Cave Spring center Josh Henderson was fighting off some inconvenient maladies Tuesday afternoon. He had a case of tonsillitis and was taking antibiotics. He also was recovering from a turned ankle suffered against Waynesboro in Saturday’s state quarterfinal and needed to ease the discomfort.
But, all of this was nothing compared to the problem New Kent faced. They had to contend with a big dose of Josh Henderson. Playing a superb game at both ends of the court, Henderson poured in 31 points, pulled down 22 rebounds and ruled the paint as Cave Spring pulled away in the fourth quarter for the 71-59 win in the Group AA Division 3 boys semifinal at VCU’s Siegel Center in Richmond.
Next up for the Knights is a 1:00 p.m. Saturday rematch with Brunswick High School as Cave Spring looks to repeat as state champions. Ironically, it was Brunswick that Cave Spring defeated in overtime to claim the 2009 title. Brunswick advanced Tuesday evening with a come from behind victory over Northside.
New Kent was seen as a big obstacle for the Knights as the Trojans had occupied the number one spot in AA polls most of the season, opening with 21 straight wins.
But, New Kent Head Coach Ed Allen wryly admitted this was a different challenge for his talented squad. “We could never get our offense going,” Allen said after the game. “There is no way to prepare for Josh Henderson.”
Allen also heaped praise on Cave Spring’s Adam Hager. “He’s the best defender we faced,” the coach noted. Hager blanketed Trojan standout Steven Allen, the coach’s son, most of the game while holding him to 5 points before the clearly frustrated Allen fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Henderson had plenty of help when New Kent looked to overplay him as Clay Lacy added a masterful 22 points and 11 rebounds. Hager and fellow-guard Mark Overstreet each chipped in 9 points.
Cave Spring led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter and, after a New Kent run tied the game at 20, the Knights scored the final 5 points to take a 25-20 lead into halftime.
The action picked up to start the third quarter with both teams running the court and scoring in rapid-fire succession. Cave Spring opened a 7-point lead on two occasions before New Kent hit a three- pointer to knot the score at 45 late in the frame. The Knights led 50-47 heading to the fourth after a quarter that saw both teams combine for 52 points.
Cave Spring used a 17-5 run to start the fourth quarter, opening a commanding 67-52 advantage as foul problems began to plague the Trojans. Down the stretch the Knights were content to use the clock to their advantage in closing out the win.
Knight’s Head Coach Billy Hicks attributed much of the win to his team’s toughness. “We’ve been in the Final-Four two years in a row,” Hicks said. “We have a lot of big-game experience.”
Saturday, the Knights hope to close with a second straight state title as twelve Cave Spring seniors will take to the court for their final game.
Story and photo by Bill Turner [email protected]
