The Shadow
Alleghany started the week winless. They ended it on top of the Blue Ridge District.
Austin Lefler scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the decisive third quarter Thursday night as the Mountaineers turned away Lord Botetourt 48-44.
Coupled with a Tuesday win at Rockbridge, Alleghany now stands at 2-4 overall, but 2-0 in the BRD.
Tied 21-all at intermission, the Mountaineers used a 17-7 edge in the third to build a working margin.
“We had been battling, but we were getting killed on the boards,” said AHS coach Nolan Caldwell. “I really challenged our posts and those guys really stepped up. We rebounded it a lot better.”
And Lefler, battling the flu, took over offensively.
The junior scored four in a six-point run that started the quarter and four more in a 6-0 finish that gave the hosts a 38-28 lead.
“We struggled in the second quarter trying the get some good possessions,” said Caldwell. “Lefler stepped up in the third and got the offense going. Heck of a game, heck of an effort.”
Logan Hyler added a bucket in the third and assisted on two more.
“That’s their game,” Caldwell said of the Lefler-Hyler tandem. “They both can get to the basket.”
Alleghany still led by nine with 3:04 left in the game before Botetourt made things interesting.
Myles Gunter hit three 3-balls in the final quarter and a triple by Justin McIvor cut the margin to four (45-41) with a minute left.
But the Mountaineers made just enough free throws down the stretch.
Lefler made 2-of-4 and Nichols added 1-of-2 in the game’s final 55 seconds.
“We have to learn how to close things out a little better,” said Caldwell. “They dialed up the pressure and started pressing us.”
Lord Botetourt connected on just 6-of-28 from three-point range, including only 2-of-19 over the first three quarters.
“Covington had eight threes the last time we played them, Heritage had nine against us and Rockbridge had six or seven,” Caldwell observed. “It’s something we tried to work on in the last couple of practices. Botetourt is a very good shooting team — I think that is their strength. But I think we contested those threes tonight.”
Gunter led the Cavaliers with 21 points, while Ryan Fralin added seven.
Hyler joined Lefler in double digits for Alleghany with 10 points, while Carson Cogar added seven points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
Alleghany turned the ball over just 13 times in the game and didn’t commit a turnover in the third.
“The third was a good quarter,” Caldwell said. “The guys did a good job responding after halftime.”
Alleghany tries to avoid a three-game season sweep at the hands of Covington Monday night at Mountaineer Gym.
Thursday’s JV opener saw the Mountaineers move to 6-0 with a 59-46 victory.
Shawn Spinner led the winners with 18 points, while Chase Woodard added 13 points, nine assists and eight steals.
Keith Kakande scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds, while Hunter Smith put up nine points and grabbed nine boards. Seth Carter with four and Trey Honts with three rounded out the scoring for Alleghany.
Garrison Mayo had 14 points for Lord Botetourt.
