By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Feb. 18 — While it may not have been their best performance of the season, the Luray Bulldogs still beat visiting Madison County Tuesday night by 15 points.
The double-digit win, 45-30, propels Luray into the Bull Run title game on Thursday and improves their record to 23-1 — one of the best records ever posted by a LHS girl basketball team.
Once again, the Bulldogs were lead by sophomore Emilee Weakley. In addition to her team-high 23 points, Weakley recorded steals, blocks, assists and displayed tenacious effort scrambling for loose balls.
“Her motor never stops,” LHS head coach Joe Lucas said after Tuesday night’s win. “Every loose ball, every rebound…that’s what makes her so good.”
While Weakley has dominated this season, scoring more than 30 points in nearly a dozen games, the youthful team — with only one senior and one junior — has benefitted from the play of two freshmen as well.
Jaidyn McClung has constantly given the Bulldogs solid minutes this season and posted eight points in Tuesday night’s semifinal game.
“Sometimes I forget she’s a freshman,” Coach Lucas said. “She gives us something unique…she’s strong enough to play inside, but she can play on the perimeter if she needs to… she’s fearless.”
Fellow freshman Lindsay Bly also gave Luray some solid minutes in the first half as well.
“I remember seeing her in seventh grade… I couldn’t wait to coach her,” said Lucas, noting that Bly was injured during the first part of the season. “She’s one I think will be really, really good.”
Junior Brynlee Burrill had another strong game and scored nine points for Luray on Tuesday.
Madison was lead by sophomores Lindsay McDaniel and Kate McLearen, who both scored seven points each. Madison only shot 12-of-38 (31.6 percent) from the floor on the night.
Luray will play the winner of the Strasburg/Page game Tuesday night.
The Rams were hosting Page, who was within a point of the home team late in the game. A final score was not available by the time this article was posted.
Strasburg stands as the only team to beat Luray this season. While that loss was in Strasburg, Luray has earned the right to home court advantage throughout the playoffs, as they sit at the top of the Region 2B standings. That top seeding will carry over into the regional tournament, regardless of Thursday night’s outcome.
Thursday’s night’s action will kickoff with the Bull Run District JV girls championship at 6 p.m. Luray will host Page in a cross-county rivalry in the night’s opener. The varsity title game will follow about 7:30 p.m.
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