Lansdowne, VA (March 3, 2023) - The first period of this VHSL state quarterfinal was a matchup of 22's. As expected, Region 4D player of the year Sylvie Jackson (22) led the Louisa County Lions by scoring all of her team's first quarter points, while Tuscarora's Alyssa Carrigan (22) made half of hers. Region 4C player of the year, Grace Middleton, contributed the other half for the Huskies, and the score at the break was an even, 8-8.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
At times this season, Tuscarora has had brief mid-game lulls that allow their opponents to stay In games longer than they should, but this was not true tonight. The Huskies only grew stronger as the game went on. Once the first quarter was over, they clamped down on Jackson, and the Tuscarora interior defense was simply superb. Tuscarora could not get much second quarter separation--because Louisa County's Janie Smith made key baskets--but by halftime the Huskies had a solid lead, 27-21.
Tuscarora started the third quarter with a heavy press that produced immediate benefit. Not only was there no lull, but the Huskies' intensity and consistency increased significantly. Coming off the bench, Jessica Owusu was a surprise contributor from behind the arc. Although everyone on the court was making it count, Owusu was the catalyst for a third quarter run that resulted in an astonishing 51-29 Tuscarora lead at the final break.
To their credit, Louisa County went aggressively inside to start the final quarter, and cut into the margin briefly. Again, though, the Huskies ratcheted up the determination and pushed the lead out to 60-35 with 4:40 to play. Not long after, the teams began giving playing opportunities to everyone on both benches. The Tuscarora starters sat--with wide smiles--in front of their student section and counted down the seconds before the victory celebration began.
Final Score: Tuscarora 70 - Louisa County 41
