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| Battlefield’s record-breaking run ends against Oscar Smith in Virginia 6A semis | Battlefield’s record-breaking run ends against Oscar Smith in Virginia 6A semis |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| RICHMOND — Before Oscar Smith sank one of its final six free throws to ice a 72-62 victory during Tuesday’s Virginia 6A boys’ basketball state semifinal, Blake Pagon took his spot on the block and blankly stared into the stands. A cotton swab plugged the Battlefield swingman’s right nostril while a white bandage strip covered a cut just below his eye, two of several wounds sustained during a physical playoff contest that matched the game’s high stakes. | RICHMOND — Before Oscar Smith sank one of its final six free throws to ice a 72-62 victory during Tuesday’s Virginia 6A boys’ basketball state semifinal, Blake Pagon took his spot on the block and blankly stared into the stands. A cotton swab plugged the Battlefield swingman’s right nostril while a white bandage strip covered a cut just below his eye, two of several wounds sustained during a physical playoff contest that matched the game’s high stakes. |
| Though the outcome marked a stark contrast from Battlefield’s march up to this point — the Bobcats had won nine of their previous 10 games by at least 10 points — the literal blood, sweat and eventual tears mirrored the No. 12 Bobcats’ arduous journey during the best season in school history. | |
| “What this team did was special. The way we came together this season, especially toward the end of the season, we truly played as a team,” said Shonari Street, who scored 13 points. “Region champs, advancing to the final four, it speaks for itself.” | “What this team did was special. The way we came together this season, especially toward the end of the season, we truly played as a team,” said Shonari Street, who scored 13 points. “Region champs, advancing to the final four, it speaks for itself.” |
| The momentum from their historic run sparked the Bobcats (22-7) early in Tuesday’s game. Unfazed by the bigger stage at Virginia Commonwealth’s Siegel Center, sophomore Brayden Gault scored nine of his team’s first 14 points in helping Battlefield build a quick lead. | |
| Though the Tigers (24-4), led by the imposing defense of sophomore Nyzaiah Chambers (10 rebounds, 11 blocks), would close the half on a 14-6 run to take the lead, Battlefield would respond after the break. In a game that featured bloodied noses, busted chins and three stoppages to clean up the floor, the Bobcats stood strong, using their physical brand of play to create points at the foul line and build a 48-41 third-quarter lead. | Though the Tigers (24-4), led by the imposing defense of sophomore Nyzaiah Chambers (10 rebounds, 11 blocks), would close the half on a 14-6 run to take the lead, Battlefield would respond after the break. In a game that featured bloodied noses, busted chins and three stoppages to clean up the floor, the Bobcats stood strong, using their physical brand of play to create points at the foul line and build a 48-41 third-quarter lead. |
| [Senior swingman Blake Pagon does it all for Battlefield] | [Senior swingman Blake Pagon does it all for Battlefield] |
| “They went hard the whole time, and we went hard, too,” said Gault, who finished with 20 points. “In the end, we just didn’t get enough.” | |
| The same free throw opportunities that ignited the Bobcats ultimately doomed them. While the Tigers knocked down 12 of their 13 foul shots in the fourth quarter, Battlefield missed four of its seven attempts, ending its season just short of another milestone. | |
| “We wish we could go a little bit further,” an emotional Pagon said. “But at the end of the day, it was a great run with a great group of guys.” | “We wish we could go a little bit further,” an emotional Pagon said. “But at the end of the day, it was a great run with a great group of guys.” |