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The Rockbridge County High School boys basketball team concluded its season with a 59-33 home loss to Valley District rival East Rockingham on Saturday afternoon in Lexington.
With the loss, the Wildcats (1-22 overall, 0-14 district) finished the year on a 15-game losing streak.
East Rockingham (13-9, 6-7), which had beaten RC 78-59 on Dec. 9 in Elkton, got off to a 6-0 lead in the first minute, with back-to-back 3-pointers. The Eagles took a 15-8 lead into the second quarter and made a couple more 3-pointers to go up by double digits. At halftime, ER led 30-15.
The Eagles continued to build their lead in the third quarter, hitting shots and forcing turnovers to stretch their lead to 44-22 by the end of the quarter.
The Wildcats got a bit of a spark from Brady Edwards in the fourth quarter, as the senior center hit a 3-pointer and scored on a putback, but ER stayed comfortably ahead. Both teams put in their reserves in the final minutes.
Bradi Ziegler led RC with 10 points, while Edwards scored eight points, hitting two 3-points. Gardner Clement had four points, while Sam Ballstaedt, Luke Eversole and Noah Hamm each chipped in three points.
Camden Clem led the Eagles with 22 points, knocking down four 3-pointers, while Michael Smith added eight points. Trestan Jones and Trey Moore each chipped in six points for ER.
The Eagles made eight 3-pointers, while the Wildcats hit four.
RC committed 17 turnovers, while ER had nine.
In a rebuilding year, RC’s lone win came in the Titan Basketball Invitational on Dec. 21 at Hidden Valley High School in Roanoke, when the Wildcats overcame Franklin County 49-44.
The Wildcats will miss their eight seniors: Ballstaedt, Clement, Edwards, Eversole, Hamm, Ethen Camden, Clay Irvine and Zane Ramsey.
For the full story and photos from this week’s action, with a season wrap-up, please see our Feb. 19 newspaper.
