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Facing a talented and athletic opponent, the Rockbridge County High School boys basketball team suffered a 72-33 home loss to Stuart Hall Friday night at Rock The Ribbon.
It was the eighth consecutive loss for the Wildcats (1-15), as Stuart Hall (9-2) jumped out to a 10-0 lead. RC never threatened to come back.
The Dragons hit four of their 10 3-pointers in the first quarter, taking a 24-7 lead. Stuart Hall slowed down a bit in the second quarter, but the visitors contained the Wildcats with their defensive press and led 35-14 at halftime. The Dragons got several baskets on offensive rebounds.
In the third quarter, the Wildcats picked up their offense, getting a 3-pointer each from Clay Irvine, Bradi Ziegler and Sam Ballstaedt for three of their four triples in the game. Stuart Hall also made three 3-pointers in the quarter, taking a 56-26 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Dragons maintained a comfortable lead for the rest of the game, allowing their reserves to play the final few minutes. J ust b efore t he fi nal b uzzer sounded, RC’s Brayden Camden hit a 3-pointer.
Luke Eversole led the Wildcats with eight points and grabbed three rebounds, while Camden scored seven points and had four boards and a steal. Ballstaedt, who was named the Wildcats’ most valuable player, scored six points. Also contributing were Ziegler with five points and five rebounds, Gardner Clement with four points, and Clay Irvine with a 3-pointer and a steal.
Leading the Dragons was Latham Fields with 14 points, while Owen Laver scored 11 points, and Malachi Payne chipped in nine.
RC did a better job taking care of the ball than in recent games, committing 15 turnovers, while Stuart Hall had eight.
Giving credit to the Dragons and his
