Flucos out-duel Charlottesville

PALMYRA — The Flucos had to scratch and crawl their way out of a late hole in regulation before beating Charlottesville 41-38 in overtime.

“We always talk about closing out quarters and games and they did a great job of that to get into overtime,” said FCHS head coach Chad White after the win.

After a promising first half, which found the Flucos leading 22-11, Fluvanna ran into a brick wall in the third quarter. CHS had its way with Fluvanna’s defense, getting easy baskets left and right.

The Black Knight defense also picked it up a notch in the third frame, by only giving up two points the whole quarter.

“We had a dismal third quarter,” said White. “I don’t think we’ve given up 19 points in a half let alone a quarter. We weren’t doing what we were supposed to do and they got open shots.”

Charlottesville outscored the Flucos 19-2 in the frame.

“I think we thought that we had wrapped it up a little too early,” said senior Ashleigh Harris. “We didn’t play the full 32 minutes.”

Despite the abysmal third quarter, FCHS only trailed by six heading into the fourth quarter. The Flucos quickly erased that deficit with two freshmen stepping up big. Guard Bri Harris knocked down two early free throws and followed it up with a field goal on the next possession. The next first year player, Kate Stutz, got into the mix with a layup to tie it up early in the final frame.

With the clock showing less than one minute to go, Fluvanna found itself down two with the ball. FCHS turned to its leading scorer Kiána Childress to take the critical shot in regulation.

The sophomore attacked the Black Knight defense and drew a foul to go to the free throw line with just over 40 seconds left. Childress knocked both down with the poise of a senior. One defensive stop later and overtime arrived in Palmyra.

Who else but the veteran Harris to take the big shots in the extra frame? She scored the first two points of OT and when the Flucos trailed by one later on, it was Harris who went coast-to-coast to give Fluvanna the lead for good.

“We played well for three quarters tonight, slipped up in one of them, but redeemed ourselves and shut them down in overtime,” said Harris.

Childress was the Flucos’ leading scorer with 11 points followed by Harris who dropped in nine points to go along with a cluster of steals.

Fluvanna (9-8, 2-3 JD) will next against first place Monticello Mustangs on Friday in Charlottesville. The game, weather permitting, will be played as part of a basketball night at Monticello. The girls’ varsity game is slated for 6 p.m. after the JV girls’ and then boys’ games.