Region B Player of the Year posts game-high 23 points; Region A champion John Marshall comes to the Valley on Friday night for Class 2 semifinal
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, March 4 — It was almost looking like a repeat of Bruton. After upsetting the No. 1 seed to capture a region crown for a second consecutive year, Luray looked like it might be ending another magical postseason ride with a tough loss in the quarterfinal round of the VHSL Class 2 state tournament.
With just over four minutes left, Luray trailed by seven and the momentum was swinging toward the visiting Eagles of Greensville County. But a 10-4 run in the closing minutes and yet another three-pointer at the buzzer by Region B Player of the Year Matthew Owens put Tuesday’s state quarterfinal into overtime. Greensville committed five turnovers during the additional four-minute period, while Luray went on a 12-6 run and closed out their ticket to the “Final Four” going 6-of-8 at the free throw line.
“It’s unbelievable…those guys are really good…really good, really athletic,” LHS head coach Matt Huff said of the Region A runner-up. “Our goal, last year when we lost in this game, our goal was to come here tonight and win this game…and you know we were down [seven] late…we fought to come back and send that thing to overtime…and then back-and-forth in overtime. Just the grit of these guys, it’s a special group. It’s something that I will remember forever.”
A loud and spirited packed house backed the Bulldogs through 19 lead changes and 10 ties. The largest point difference in the first half was four points, and seven in the second half. Both teams shot 40 percent from the floor for the game, and each squad committed 10 total turnovers.
The back-and-forth battle began with a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter by Owens and junior Connor Hilliard. Senior Blake Jenkins added the first and last buckets of the frame, as Luray lead 10-9 after eight minutes. The Eagles got their last five points from junior Mekhi Phillips in the final two minutes of the first.
The second quarter alone featured eight lead changes and four ties, as buckets were traded until Greensville built a four-point lead in the final 48 seconds of the half. Luray only mustered two field goals and four free throws in the second, as the Bulldogs went to the break down, 20-18. While Luray had a number of shots rattle out of the rim offensively in the first half, it was their defense that kept the game close. Greensville entered the state tournament averaging nearly 70 points through their last six games.
Hilliard hit the floor hard in the second quarter, looking like he might not return; however, the junior came back to match Owens with eight points in the third quarter. Six different Eagles scored during the period, and the visitors extended their lead by two, 40-36, heading into the fourth. Greensville got five points in the third from senior Isaac Parker and senior Noah Rodgers.
The Eagles continued to slowly build on that lead, going up 47-40 with 4:11 left in the game. Hilliard posted seven points during a 10-4 run, including a three-pointer that brought the score to 51-50 with 1:45 left. A bucket by sophomore Ayden Haddock gave Luray the lead, 52-51, about 30 second later.
The next 30 seconds saw the Eagles sink two free throws and a bucket to go up by three, 55-52 with 45 seconds left. Two free throws by Jenkins and a bucket by Parker kept the difference at three, 57-54, with 12 seconds left. With :07.7 seconds on the clock, the Bulldogs inbounded the ball and got it to Owens. He hit from beyond the arc as the gymnasium erupted and the state quarterfinal went into overtime.
“We found something with that high ball screen and roll and we were rolling with it, and we finally hit a couple of threes. I mean all game we didn’t shoot the three ball well like we had in previous games, but we finally hit a couple of shots late and then attacked and got some layups and finally got a few free throws to go with it, and that was kinda the difference,” Coach Huff said of the fourth-quarter comeback. “And then Owens never shies from the big moment, hitting that big shot… he wanted it, we got it to him, and he buried it.”
In the four-minute overtime, there were four lead changes and a tie in less than two minutes. Owens and Jenkins would score all 12 of Luray’s points in the extra frame, while Phillips posted all six of Greensville’s points with two triples. His second three-pointer gave the Eagles a 63-61 advantage with 1:06 left in the overtime period. Luray went 5-of-6 at the stripe in the final minute, while Greensville had a crucial basket called off due to an offensive charge. Owens capped off the 69-63 OT win at the line.
“With a minute-and-a-half left, we tried to run that clock,” Huff said after Tuesday’s game. “We almost gave it away; we missed a layup. I was just like pull it back out…but luckily they missed their free throws [with 1:06 left], so we got the ball back and made free throws down the stretch to win it.”
Luray was lead by Owens’ game-high 23, followed by Hilliard with 18 and Jenkins with 16. Haddock added eight. The Bulldogs hit 16-of-18 at the free throw line (89 percent).
Greensville was lead by Parker with 21 points, followed by Phillips with 20 and Rodgers with 10. The Eagles only hit 10-of-16 free throws (62 percent).
With the win, Luray (21-7) advances to the “Final Four” of the state tournament. The Bulldogs will “host” the Justices of John Marshal (23-2) at a neutral site in the Valley on Friday, March 7 (time and location TBD). John Marshall defeated Region B runner-up Central of Woodstock on Tuesday night, 97-46.
Coach Huff fully realizes the tall task that the Region A champions present.
“David and Goliath…that’s what I’m going to tell the guys…but you know we’re gonna go out there and play,” Coach Huff said. “If we can make some shots, shoot a few deep or whatever, make a few plays…I don’t know how many stops we’re gonna be able get in because they are so big, but we’re gonna look at some film, figure something out and try to do something maybe they have never seen, and see what we can do.”
Coach Huff also knows that the Justices don’t really represent a level playing field for the Class 2 tournament.
John Marshall defeated Greenville, 118-59, in the Region 2A championship. The Justices averaged 126.7 points per contest during the region tournament, which surpasses their 105.5 ppg from the 2024 regionals and 113.7 ppg from the 2023 Region 2A tournament.
“They’ve got guys from North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia…but yet VHSL allows that, so it’s like what are we doing?” Coach Huff said on Tuesday night. “But yet guys that are in Fairfax can’t go to another Fairfax school. It’s a little crazy, but maybe they will change the rule and John Marshall will go up.”
John Marshall is currently ranked third among all schools in Virginia (all classifications), and ranked 13th nationally, according to MaxPrepSports.com
Region C champion Floyd County (20-5) will be playing Region D champion Graham (20-4) in the other VHSL Class 2 state semifinal on Friday. In the quarterfinal round, Floyd defeated Virginia High, 57-52; and Graham defeated Nelson County, 66-51.
For the VHSL Class 2 Boys Baksetball Tournament bracket, CLICK HERE.
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