge part of their success, helping the Black Knights to a Jefferson District Championship last season. Zymir Faulkner is approaching 1000 career points. Christian Stewart came to Charlottesville last season from New York and averaged a double double. Quincy Edwards and Khishon Gray have filled huge roles for the Black Knights this season, stepping up in a big way.
Faulkner led Charlottesville with 19 points. Motley added 11, Gray had 10, Bullard nine, and Edwards eight. Stewart had six and Shifflett five to round out the senior scoring for CHS. Charlottesville moves to 2-0 and heads to Orange County to face a red hot Sihle Mthethwa Friday night. Mthethwa is averaging 36.7 points per game for the 3-1 Hornets.
For Monticello, freshman Dyllan Thompson led the Mustangs with nine. The Mustangs (0-3, 0-3) host Albemarle for a rematch with the Patriots on Wednesday night.
