Falls to Waynesboro 50-56
By Duncan Nixon, Correspondent
In its second home game in two days, the Fluco boys’ basketball team under Coach Jason Davis took on Waynesboro High on Wednesday (Nov. 28). The game was close all the way – seven points was the largest margin – and there were a number of lead changes through the contest. The Flucos jumped to a 14-11 lead after the first quarter, but the Little Giants came back to tie the game 25-25 at halftime.
Sophomore forward John Rittenhouse was hot early for the Flucos. He had the Flucos’ first 12 points with two three pointers, two jump shots and two free throws. Senior forward Brandon Lytton finished the first quarter scoring for the Flucos with a lay-in for a 14-8 lead. A three point shot by Waynesboro closed the gap to three.
In the second quarter, the Flucos put up only 11 points. Senior forward Andrew Pace and junior guard Jamal Opie had three pointers for the Flucos. Again, the final score of the quarter was by Waynesboro. This time it was a lay-up to tie the score.
The pattern of Waynesboro closing the quarter strong continued in the second half. The last minute and a half of the third quarter and the fourth quarter proved to be the Flucos’ undoing. The third quarter started with a lay-up basket by Fluco junior center Walt Stribling. Freshman point guard Kobe Edmonds followed with two free throws and, after Rittenhouse scored another three point basket, the Flucos held a 32-30 lead.
Waynesboro bounced back to take a one point lead at 37-36, but Edmonds made an impressive steal and was fouled on his drive to the basket. With 1:26 left in the quarter, he hit both shots for a 38-37 Fluco lead. In that final 1:26, Waynesboro outscored Fluvanna 9-1 to take a seven-point lead into the final stanza.
In the fourth quarter, the Flucos worked hard to get back in the game. Defensively they switched from man-to-man to a zone. A basket by Pace on good pass from Edmonds cut the Waynesboro lead to three. Pace added two free throws to cut the lead to one. Midway through the quarter, Edmonds made another steal and was fouled on his lay-in. He made the free throw for an old fashioned three point play which gave the Flucos a 50-49 lead.
Unfortunately, the next three points scored were all Waynesboro free throws, and the Little Giants led by two at 52-50 with 1:29 remaining. The Flucos failed to score in the last minute and a half and Waynesboro managed two free throws and a last-second lay-up for a six point win.
After the game, Davis said that his squad actually found the shots they wanted in the last minute and a half, but they just failed to go in.
Leading scorers for the Flucos were Rittenhouse with 19, including three three-point goals and Edmonds with 11, including nine free throws. Pace chipped in with seven.
In the Flucos’ home opener on Tuesday (Nov. 27) the Flucos recorded a 70-61 win over Turner Ashby High. In that game, Pace led the scoring with 24 points. Edmonds had 20, while Stribling and Rittenhouse contributed 14 and 10 respectively. The Flucos led 25-24 at halftime, and pulled away in the second half. Davis noted that in this game the Flucos’ shots at the end all went in.
The Flucos played at Turner Ashby Dec. 4 and will be at Orange County Dec. 7. They will host Albemarle High Dec.11 and Madison County Dec. 13. And they travel to Powhatan Dec. 14.
