Gallery by Ashley Honaker
Lindside – Over the last two seasons the Class A Region 3, Section 1 championship game has been nothing short of bitter frustration for James Monroe at the hands of the ladies from River View.
The sting of an overtime loss to the Raiders in Bradshaw two years ago, paled in comparison to a double-overtime setback last year on the Mavs home floor.
Wednesday night frustration turned into triumphant revenge.
Meeting once again for the sectional championship title, James Monroe left nothing to chance with a solid 55-33 win over the visitors from Bradshaw.
“In a way it was (revenge) and I think maybe they were tired of losing the sectional championship because we have had to travel to Webster (County) the last two years,” James Monroe head coach Mike Hines. “Now for regionals we get to host. In the locker room you could just tell a difference in their eyes, maybe more than you could the last few years. The four seniors knew it was their last ride.”
After River View took its only lead of the game at 4-2, James Monroe scored the next seven in a row to lead 9-4 after the first period.
The Raiders stayed close and trailed by just four midway through the second period before James Monroe applied the knockout blow over the next 11 minutes of the game.
Sophomore Ava Dunlap banked in a jumper which was followed by a 3-pointer from Haley Hunnicutt. Dunlap struck again off the glass, this time for a triple and Adyson Hines converted a free-throw to give the Mavs a 25-12 lead.
A steal and layup from Hines just before the halftime horn capped an 11-0 run and James Monroe had all of the momentum.
“We started out in a 2-3 (zone), but they were prepared for man-to-man. We got up and made an adjustment,” Hines said. “Then we scored a couple and I went man-to-man. A little switch to speed up the tempo and then we made that big run.”
A pair of buckets from Hines and Maggie Boroski preceded a kick-out 3-pointer from Mary Beth Meadows off an offesnive rebound which pushed the lead to 21 points just three minutes into the second half.
Two tosses inside from Hines to Boroski and another stickback from Hines helped build a 26-point lead, the biggest of the night, with 1:09 to play in the third period.
The Hines to Boroski pitch and catch was a frequent sight all game.
“We worked on that in practice the last few days. When I get the ball in the middle, usually two or three girls will come after me,” Adyson Hines explained. “That leaves somebody open and usually back-door is always open.”
After splitting the two regular season match-ups, River View head coach Gehrig Justice did not expect the lopsided outcome.
“I can sit here and make a thousand excuses. Brooke Fuller’s dad died the other day, so she wasn’t here and she is an important part. Some of their minds were somewhere else,” Justice said. “We have had a couple out of practice where they have been sick. The last time we played due to cancellations was last Wednesday against Meadow Bridge and Man the Monday before that. We were rusty and out of whack, but we just didn’t show up.”
The senior duo of Hines and Hunicutt both had double-doubles. Hines finished with 12 points, 18 rebounds, five steals and four assists, while the sharpshooting Hunnicutt had 11 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Boroski led all scorers with 18 points to go along with seven steals and five rebounds.
“James Monroe has had this one circled. The last two years we have beat them and last year we cut down the nets on their floor while they sat and watched. Mike has a good bunch,” Justice said. “Adyson is as good as anybody. Hunnicutt is a great shooter and Mary Beth runs the offense very well. Boroski is one of the top defenders in the state. The other girls know their job, so take nothing away from them.”
The two seniors were all smiles Wednesday after finally being able to lift the elusive sectional championship trophy.
“Revenge is what we look at it as,” Adyson Hines said. “They got us the last two years in overtime and we wanted to get it done in four quarters.”
“It felt so good. I was so ready to beat them after we lost to them the last two years,” Hunnicutt said. “I said nope, this isn’t happening again.”
Both teams advance to the regional round next Thursday.
James Monroe will host the loser of Section 2 between Greenbrier West and Webster County. River View will be on the road playing the winner of that game.
“I think there are four of us in this region that if you threw them all up, you would get different winners each time. This is a good region and it is top heavy,” Justice said.
Webster County and Greenbrier East battle Friday night in Charmco.
RV: 4 8 8 14 – 34
JM: 9 18 16 12 – 55
River View
Trista Lester 7, Kaylee Blankenship 2, Haylie Payne 14, Katie Bailey 1, Abigail Pruitt 9.
Totals: 12 7-15 34
James Monroe
Adyson Hines 12, Mary Beth Meadows 5, Chloe Shires 2, Maggie Boroski 18, Haley Hunnicutt 11, Ava Dunlap 7. Totals: 20 10-18 55.
