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South Riding (Feb. 25, 2010) - It was the fifth and final meeting between what many consider the best two VHSL Division 4 girls basketball teams in the state, Freedom and Loudoun County. One would move on and have a chance to defend its state title and the other would have its season finished.
As an indication of what kind of struggle the game was, it was just 6-4 after the first quarter with Freedom leading and the Eagles, behind a double-double of 21 points and 16 rebounds by Dulles District Player of the Year Kelsey Buchanan, came out on top for a 49-40 victory. Jessica Escroza added 15 points and six assists for the Eagles.
Freedom (17-5) now has a chance to repeat as state champion but first a regional title is at stake Saturday when the Eagles travel to Monticello to face Liberty (15-3) at 6 p.m.
Just five days earlier Loudoun County (19-4) had defeated Freedom handily behind some hot shooting, especially from 3-point range but on Thursday the Raiders were only 19 percent from the field (13 of 68) and 4 of 17 from behind the 3-point arc.
Loudoun County senior Kendra Holmes, who sat out with a sore knee in LC's big quarterfinal win over James Wood, not only played Thursday but she finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and she reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career.
After trailing by two at the end of the first quarter, County had five players score in the second quarter as they took a 20-18 halftime lead.
Freedom took control in the third quarter and led 28-23 before Brittany Batts (13 points) connected on back-to-back three pointers to give the lead back to County 29-28. However, Freedom scored to close out the period to take a 30-29 lead heading into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Freedom was able to hold onto its lead and make enough free throws to earn a hard fought 49-40 win. Freedom was 19 of 32 at the line including 10 of 16 for Escorza, who returned to Freedom for her senior season after playing the previous two years at private schools.
A big highlight for County was Holmes surpassing the 1,000 point mark in the fourth period. Holmes 1,000 point came on a free throw. Holmes was recognized with a brief stoppage in play, and she presented the ball to her parents, JR and Debbie, in the stands.
Holmes was the third Lady Raider this season to break the 1,000 point barrier as she joined junior Brittany Batts and fellow senior Alissa Kain.
The loss ended the "banner careers" of three Raider seniors, Amanda Grimsley, Alissa Kain, and Holmes. During their time at County, they hung two Dulles District regular season banners, two Dulles District tournament banners, a Region II banner, and a VHSL Division 4 state championship banner.
Freedom - South Riding 49, Loudoun County 40
L (19-4, 8-1) — Holmes 14, Batts 13, A. Kain 4, Strange 4, Linnemann 3, Lapple 2. Totals 13 10-18 40.
F (17-5, 8-1) — Buchanan 23, Escorza 13, Koditek 7, Mayo 4, Scott 2.
Totals 14 19-33 49.
Halftime: Loudoun County, 20-18.
Three-point goals: L 4 (Batts 3, Strange); F 2 (Escorza, Koditek).
Rebounds: L 28 (Holmes 10, Batts, A. Kain 6, Strange 4, Linnemann, Lapple, Cummings 4, S. Kain).
Assists: L 8 (Batts, A. Kain 4, Strange 3).
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