By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
Fluco Coach Josh McElheny knew his starting five players were young, which is an understatement (a junior and four freshmen), so for their first game of the regular season he thought that an active defense might eliminate some nervousness. The Fluco girls started in a full court zone press. The press was successful beyond the coach’s wildest dreams. The Knights scored the first basket of the game. The Fluco press then created turnover after turnover and steal after steal. The freshmen are really fast and really quick, which are not exactly the same thing. Fast is your speed in running up and down the court. Quick is reacting an instant ahead of your opponent on a loose ball or a rebound. The Fluco girls appear to have both. The score at the end of the first quarter was Fluvanna 25, Buckingham 2 – an astonishing 25 point run by the Flucos. The game was basically over.
In the first quarter, freshman Sienna Brennan had three two-point baskets and a free throw for seven points. Freshman Alyssa Lewis had two three-point baskets. They are both guards. Freshman forward Lacy McCloud had two-point and a three-point basket, and junior forward Ikeena Spruill had four points. All of these players outscored the Buckingham team in the quarter.
The Fluco did not completely dominate the second quarter, but they outscored the Knights 18-9, for a half-time score of Fluvanna 43, Buckingham 11. The Flucos led at one point 37-4. In the quarter, Lewis scored three two-point baskets, and Spruill had four points. Freshman post player Jazhara Bryant came off the bench and contributed six points and some serious rebounding.
In the third quarter, the Flucos had seven players in the scoring column, as McElheny evaluated his bench. The Knights had a short run late in the quarter scoring eight in a row utilizing their own full court zone press. However, the Flucos still won the quarter 15-14. Spruill and Sophia Brennan both had three-point baskets in the quarter. Scoring for the Flucos was quite balanced. Lewis had 12 points while Sienna Brennan and Spruill had 11. Bryant contributed 8.
This was only the first game of what will be a long season. McElheny noted that there are tough games ahead. On Dec. 4, the Fluco girls hosted the powerful Turner Ashby squad, and the Jefferson District will be tough, and it starts right away. On Dec 8, the girls will host Louisa County, a Jefferson District opponent. They travel to Buckingham on Dec. 11 and host Western Albemarle, another Jefferson District opponent on Dec. 12. McElheny is going with a roster of 12 which has no seniors and six freshmen.
Normally with six freshmen playing at the varsity level, one might expect the JV team to be depleted. That may not be the case. In the exciting JV game that proceeded the varsity game, the Fluco JV came back from a six-point deficit with a minute to play to lead by one. A Fluco foul committed as time expired gave the young Knights two free throws. They made one to send the game to overtime. The Flucos won 30-26, as the Knight had five players foul out during the game and overtime leaving them with only three players on the court for the last minutes of play.
