Charlottesville girls basketball knew no matter what the result was Tuesday they were going to be hosting a Region 3C playoff game next week.
But that just meant Tuesday’s 73-58 win over Monticello was a chance to build some momentum going into the postseason.
Rayquel Allen made sure they took advantage. The Black Knights’ sophomore guard exploded for 33 points, attacking the rim and getting downhill from the opening tip.
“I was kind of slow starting off starting off by my teammates kept my confidence up,” Allen said. “I kept getting looks that I wanted and that helps me along the way.”
Allen was scoring seemingly at will after that brief slow start, but the Black Knights didn’t really start pulling away until the second quarter when they built a 35-24 halftime lead. Allen seems to thrive when the game has a more frenetic, uptempo pace, and that’s a product of what she’s done off the court to make that possible.
“Rayquel is one of the hardest girls to guard in the area, we do what we can sometimes to get out of her way and just encourage her,” said Charlottesville coach Jim Daly. “She works so hard, she’s got, great ball-handling and she’s a creative finisher around the rim. She’s put in the work. And she’s unselfish so if you do go to double, she drives, she finds the open post or guards outside, she’s fun to watch when she gets that mentality and gets downhill she’s a great player on both ends.”
Monticello, for a while, matched Charlottesville’s ramped up pace. Samantha Shifflett provided some gritty work underneath and Zoe Burruss and Jaylyn Benedetta gave the offense a charge in the first half. Burruss finished with 19 points on the night and Benedetta added 13 while Shifflett scored nine and hit five of six free throws at the line.
But Charlottesville just made more transition buckets and took better care of the ball in the second half, allowing the Black Knights to build on that halftime lead and keep Monticello at arm’s length.
Lidia Shimer finished with 13, Lakia Thompson finished with 10 and Ania Cafferillo had six. Jamia Grooms had a couple of nice finishes around the basket and had five points. The Black Knights’ seniors and younger players are all starting to step up at the right time, taking advantage of actually playing a full campaign this year.
“Last year we played seven games, no scrimmages, nothing,” Daly said. “Seeing this gather right now, we’re 20 games into it and you see them calling out, they know what we’re doing if it’s man, if it’s zone, they know what works, what doesn’t. They’re a little more relaxed and playing off each other and we have the huge benefit of five seniors..”
They face a challenging region slate with a matchup against Fluvanna County or Spotswood likely with the Black Knights at the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the Region 3C playoffs, but it’s clear they got a boost from taking care of business against the Mustangs Tuesday.
“Tuesday it’s win or go home, we definitely going to bring the enthusiasm, bring the energy and we’re going to get the job done,” Allen said.
