Oakton junior Alex Marquis dribbles around a pick set by teammate Delaney Connolly (44) during the Cougars’ state semifinal loss to Bethel. Photo by Craig Sterbutzel.
The Oakton girls’ basketball team arrived in Richmond riding a 26-game win streak, having captured Conference 5 and 6A North region championships along the way.
But nothing could have prepared the Cougars for the shooting performance they would encounter in Friday’s state semifinal matchup with Bethel.
The Bruins knocked down a flurry of mid-range jumpers, shot better than 50 percent from the field and did not miss from 3-point range. Bethel started the game with an 11-0 run, led 17-4 in the opening quarter and held an 11-point advantage entering the fourth.
Oakton didn’t play poorly. Five players scored at least eight points, one player recorded a double-double, and the team showed resiliency in battling back from multiple double-digit deficits.
But at the end of the night, with a berth in the state final on the line, the Cougars would walk out of VCU’s Siegel Center with a parting gift in the form of a life lesson.
OAKTON’S STELLAR SEASON ended with a 73-63 loss to Bethel in the 6A state semifinals on March 13. The Cougars, who hadn’t lost since Dec. 4, had no answer for a Bruins team that shot 23-of-40 (58 percent) from the field and made all six of its 3-point attempts. Oakton pulled to within two when Alex Marquis’ three-point play cut the Bethel lead to 63-61 with 2:38 left in the fourth quarter, but the Bruins made 10 straight free throws in the final 90 seconds to clinch the win.
“What I did tell them [after the game] is that sometimes you give your very best and it’s not enough, and that’s a lesson not only for basketball but for life,” Oakton head coach Fred Priester said. “All you can ever do is the very best that you could, and they did. We got off to a slow start and they just continued to hit shots. ... They were hard to stop.”
Bethel scored the game's first 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers from guard Kayla James, and led 17-4 late in the first quarter.
“I think it was kind of just nerves in the beginning,” Marquis said. “We all knew we could play better and we finally just came together and started playing like we know how to play together and it started working for us.”
Oakton pulled to within six at halftime and trailed 32-28 when Karlie Cronin scored early in the third quarter, but Bethel extended the lead to 11 by the end of the period.
The Cougars were down 12 with 7:09 left when they made their final push. Oakton went on a 9-0 run and outscored Bethel 17-7 over the a 4-minute, 31-second stretch, cutting the Bruins’ lead to 63-61 with Marquis’ three-point play.
After Bethel missed a pair of free throws, Oakton had the chance to tie or take the lead with 2:28 remaining, but the Cougars turned it over. The Bruins then pulled away by making 10 consecutive free throws.
James finished with 21 points for Bethel. She shot 7-of-8 from the field and made all five of her 3-point attempts. Kyra Williams also scored 21 points and made 11 of 12 free-throw attempts.
“They played a great game,” Cronin said. “We just tried to keep our composure throughout. They were shooting lights out and it’s hard to keep up with them.”
Marquis, a junior, and sophomore Delaney Connolly each finished 16 points for Oakton. Connolly finished with a double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds.
Cronin, a senior, scored 13 points, and senior Lindsey Abed and sophomore Maddie Royle each added eight.
OAKTON FINISHED the season with a 27-2 record and only one loss to an in-state opponent.
“I’m certainly proud of what this team did all season,” Cronin said. “I thought we grew as it went on. It wasn’t our best game but we still played really well and I’m sad of how it came to an end. I love this team.”
The Cougars will lose Cronin (SMU) and Abed (University of Hartford) to graduation, but will return a trio of standouts.
“I think we have a good group returning,” Priester said. “We’ve got some big holes to fill --- Karlie will be a big hole to fill, Lindsey will be a big hole to fill --- but we have Alex and Delaney and Maddie. They’ll learn from this. Are we going to be back again? I don’t know. But they’ll learn something from here that has nothing to do basketball.
“Like I told you, sometimes you give your very best, you do everything you can, you do all your preparation, you show up on time, you do all the things people say you’re supposed to do and it’s just not good enough. That’s a lesson way beyond basketball.”