Huskies Advance to State Semifinals

Despite a low-scoring first half, the Flint Hill Huskies earned a 46-31 victory over Bishop Ireton in the first round of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament Wednesday.

The Huskies mustered just 14 points in the first half, rushing shots and squandering scoring opportunities throughout the 16 minutes. But while their offense struggled, their defense stayed on point to hold the Cardinals to 10 points in the half. 

"The girls wanted it so badly, I think, that there was a feeling of 'I want to get it done with one play,' but you can't do that. So offensively, we were pretty jittery," said Jody Patrick, the Huskies' coach. "But defensively, we did a good job. Defense wins championships, and the girls know that."

The Huskies started to take full control of the game in the second half, maintaining their tough defense while elevating their offense to score 15 points in the third quarter — one point more than they scored in the entire first half.

Nicole Freeman contributed nine points in the period with three 3-pointers to help widen the point gap. Freeman scored a game-high 17 points.

The Huskies stretched their nine-point lead after three periods to 15 by the end of the game, sending the Huskies to the semifinals of the VISAA tournament.

The girls will travel to Richmond on Friday to play Paul VI Catholic High School, with whom the Huskies have developed a tough rivalry, especially in the last few years.

The Huskies and Panthers have faced off in the state championship two years in a row, with the Panthers coming out on top both times.

"We know them, they know us. It's just really good fun to go against good competition," Patrick said. "If we keep up our defense, we'll do well against them."

Points: Nicole Freeman (17), Alison Bragaw-Butler (9), Alex Long (8), Shea Patrick (6), Savannah Block (2), Catie Chess (2), Katherine Doyle (2)