PALMYRA — You know you’re in good shape when the way your team reacts to a tough shooting night is to fight like crazy for loose balls. The first three quarters were hardly pretty for top-seeded Fluvanna County in its Jefferson District quarterfinal game against Goochland, but the final nine minutes of the night were so good you wouldn’t know it.
Up by eight with a minute in the third, Mia and K-anna Loyd put together a burst of offense and defense that trickled over into the last frame of the game as the Flucos were able to cruise past the Bulldogs, 70-34.
“Your opponents, if they get close they might start believing that they can beat you and all of the sudden, things start happening, so we just needed a run,” said Fluvanna coach Chad White. “As far as the finish goes, I’m happy because we’ll go into Tuesday’s game thinking about how we finished and not how we played earlier.”
The Flucos took a double-digit lead early in the second quarter and were up by as many as 15 early in the third. But Goochland was able to climb back into the game, getting to within eight points of the lead with a minute left before the end of the quarter. It was then that the Loyd sisters sprung together a 6-point run.
“I think I was finally over the fact that it was senior night,’” said K-anna Loyd of a steal that sparked the run. “I was like ‘Okay, just stop being emotional and just play.’”
It was all Fluvanna after that run, as the Flucos outscored their opponent 23-4.
“I thought we played hard and never gave up,” said Bulldogs coach Sarah Nicholson. “But obviously those last forty seconds in the third really wound up killing us.”
K-anna Loyd was all over the court both offensively and defensively. The senior led all scorers with 22 points, hauled in eight rebounds and snagged five steals. She also gave the crowd a scare when she needed help to get off the court and grabbed her knee early in the second half.
“Mia fell on me,” Loyd said. “It was all her fault.”
The elder Loyd returned to the game shortly after.
Mia Loyd also had a big night, although she may not have thought so. The younger Loyd was visibly frustrated early in the game after a handful of shots didn’t fall for her, and she wound up taking out her aggression on Goochland’s post players by scrapping with them for rebounds.
“She’s just so competitive,” White said. “Even when she thinks she’s having a bad game she’s still putting up a double-double.”
True to form, the sophomore scored 16 points and led all rebounders with 12 boards. Teammates Ashleigh Harris and Millicent Williams gave Fluvanna four players that scored at least nine points.
For Goochland, junior Carrie Mills led the way with nine points while sophomore Amara Ezell and freshman Tammara Taylor each scored six points. Ezell led the team on the glass with 10 rebounds.
It’s been a long season for the Bulldogs, but the girls basketball program is still very young at the school and was not helped by making the jump from Group A to Group AA. Still, although results were not kind to Goochland, much progress was made as the bulk of the roster returns next season.
“I told the girls in the locker room that the scoreboard and standings did not reflect how much progress they have made between day one and today,” Nicholson said. “I think they know that and we’ve got a real opportunity this summer with everyone coming back to get better and make ourselves competitive in the Jefferson District.”
Fluvanna will advance to face William Monroe in the JD semifinals on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Monticello.
