One game was as close as it could possibly get, while another was over by the end of the third quarter.
The Catawba Ridge girls’ team edged the Blacksburg Wildcats 72-64 in triple overtime, while the boys’ team easily won 84-32.
The Lady Copperheads had four players score in double figures as both senior Victoria Jordan and sophomore Brielle Windisch, scored 21 points in the win as Catawba Ridge improved to 7-1 overall on the season. Freshman Morgan Davis added 12 points and sophomore Tatum Postel dropped in 11 points as well.
“We have been talking about focus,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Kate Edwards. “I was proud of this team’s resilience. The team didn’t quit. We needed that type of practice of being challenged.”
The game went back and forth for most of regulation as Blacksburg went up 37-32 after the third quarter over Catawba Ridge. The Copperheads outscored the Wildcats 16-11 in the fourth quarter, but it was an 8-0 run by the visiting team that resulted in them taking the lead down the stretch.
Postel’s 3-pointer with about three seconds left tied the game at 48 and sent the game into overtime. In the first overtime, Jordan dropped in four of the eight points and Windisch scored the other four including the only field goal of the overtime to send it into a second overtime tied at 56.
In the second overtime, scoring slowed down for both teams and it was Davis who had a big bucket to help push the game into the third overtime tied at 62. In the third overtime, Catawba Ridge found the resilience Edwards talked about and opened the third extra period on a 9-0 run. Both Jordan and Windisch scored three points each in the final overtime period.
Catawba Ridge went 5-for-13 from the field in the three overtimes, but more importantly went 14-for-22 from the foul line.
Boys win easily
The Catawba Ridge boys jumped out to a good start and got better as the game went along in a route over Blacksburg. The Copperheads are now 3-3 on the season.
Four Copperhead players scored in double figures led by junior Jacob Stevens, who scored 14 points. Both senior Carter Hendrick and freshman Zyan Hager scored 11, while junior Jacobie Henderson added 10 points in the win.
Catawba Ridge jumped out to a 20-4 lead after the opening quarter and took a 16-point lead into the half at 36-20. Blacksburg rallied in the second quarter matching the Copperheads basket-for-basket, but the second half was all the home team.
Catawba Ridge outscored the Wildcats 30-12 in the third quarter and then 18-0 in the fourth quarter.
“After last week we came in and filled in some areas we needed to work on,” said Copperheads’ head coach Brett Childers. “We have been focusing on defense the last couple days.”
In the third quarter, Catawba Ridge hit 12-of-13 shots from the field with the majority of them being lay-ups and fast break points created off turnovers. The Copperheads also drained four 3-pointers in the third quarter and eight in the game. The team unofficially hit 32-of-53 shots in the game.
Catawba Ridge looks to keep the hot streak going as Nation Ford comes to The Arena Friday night.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
