There were a lot of conversations going on in the waning moments of Louisa County’s 77-53 victory over Courtland in the Region 4B championship game Monday night.
There was Louisa senior Chris Shelton letting Mark Carter know what a good job he’d done not committing a foul with the game in hand, playing textbook defense to create a turnover.
There was Louisa coach Robert Shelton telling Xavien Hunter, who’d played essentially a perfect game up until a single mistake in the backcourt as time wound down, to not worry about the error, to move on.
And there was the implied conversation with 2:38 to play as Isaac Haywood left the game after fouling out, causing the Louisa faithful to unleash a short but passionate standing ovation, letting the junior know they appreciated his efforts that put game away during his dominant fourth quarter performance.
Three conversations on completely different topics between coaches, players and fans, all rooted in mutual respect and love that’s driven the Lions all season.
“My teammates have told me all year they need me,” Haywood said. “When my teammates tell me that, they tell me for a reason. They’re my boys.”
With the victory, Haywood and the Lions will get a chance to play their state quarterfinal game closer to home, taking on Churchland High at Culpeper Middle School Friday night.
Haywood scored 15 points in the second half, finishing with 19 points on the night. He provided the game’s decisive blow by scoring nine straight points as part of a 9-2 run that reversed the incremental gains Courtland had made to cut the lead to 12 points with 6:24 left. By the time Haywood was done, capping his explosive effort with a tough finish that also drew a foul, the Lions were back ahead 64-44 with under four minutes to play.
“The first quarter he was spent, he’d spent so much time going sideline-to-sideline in the 1-3-1 and he gave us his all but it took him a quarter to recover,” Robert Shelton said. “He came back out in the third quarter and picked up where he left off. That’s a testament to him as a basketball player and as an athlete.”
While Haywood provided the closing flourish, it was Hunter who provided the early blow that put Courtland in a deep hole. Louisa jumped out to a 10-0 lead and by halftime was up 36-21, thanks in no small part to 14 first half points by Hunter.
“I knew I had to be aggressive, I knew I had to score,” Hunter said.
The junior guard was electric, knocking down 3-pointers and attacking the basket throughout the first half to put Courtland on its heels.
“He’s a warrior,” Robert Shelton said. “We look to him to lead us, he’s a vocal leader who is about the team. He’s been big for us this whole run.”
Hunter’s work helped open things up for the entire Louisa lineup.
“It helps a lot, it opens driving lanes because they’re running out full speed at him,” said Jarett Hunter. “Then when they do stay he’s wide open for a shot, Chris is able to get his shots off — it helps out a lot.”
Xavien Hunter finished with 16 points and Chris Shelton matched that output while Jarett Hunter finished with 12 points.
It was a typically balanced performance by an offense with an array of weapons. But the Lions’ depth got tested late in that first half with Haywood dealing with cramps, Mark Carter on the bench with two fouls and Shylek Washington nursing a fleeting injury. The Lions effortlessly transitioned to playing small, with Reggie Cosby playing some big minutes and knocking down a 3-pointer to help get the Lions into the half still in complete control.
“We knew had to be a lot faster and push in transition,” Jarett Hunter said. “We knew (for that stretch) that they were going to score inside so we had to score when we had the opportunity and on defense everyone had to pitch in and help rebound.”
Now Louisa gets another week together, another week to need each other. Another week with their family. Another week with their boys.
With teammates all around,Louisa’s Jarett Hunter and Mark Carter talk about the Lions’ Region 4B title win over Courtland in First Off the Floor presented by @PT_acac pic.twitter.com/vUuDBtkJEq
— scrimmageplay (@scrimmageplay) February 26, 2019
