The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO is nicknamed the Falcons.
Ditto for Abingdon High School in Southwest Virginia.
Wednesday night at the Richlands Middle School, Cave Spring must have thought it was a military squadron that came at them in the opening quarter.
Abingdon made eight of its first nine shots to open the game, staking the Falcons to a 16-4 lead, and Cave Spring spent the rest of the night playing catchup, as Abingdon prevailed 65-57 to win the Region IV Division 3 semifinal.
“Abingdon hit 8 of their first nine shots, and we got off to a bad start,” Cave Spring head coach Billy Hicks noted afterward. “We started a comeback in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get the big shot to fall. Abingdon was as good a AA team that we played all season and they had three guys that were three of the best we’ve played.”
The big dagger for Cave Spring in the early-going came from Abingdon guard Chris Sigmon, who hit a pair of three-pointers and another two baskets for 10 points in the opening quarter that staked the Falcons to a 22-12 lead after the opening eight minutes.
“I wanted to get off to a strong start,” Sigmon said in the Falcon locker room. “We’ve been in some tight games and wanted to hold their offense. As the game went on, we became more confident.”
Abingdon led 33-18 at the break.
Cave Spring found some life at the end of the third quarter when freshman Brody Hicks scored on a 3-point play and fellow-freshman Jaret Lipps hit a stickback at the buzzer that cut the Falcon lead to 44-33 heading to the fourth quarter.
The Knights got to within five late in the final quarter on a Michael Colozza offensive rebound and stickback, but Cave Spring would get no closer as Abingdon hit its free throws down the stretch.
“We had the comeback going, but little things hurt us in the end,” Hicks added. “Missed free throws, a couple turnovers, and when we had to foul, we couldn’t get the right person to the line.”
“This was a big win for us, especially after the heartbreaker last year against
Cave Spring,” Falcon head coach B.J. Lasley said. Cave Spring had dropped Abingdon in the regional final in 2012 on a final-second Connor Baker three-pointer.
“In the first half, we played as well defensively as we’ve played all year,” Lasley added. “Offensively we were hitting shots and we held them to 18 points.”
“Cave Spring is famous for being strong at the end of the year. I was getting nervous when they cut it to five late in the fourth quarter.”
Terrell Simmons led the Cave Spring scoring with 12 points including 6 in the final comeback run. Baker added 11 for the Knights, while Lipps chipped in 9 and Jordan Bryant knocked down 7.
by Bill Turner
