varsity.roanoke.com

JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

James River's Jordan Talbott (right) fights for a loose ball against Dan River's R.J. Myers (left) during OT on Friday.

JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

James River's Patrick Bennett (34) scores against Dan River's Trey Edmunds on Friday afternoon.

varsity.roanoke.com

Timesland on Twitter

• twitter.com/timesland for the latest news and updates from across Timesland

RICHMOND -- If you're planning to visit Buchanan any time the next 24 hours or so, plan on a dull stay.

Nobody's home.

A huge proportion of the population of that end of Botetourt County just about ripped the roof off the Siegel Center with lung power when James River's boys played a VHSL Group A Division 2 semifinal with Dan River in a lunchtime matinee Friday.

The Knights play for the state title today after winning 52-50 in overtime.

Back in the final four for the third time in four years, James River earned its first trip to the finals since 1990 and is still seeking its first state basketball crown.

Dan River (14-9), last year's state runner-up, completed an unexpectedly outstanding postseason after starting it with a first-round loss in the Dogwood District tournament.

The Knights' championship game opponent is Buckingham County, a 42-39 winner over Lebanon in the other semi. The tip is scheduled for 5 p.m. today

Patrick Bennett blocked a shot in the closing seconds of regulation Friday to force the extra session and scored five more points in overtime to pull it out.

"It's a whole lot better feeling to be here this year than it was last year," Knights coach Mike Goad said.

James River left last year in misery after a last-second dash for the winning bucket gave Radford the 54-52 semifinal victory. The Bobcats went on to beat Dan River for the championship.

There was a clear sense of having seen it all before Friday when, with James River leading 52-50 in OT, Dan River's Reggie Stone dribbled furiously down the left side in an attempt to launch a potential tying shot for a second overtime. He never got it off .

"It was really scary," Bennett said. "Thank God it didn't go in. We were really blessed. We played the best defense in that situation we possibly could. The bounce went our way this time."

Bennett, one of four Knights to play all 36 minutes, had a three-point play and added another free throw in the extra session to finish 9-for-13 from the stripe and conclude with a game-high 19 points. He added nine rebounds.

Bennett's block with four seconds left in regulation on Raymond Hairston may have been the James River forward's biggest play.

"He did a good job of contesting that shot and blocking it. He did a fantastic job," Dan River coach Jacob Gruse said.

James River point guard Ethan Humphries started slowly but was there at the end when his team needed him.

Down by as many as seven points in the third quarter, James River came back behind Humphries, who had more turnovers (two) than points (zero) at halftime.

"I hadn't played a very good game," he said. "... Turnovers. A point guard is supposed to take care of the ball."

He did when it counted.

First, he drove into the middle of the Wildcats' defense and banked in a short one from the lane to make it 44-42, Dan River with 1:13 left. A possession later, Humphries was back in the paint again leaving his feet to feed an open Jordan Talbott for the tying layup.

"My teammates love the baseline," Humphries said. "They know I'm looking for them."

Humphries had no more giveaways after the third quarter and finished with seven points, seven assists, two blocks, and two steals. He buried three of four foul shots as his team was going 15-for-23.

"He's the type of kid -- what did he score, seven points, total? -- but he's probably responsible for 45 of their points," Gruse said. "He makes them go. He's just a clutch kid."

James River would need every bit of it after going 0-for-9 in the third quarter and spending 9:34 between field goals in a span covering the second, third, and fourth quarters.

DAN RIVER (14-9)

Stone 3-13 1-3 7, Hairston 1-9 2-2 5, Eldridge 5-14 0-1 10, Edmunds 6-13 3-5 15, Myers 4-8 2-4 10, Jones 1-2 1-2 3, Hunt 0-0 0-0 0, White 0-1 0-0 0, Brooks 0-0 0-0 0, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, Robertson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-60 9-17 50

JAMES RIVER (27-2)

Humphries 2-6 3-4 7, J. Bennett 5-11 0-0 10, Talbott 4-7 2-4 11, P. Bennett 5-8 9-13 19, Tucker 2-10 1-2 5, Brogan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 15-23 52

Dan River 4 12 15 13 6--50

James River 12 9 3 20 8--52

3-point goals -- Dan River 1-12 (Hairston 1-7, Stone 0-2, Jones 0-1, White 0-1, Eldridge 0-1), James River 1-7 (Talbott 1-4, J. Bennett 0-1, Rucker 0-2). Total fouls -- Dan River 18, James River 15. Fouled out -- Edmunds. Rebounds -- Dan River 39 (Eldridge 12), James River 32 (P. Bennett 9). Assists -- Dan River 8 (Hairston 3), James River 9 (Humphries 7).