Scoring runs can be critical in any level of basketball.
Such was the case Thursday night in the Cave Spring gym as the Knights used a late second quarter surge to knock off Lord Botetourt 75-57.
Cave Spring led 21-15 after one quarter, then watched as Botetourt got hot from the field to tie things at 23. Cave Spring responded by stepping up on offense and defense to end the first half on a 13-1 run to head to the locker room up 36-24.
Botetourt got close on several occasions early in the third quarter, but overcoming the 12-point deficit proved to be too much in the long run. Cave Spring led by 18 points after three quarters and the teams played to a 19-point stalemate in the fourth to secure the final margin.
One reason for Cave Spring’s offensive success came from junior Adnan Jasarevic who poured in a career-best 23 points, including a quartet of bombs from behind-the-arc that all came at key times.
“My shot just felt good tonight,” Jasarevic, known for his long-range prowess and stingy defense said after the win. “But, the big thing was my teammates were getting me the ball.”
“Adnan played so well and was so confident,” Cave Spring head coach Jacob Gruse echoed. “I was really proud of his overall effort. He shot the ball well. I love his game.”
“I was also excited about the way Parker Huffman played,” Gruse added. “He really played hard. 22 points and 20 rebounds.”
Huffman, also a junior, had a second quarter slam and hang that ignited the Cave Spring crowd during the Knight rally. Fellow junior Jalen Buster rounded out the Cave Spring double-digit scoring by canning 15 points.
Lord Botetourt also had a trio of underclassmen in double digits. Junior Evan Eller led the Cavs with 19 points, while sophomore Jamison Foley netted 17 and junior Mason Wheeling finished with 12.
Cave Spring improved to 11-4 on the season. Botetourt fell to 4-8.
Bill Turner