By Duncan Nixon, correspondent
The Fluco boys’ basketball team led 46-39 with 5:50 left in the game Thursday (Dec. 13).
Unfortunately, five minutes later they trailed 46-52. During that five-minute stretch, the Madison County Mountaineers sank 11 free throws.
In the final 50 seconds, the Flucos came alive and managed to erase a six-point deficit. Freshman guard Kobe Edmonds, who led the Flucos in scoring with 27 points, hit a driving lay-up to cut the lead to four. Madison made one of two from the line to up its lead to five. A technical foul called on Madison put Edmonds on the line for two free throws and he sank them both. With 33 seconds left, senior forward Drew Pace scored on a rebound to cut the lead to one.
The Flucos were forced to foul, and Madison converted on two tries from the line, upping their lead back to three with 29 seconds left. The Flucos worked the ball to Pace for the shot that Coach Jason Davis said they were looking for. Pace delivered, sinking a three pointer from the left side to tie the game at 55-55 with six seconds remaining.
Madison immediately called time out. The Flucos defended well and Madison had to take a very long three at the buzzer that was certainly not the shot they planned, but it went in, and the game was over.
It was the second loss in a row for the Flucos on a last-second buzzer beater. They are now 1-4.
This game was close throughout. The Flucos led by one 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Mountaineers led by one 24-25 at half time and the Flucos were back on top by one 37-36 after three quarters. Edmonds had seven in the first quarter, including three from the line after being fouled on a quarter-ending three point attempt. Pace and senior forward Brandon Lytton had three point baskets.
In the second quarter the Flucos managed only eight points; Edmonds had five of them. In the third quarter the Flucos managed to get back in the lead. Sophomore John Boy Rittenhouse had five in the quarter, including a three pointer. The fourth quarter started with Madison hitting a three point shot to retake the lead, but the Flucos ran off nine straight to pull ahead at 46-39, before their five-minute dry spell. Edmonds scored seven in the Flucos’ nine-point run, on two driving lay-ups and three for three from the line. Pace had the other two points on a lay-in off a nice pass from Edmonds.
After the game Davis noted that his team is coming along, but that they still need to play well for 48 minutes, not 38 – an apparent reference to the five-minute dry spell in the fourth quarter.
Edmonds was very impressive in this game, driving hard to the basket and making steals at the top of the key. The Flucos have had some strong guards in recent years, but 27 points by a freshman is not a common occurrence. Pace was the only other Fluco in double figures, with 11. Junior center Walt Stribling contributed six and some strong rebounding. Rittenhouse had five.
The Flucos played at Powhatan Dec. 14 and they hosted Charlottesville Dec. 18. On Dec. 20 they will be at Waynesboro. They will be home Dec.21, hosting Louisa County. They are then off for the holidays and return to action Jan. 2, hosting William Monroe.
