Falcons rally for district victory

View larger image Brenna Cook View larger image Katelyn Poston

By Dennis Atwood - sports@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- In a game with large alternating scoring runs between county arch-rivals, Strasburg recovered from a two-point first period to gain a five-point lead early in the third period, only to see Central go an big run and then dominate the fourth period for a 47-38 win in the regular season finale for both teams Monday night.

Central (12-10, 10-4 Bull Run District) has been on a tear, going 8-2 over its last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak. Both losses were to William Monroe.
Strasburg (9-13, 5-9 Bull Run) emerged from a five-game losing streak by going 3-2 over its last five contests.

In a slow-starting first period, Central scored the first points of the game at the 6:20 mark, and broke out on top with six points by sophomore guard Katelyn Poston and four tallies by sophomore guard Brenna Cook. Brandy Clem's field goal at 5:20, accounted for all of the Rams' offense in the frame.

Like turning over an hourglass, the Falcons managed only five points in the second period, while all the momentum flowed Strasburg's way.

Sophomore forward Kenzy McKelvey jump-started Strasburg's huge 17-2 run with a 3-pointer from the right wing with 5:15 remaining in the second period.

Over the next 7:45, senior guard Corissa Alsberry (team-high 14 points) juiced the run with 10 points, while Katlyn Ayers and Mikala Alsberry contributed two points each to the outburst, resulting in a 21-15 Rams lead at the 5:30 mark of the third period.

"I thought, during the run, we worked very well as a team," Corissa Alsberry said. "We settled down more on offense, made more passes -- also, our defense was very good. We closed more gaps and worked together.

"That run gave us hope. We're very confident and excited to play them again."

Then the hourglass was turned over again, and everything flowed Central's way. Poston's trey ignited an 11-0 run, spurred along by a basket and a free throw by Rebecca Sigler and capped off by Cook (17 points) with two free throws and a 3-pointer.

Then the Rams answered with a Kerigan Bly field goal and a McKelvey 3-pointer at the buzzer to knot the score at 26-all at the end of the third period.

Ayers sank her only field goal of the game to open the fourth quarter, giving Strasburg its last lead, 28-26, as the final turn of the momentum hourglass went Central's way. Theresa Barela's 3-pointer initiated a 10-0 Falcons run, filled in with two free throws each by Sydney Plum and Poston (game-high 20 points), and ended with Cook's second 3-pointer to give Central a 36-28 lead with 6:03 to play.

"We just had to get in our heads that we wanted it more than they did," Cook said. "We had to hustle more, we had to play smarter and we just had to get ourselves together because we just weren't together in the first three quarters."

Corissa Alsberry connected on a five-footer from the right baseline and a layup to complete her team-high 14 point night and shrink Central's lead to 36-32.

Over the final 3:50, the Falcons outscored the Rams 11-6 as Central cashed in on numerous trips to the foul line.

Cook went 5 for 8, Poston made 4 of 6 and Allison Bright put in a field goal.

"I think we just really started sitting down and playing defense the way were supposed to," Falcons coach Stephanie Cooper said. "I think that was a big part of where we struggled in the beginning. Our man-on-man defense was really effective in the fourth quarter."

The Falcons had already clinched third place in the district and Strasburg's loss puts them in sixth place, resulting in a return match with Strasburg at Central in the quarterfinal round of the Bull Run District tournament Thursday night.

"It wasn't so much what [Central] did in the fourth quarter," Rams coach Joel Morgan said. "We had some possessions down the stretch where I thought [Central] was moving the ball, making passes and things like that on the offensive end, and I think we tried to be too quick, taking quick shots and tough shots.

"But, we had the kind of game we needed. I thought our kids played well. At times when things could have gotten really bad, our kids made a basket, made a play and I'm proud of them for that. I told them in practice on Friday that if we could get the game we wanted, in the end it's was going to come down to who could execute better, one possession at a time. And, down the stretch, Central did and that's why they won the game."