Luray’s sluggish shooting still holds off Eagles’ second half surge; Bulldogs remain undefeated at 3-0 in Bull Run District
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Jan. 14 — The Bulldogs of Luray sit among the top teams in the Bull Run District and Region 2B with a trio of scorers along the perimeter and improving play inside the paint. As a testament to their strength on both sides of the ball, Luray held Clarke to only 10 points in the first half of Tuesday night’s district matchup, despite only hitting 30 percent from the floor themselves. However, when the Eagles woke up in the second half with nine three-pointers, the Bulldogs still maintained the lead throughout the game, en route to a 55-48 Bull Run win.
In addition to stifling defense by the Bulldogs that helped force a half dozen turnovers in the first 16 minutes, Clarke only hit three field goals in the first half, going 3-for-26 from the floor (11.5 percent). However, Luray was unable to capitalize and create the type of separation that could have put the game away early. The Bulldogs went 6-for-20 from the floor in the first half (30 percent) with only three buckets in each quarter.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well,” LHS coach Matt Huff said after the game on Tuesday. “I mean one practice in nine days and then trying to play two games, you kinda get out of rhythm and we were a little out of rhythm.”
Despite carrying a 19-10 advantage into halftime, the Bulldogs struggled to keep pace with the visiting Eagles in the third quarter. Over those eight minutes, Clarke shot nearly 60 percent from the floor and hit five three-pointers, including a hat trick from sophomore Colton Johnson. Luray would only go 1-for-6 from the charity stripe. The Eagles won the frame 19-15 and cut the deficit down to just two possessions at 34-29 heading into the fourth quarter.
“They hit nine three’s in the second half…and it wasn’t like they were just wide open with nobody there. We had a hand in their face and we were closing out, but they made tough shots,” Coach Huff said. “But like I always tell our guys, when teams make tough shots, how you play defense the next possession can dictate whether you win or lose the game.”
LHS senior Blake Jenkins scored 12 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, and junior Matthew Owens hit seven of his 11 points on the night in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs would head to the line eight times in the final 9:45 of the game, going 8-for-14. Luray was 15-for-27 from the line for the game (56 percent). Clarke only went to the line four times all night, going 6-for-8 (75 percent).
Despite sluggish shooting, Luray benefitted from improved play in the paint from senior Jae Frye and junior Riley Benson. Both players crashed the boards on both sides of the court all night, as Benson finished with nine points and Frye added six. While the backbone of the Bulldogs this season is their trio of shooters — Jenkins, Owens and junior Connor Hilliard — the key that may push them over the top, especially in the postseason, will be their play under the basket.
“[Jae] and Riley both have really stepped up and given us just unbelievable minutes,” Coach Huff said on Tuesday night. “We knew losing Ryder [Liscomb] and Christian [Lentz] was going to be tough, but those guys have stepped up… they have been more than what we could have hoped for…and if they keep getting better, look out.”
With everyone on the roster getting playing time, Coach Huff credits his bench with giving solid minutes on the floor, especially on defense. Offensively, both teams ended up with similar numbers, as Luray went 18-for-46 from the floor (39 percent) and Clarke hit 16-of-50 (32 percent). Turnovers were fairly even throughout the game.
Clarke was lead by Johnson with 14 points, while senior Wilson Taylor had nine. Senior Tanner Sipe recorded eight points before fouling out with less than a minute to play. The Eagles (1-2, 3-8) will next travel to Rappahannock on Thursday, before hosting Madison on Friday.
“I told our guys before the game… When they are fully healthy, I think they can be an upper echelon team in the Bull Run. I think they can be a Top 3 team,” Coach Huff said. “I know their record isn’t what they want it to be right now, but they are a really good team and they are well coached.”
After picking up wins over Madison, 55-30, on Jan. 3 and Stonewall Jackson, 65-41, on Monday night — Luray now stands at 3-0 in the Bull Run District and 7-2 overall. The Bulldogs are averaging 62.3 points per game — including 103 points against Lancaster on Dec. 21 — while allowing their opponents an average of 49.7 points.
Coach Huff hopes for a return trip to the VHSL Class 2 state tournament this season, but the modest coach says the remainder of the regular season won’t be easy and should prepare the Bulldogs well for the postseason. Up next, Luray heads to Rappahannock on Friday (7:30 p.m. tip) and travels to Strasburg on Saturday (6:30 p.m. tip), before hosting county-rival Page next Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. The girls game will follow the boys at 7:30 p.m.
“Last year with the emergence of Ryder and Christian, we really took off and it was fun… it’s going to be hard to repeat,” Coach Huff said on Tuesday. “No team in the Bull Run is a walk through… even Stonewall, you still have to play… so it’s a tough district, it prepares you for the region…but hopefully we can keep this train rolling.”
For schedules, rosters and results, check the Bull Run District website.
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