KVA melts down in semifinals loss to Epiphany
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Feb 07, 2020 8:16 PM
ROCKY MOUNT — A trip to the NCISAA Coastal Conference championship seemed probable for the Kerr-Vance Academy boys basketball team, who held a 46-37 lead over the Epiphany Falcons at the end of the third quarter.
But instead of celebration, dejection consumed the Spartans after the final buzzer, as a late rally from Epiphany sparked by several lackluster KVA possessions propelled them to a 59-55 victory on Friday evening.
“We didn’t do a great job of taking care of the ball,” KVA head coach Brandon Dickerson said. “We got into some foul trouble, and that kind of threw us off our game just a little bit, but it’s just one of those things. The ball didn’t go our way today.”
Dickerson has mainly used a six-man rotation throughout the 2019-20 season, which has required him to micromanage his players’ minutes so that they maintain their efficiency and avoid fatigue.
Lack of depth failed to hold back KVA in the first quarter, as the Spartans exploded to a 15-0 lead before a lapse on defense allowed Epiphany to drain an open three-point shot from the corner after four minutes of play.
KVA junior Chance Murphy was instrumental on offense, by draining multiple three-pointers while also finding junior R.J. Johnson and senior Andrew Hight underneath the basket on numerous occasions. All that helped KVA build a 32-21 lead at halftime.
“Taking care of the ball allowed us to get those easy shots,” Dickerson said. “We scored at the rim instead of taking contested shots outside, but we kind of went away from that, and it ended up hurting us in the fourth.”
KVA maintained control of the game in the third quarter, but flaws in their performance began to surface when Epiphany started knocking down more three-pointers of their own, all while KVA started taking more difficult shots inside and out.
Epiphany kept chipping away at the until they finally closed within a point of the lead inside of three minutes remaining. The Falcon took their first lead of the game a few moments later off another three-point shot, and kept it until the final buzzer.
KVA attempted to make one last push at reclaiming their advantage, but poor shot selection prevented them from matching Epiphany, who advanced into the final round of the NCISAA Coastal Conference tournament.
Dickerson said the Spartans would have emerged victorious if his players had kept their composure and stuck to the game plan, which he hopes isn’t issue again in the postseason.
“We have to do a better job of keeping our heads on straight,” Dickerson said.
KVA will now wait for a decision on where they will be placed in the NCISAA 1A playoffs, which are set to begin on Tuesday afternoon.
By Brandon White
bwhite@hendersondispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Feb 07, 2020 8:16 PM
ROCKY MOUNT — A trip to the NCISAA Coastal Conference championship seemed probable for the Kerr-Vance Academy boys basketball team, who held a 46-37 lead over the Epiphany Falcons at the end of the third quarter.
But instead of celebration, dejection consumed the Spartans after the final buzzer, as a late rally from Epiphany sparked by several lackluster KVA possessions propelled them to a 59-55 victory on Friday evening.
“We didn’t do a great job of taking care of the ball,” KVA head coach Brandon Dickerson said. “We got into some foul trouble, and that kind of threw us off our game just a little bit, but it’s just one of those things. The ball didn’t go our way today.”
Dickerson has mainly used a six-man rotation throughout the 2019-20 season, which has required him to micromanage his players’ minutes so that they maintain their efficiency and avoid fatigue.
Lack of depth failed to hold back KVA in the first quarter, as the Spartans exploded to a 15-0 lead before a lapse on defense allowed Epiphany to drain an open three-point shot from the corner after four minutes of play.
KVA junior Chance Murphy was instrumental on offense, by draining multiple three-pointers while also finding junior R.J. Johnson and senior Andrew Hight underneath the basket on numerous occasions. All that helped KVA build a 32-21 lead at halftime.
“Taking care of the ball allowed us to get those easy shots,” Dickerson said. “We scored at the rim instead of taking contested shots outside, but we kind of went away from that, and it ended up hurting us in the fourth.”
KVA maintained control of the game in the third quarter, but flaws in their performance began to surface when Epiphany started knocking down more three-pointers of their own, all while KVA started taking more difficult shots inside and out.
Epiphany kept chipping away at the until they finally closed within a point of the lead inside of three minutes remaining. The Falcon took their first lead of the game a few moments later off another three-point shot, and kept it until the final buzzer.
KVA attempted to make one last push at reclaiming their advantage, but poor shot selection prevented them from matching Epiphany, who advanced into the final round of the NCISAA Coastal Conference tournament.
Dickerson said the Spartans would have emerged victorious if his players had kept their composure and stuck to the game plan, which he hopes isn’t issue again in the postseason.
“We have to do a better job of keeping our heads on straight,” Dickerson said.
KVA will now wait for a decision on where they will be placed in the NCISAA 1A playoffs, which are set to begin on Tuesday afternoon.
