varsity.roanoke.com

James River's Patrick Bennett celebrates during the final seconds. The senior scored a game-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds. The Knights were 100-12 in his four years.

Photos by JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

James River senior guard Ethan Humphries attempts to elude Buckingham County's Tarian Ayers.

James River High's Andrew Tucker celebrates with teammates after defeating Buckingham County for the VHSL Group A Division 2 title.

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RICHMOND -- A real sacrifice was made Saturday night.

"We had tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld down at the civic center," said Mike Goad while putting an arm around Ethan Humphries seated to his right. "Front row. Had to pass them up, though."

Goad, the basketball coach at James River, and Humphries his star point guard had another more pressing appointment at the Seigel Center on the other side of the state.

Sorry, Seinfeld.

No joke: James River didn't need a punch line to finish off Buckingham County 47-43 in the VHSL Group A Division 2 final.

All the Knights needed was five players. Patrick Bennett, his brother John, Jordan Talbott, Andrew Tucker and Humphries brought home some brand new hardware to decorate the trophy case.

It was the first state hoops crown for the Knights, who succeeded in closing the deal this time after falling in the 1990 and 1978 finals when the classification was still united.

Just as it had to in its 52-50 semifinal win over Dan River, James River (28-2) had to weather a third-quarter downdraft. This time, James River again emerged from intermission with a sputtering offense and ended the quarter shooting 1-for-9 from the floor and getting outscored 12-2. The Knights saw a 32-23 halftime lead turn into a 35-34 deficit entering the fourth quarter.

"Couldn't buy a bucket," Goad said. "We felt like some of our shots weren't the best shot selections. But then, when we did get some good shot selections, it still didn't go in."

Buckingham County (21-4) pushed the lead to 38-34 on Taylor Boyers' triple from the top of the key with 3:40 left, but that was the last time his team seized the initiative. After an exchange of possessions, Humphries drove the lane and spun for the layup to make it 38-36.

A little more than a minute later, Humphries hit his only trey of the game to put James River up 40-38.

"It was just confidence," Humphries said. "During warm-ups, I was bricking everything. The game didn't go so well. Then in the fourth, I felt something special."

Buckingham never regained the lead.

Talbott, Humphries and then Tucker sank seven of James River's last eight foul shots to close things out. James River made 11-of-15 from the stripe for the game. Talbott and Humphries were a combined 7-for-9 for the game.

"Give James River credit for hitting those free throws down the stretch and making that last little push," Buckingham County coach Russ Gowin said.

That closing kick was worth not only the big trophy but also the program's 100th win balanced against 12 defeats during the past four years. Not so coincidentally, those years marked the careers of Patrick Bennett, Humphries, and Tucker.

Bennett finished with a game-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds, but was stymied in the second half by clogging defenses that shifted from zone to man-to-man.

"Pretty much in the first half, I got out on the break and pretty much got to finish uncontested," said Bennett, who played his last game of organized basketball. "After that, they really focused on bodying me up, pushing me on rebounds, or whatever it was.

"The refs let them do it, which was fine. They took me out of the game pretty much, but other people stepped up."

Most prominently Humphries, who scored seven of his 13 points in the second half and added seven assists (giving him 14 his last two games), six rebounds, and four turnovers.

Talbott hit the team's other 3-pointer, made five of 10 shots, and scored 14 points.

James River got off to a great start, making 14 of 22 shots before halftime. The team would need the cushion after the third quarter it had.

"We weathered the storm," Goad said.

The real storm was all the rain back home that had the big river that rolls through Buchanan jumping its banks.

"It's going to be a celebration on the way back," Goad said. "Maybe the town will flood before we get there, I don't know. We're going to take our time getting back from Richmond."

JAMES RIVER (28-2)

J. Bennett 0-2 0-0 0, P. Bennett 7-14 1-2 15, Tucker 1-3 3-4 5, Humphries 4-10 4-6 13, Talbott 5-10 3-3 14. Totals 17-39 11-15 47.

BUCKINGHAM COUNTY (21-4)

Boyers 7-14 0-2 16, Jones 0-6 1-2 1, Eldridge 4-8 2-2 11, Ayers 3-8 0-2 7, Bolden 1-1 0-0 2, White 2-3 0-0 6, Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-39 11-15 43.

James River 15 17 2 13--47

Buckingham County 9 14 12 8--43

3-point goals -- James River 2-8 (Humphries 1-3, Talbott 1-4, Tucker 0-1), Buckingham County 6-14 (White 2-3, Boyers 2-5, Eldridge 1-2, Ayers 1-3, Harris 0-1). Rebounds -- James River 23 (Bennett 8), Buckingham County 27 (Boyers 11). Total fouls -- James River 10, Buckingham County 16. Fouled out -- Jones, Boyers.