Viking Girls Bruise Pride, 64-39

By Garrett Downing

Sunday, January 20, 2008

In perhaps its strongest showing of the season, the Loudoun Valley girls' basketball team beat Heritage 64-39 Saturday night.

The Vikings (4-10, 1-6 AAA Cedar Run) handled the Pride (7-7, 5-2 AA Dulles) throughout the game, only allowing Heritage to get within 19 points of them in the second half.

"Tonight, they saw their full potential," Loudoun Valley head coach Jen Piccolimini said. "They saw what they are capable of, and that is what we should be doing every night."

Loudoun Valley led by 24 at halftime and then cruised through the second half to earn the victory. The Vikings spread the ball around to a number of players, and received double-digit scoring from three of them.

Junior Jessica Mullen and senior Perrin Raudabaugh each scored 14 points for the Vikings. Sophomore Di Di Haracic wasn't far behind, scoring 12. Raudabaugh brought her long-range game, knocking down two three-pointers.

"We wanted to attack the basket and not let up," Piccolomini said. "That was our goal and they did a great job of that."

The Vikings' offense found success while the team also created problems for Heritage on the defensive end, forcing the Pride to take shots away from the hoop and out of their comfort zone.

Although most of the Heritage offense struggled, freshman Necole Sterling was able to find the weak spots in the Vikings' defense and put points on the board.

In the second half, she made nearly everything, hitting four three-pointers to finish with 22 points. No other player scored in double figures for the Pride.

The Vikings' win gives them momentum as they head through the district for a second time. Loudoun Valley switched to the Cedar Run District this year, and they have to adjust to the new teams.

Piccolimini has stressed to her players the difficulty of competition they have faced throughout the season.

"We have been saying it all year long," she said. "The kids really don't see it yet, but we have been playing against great teams all year long."

After playing a Class AA opponent, Loudoun Valley returns to action against a district foe next week. The Vikings travel to Battlefield on Friday.

"We are able to play that way all the time," Piccolomini said of the win. "To come out and be able to play the way we did, it speaks a lot about our kids."

Tagged: basketball, Heritage High School, high school sports, Loudoun Valley High School

Your Thoughts...

As the financial crisis has worsened, have you found yourself avoiding a peek at your retirement accounts?