varsity.roanoke.com

Photos by KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Hidden Valley's Kayla Osborne (4) walks off the court while Turner Ashby players celebrate their win in the Group AA Division 4 semifinals.

Hidden Valley's Rachel Singleton (left) and Kayla Osborne (4) trap Turner Ashby's Alison Snider during Wednesday's game in Richmond..

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RICHMOND -- Rebound.

Hidden Valley could not do it in a girls basketball game Wednesday. Now the Titans must bounce back from something worse.

Turner Ashby ended Hidden Valley's two-year reign over Group AA basketball with a 57-45 victory over the Titans in a Division 4 semifinal at VCU's Siegel Center.

After the game, Hidden Valley's players were informed that head coach Brenda King -- who did not coach a game for the Titans after being diagnosed in October with cervical cancer -- died late Tuesday night at her home.

"None of our players knew of her passing until after the game today," Hidden Valley athletic director Chris Morris said. "We just felt as an administration that was the best thing for us to do, to allow them to go ahead and play the game without that hanging over their heads. They did a tremendous job."

Turner Ashby (27-1) entered the semifinal as a huge favorite, particularly considering the Knights' 62-29 victory Dec. 19 on the Titans' home floor, part of a 5-10 start for the two-time Group AA champions.

Instead of a blowout, Hidden Valley (17-12) used a 12-0 run to take a 36-34 lead late in third quarter.

Titans interim coach Randy Bush was not surprised.

"It's been a long time since I've been around a bunch of athletes that are as dedicated to their sport as this," Bush said. "They don't like to lose. When we were 5 and 10, that didn't sit well with them. They, themselves, in practice changed it. Our intensity level has gone through the roof the last couple months.

"From where we were then to where we are now, the only way I can describe is it's phenomenal."

Turner Ashby turned the tables; however, as the Titans were unable to keep the team from the Shenandoah Valley off the boards.

Junior forward Kirby Burkholder grabbed 18 rebounds -- 11 on the offensive end. Burkholder scored a game-high 17 points and led TA to a 49-26 edge overall on the boards, including a staggering 30 offensive rebounds.

"A lot of their shots came up short and we were just getting pushed underneath the rim which allowed them to get second shots," Hidden Valley forward Abby Redick said.

Trailing 36-34, Turner Ashby had six shots on one possession as Burkholder grabbed her own missed shot three times before hitting a stickback. Burkholder then hit two free throws with 4.9 seconds left to put the Knights up 38-36. Hidden Valley would not lead again.

Two baseline jumpers by Morgan Eye, two free throws by 6-foot-2 center Nikki Newman and another stickback by Burkholder pushed the lead to 46-38 with 4:25 to play.

"I think Kirby has the best rebounding instincts of any player that I've ever had," Turner Ashby coach Rob Lovell said. "It's pretty amazing, her ability to anticipate where the ball's coming off the rim."

Hidden Valley's got close once more at 48-42 on two free throws by Kayla Osborne and a layup by Jordan McDonald on a feed from Lindsay Divers, but two free throws apiece by Burkholder and Aven Thomas locked up Turner Ashby's berth in Saturday's 7 p.m. final against Loudoun County. Osborne finished with 14 points for Hidden Valley while McDonald added 10. Redick, a Virginia Tech signee who missed the entire regular-season and the River Ridge District tournament after summer knee surgery, finished with four points and eight rebounds in her final prep game.

"She's such a special talent that we knew coming into the game that she was going to make a big difference and I thought she did," said Lovell, a 1976 graduate of G.W. Carver High in Fieldale.

Bush had plenty on his mind in trying to prepare for Turner Ashby, beginning with the Knights' 33-point win in December.

"I think we were 9 of 48 shooting that first game ... 27 turnovers ... 10 of 27 from the free throw line," Bush said. "Take your pick. We tried to improve in all those areas."

While the Hidden Valley community knew King's health had taken a turn for the worse in the last week, Bush and assistants Bobby Beecher and Lindy Stetson were not expecting to deal with the death of the Titans' head coach on the eve of the state semifinal.

"I haven't slept," Bush said."I can't even put it into words. Not just me, coaches Stetson and Beecher, we put our heads together this morning and tried to come up with some sort of a game plan for what we would do after the game. Yeah, it's been a long day. It's been a long day."

TURNER ASHBY (27-1)

J.Burkholder 5-19 7-9 17, Thomas 3-7 3-4 9, Newman 3-10 2-7 8, Eye 3-7 0-0 6, Estes 3-7 0-0 6, C.Burkholder 1-9 1-2 3, Detamore 0-4 0-0 0, Snider 2-2 0-0 4, Groseclose 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Wetherell 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-66 13-22 57.

HIDDEN VALLEY (17-12)

Singleton 2-5 0-0 0, Divers 4-6 1-2 9, McDonald 5-8 0-0 10, Osborne 5-11 4-6 14, Crotty 0-3 2-2 2, Redick 1-7 2-2 4, Evans 0-1 2-2 2, Hamrick 0-0 0-0 0, Burke 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-41 11-14 45.

Turner Ashby 10 13 15 19--57

Hidden Valley 12 4 20 9 --45

3-point goals -- Turner Ashby 2-7 (Estes 2-2, Eye 0-1, Newman 0-1, Thomas 0-1, C.Burkholder 0-2), Hidden Valley 0-10 (Redick 0-1, Singleton 0-2, Crotty 0-2, Osborne 0-5). Rebounds -- Turner Ashby 49 (J.Burkholder 18), Hidden Valley 26 (Redick 8). Assists -- Turner Ashby 15 (Newman 6), Hidden Valley 7 (Osborne, Redick 2). Total fouls -- Turner Ashby 12, Hidden Valley 14. Fouled out -- none.