Girls Basketball: Freedom Sends Its Message Loud and Clear in Regional Title Blowout

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun.com Editor

Charlottesville (Mar. 2, 2010) – The Freedom High School girls basketball team wanted to send a message Saturday in the Region II finals at Monticello High School as the defending VHSL Division 3 state champions felt like the match-up for the Division 4 title should have been with Dulles District rival Loudoun County and not the Evergreen District’s Liberty.

“We wanted to send a message that the way this is laid out is completely incorrect,” said Freedom coach Jason Eldredge.

Consider the message sent loud and clear as Freedom (18-5) crushed Liberty, 62-33, for a second straight regional banner. While Liberty (15-4) had played Freedom to within eight points early in the season the two Eagles had much different schedules with Freedom playing five AAA sized schools and three privates including among others highly-ranked Riverdale Baptist, Georgetown Visitation, and a Stonewall Jackson team that is in the AAA state quarterfinals.

Perhaps nothing set Freedom up for its big win Saturday as much as the rock’em, sock’em, back and forth five-game series with Loudoun County, the defending Division 4 state champion. The Eagles finished the grueling test with the Raiders with a 3-2 mark including a win in the regional semifinals that finished the Raiders season.

Probably just excited to not look out on the court and see the formidable likes of Kendra Holmes and Brittany Batts and Allisa Kain and the other Raiders one more time, Freedom simply ran away with Saturday’s title game, opening up an 8-1 lead and never trailing.

Kelsey Buchanan and Jessica Escorza, who four years ago turned around a one-win program as freshman, look primed to go out on top as they each scored 20 points. Buchanan also had 14 rebounds and four blocks while Escorza finished with seven assists and four steals.

“Escorza came of age against County. She has turned her game up a notch,” said Eldredge.

Indeed, Escorza’s 20 was a season-high and she is now averaging 15 points and 5.6 assists per playoff game. Escorza, after leaving Freedom for two years at private schools, is looking for her first state title before heading to Wofford next year to play NCAA Division I college ball.

Buchanan, on the other hand, like the other returning Eagles is looking for a second straight state title and she too has elevated her game, if that is possible – improving her season average of 18.3 points per game and 13.3 rebounds to 21.2 points and 15.8 rebounds.

A 6-foot-3 center headed to Delaware next year to play NCAA Division I college ball, Buchanan’s 4-year career ranks her as one of Loudoun’s finest to play the game with nearly 1,500 points (she needs 26 to reach the mark), more than 1,000 rebounds and nearly 500 blocks.

Liberty’s lone spark came midway through the first quarter when they sliced Freedom’s initial advantage to 12-9. Freedom then finished the final two minutes of the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a double digit lead.

Escorza started the run with a jumper and then senior Jasmine Merritt, who transferred in this season, posted up on the block for two of her 10 points. Dionna Scott (7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) made a free throw and Escorza closed out the run with another jumper.

The Eagles relentless pressure, much of it fullcourt, forced 31 turnovers and prevented Liberty from ever settling into its offense.

Liberty got within nine points, 24-15, midway through the second quarter and Freedom responded with a 10-1 run to close the half, preventing Liberty from making another field goal.

During that stretch, Escorza scored after a steal and Merritt went to work down low again. Scott hit a jumper and Escorza made two free throws. Finally, Buchanan scored off an inbounds play with six seconds left in the half for a 34-16 lead.

Any thoughts of a Libety comeback where doused when Freedom’s defense limited the team from Bealeton to just one field goal in the third quarter and the result was a 29-point Freedom lead with a quarter still to play.

When it was all over there was no wild celebration as the Eagles were focused on the three games left to clinch another state title. Elredge pointed out that players such as Buchana and Scott and others such as Kim Koditek, Alexis Mayo and Brittani Poindexter all have experienced a state title run.

“They have been through the wars. We will be calm this time around,” said Eldredge.