Cave Spring HS, Roanoke, VA –
Senior nights can be distracting. Putting together a win against an opponent can’t be, if you plan on winning. You have to take care of business or you’ll be in the business of wondering how you got beat. Cave took care of the job at hand Wednesday night with at 74-59 win over the Glenvar Highlanders. The win was their second over the 2A Roanoke County high school this season.
Cave Spring Coach Jacob Gruse was glad that he could send his upperclasseman off with a win,
“As a coach, I love Senior night but you never know what you’re going to get either. But to be able to send our Seniors out like that was tremendous.”
The big story for Cave Spring was the offensive prowess of Senior G 5 Charlie Urgo. “Number five” got going early and never let up, in route to twenty seven
Cave Spring G 5 Charlie Urgo lights up the scoreboard
points. Coach Gruse was happy for the young man, “He will always remember Senior night with a career high twenty seven (points).” On the other side of the ledger, was one G 3 Steph Barber. The Junior is one of the quickest
Glenvar G 3 Steph Barber displays great body control on a drive and score
Knight Head Coach Jacob Gruse gives his troops sideline instruction
players around and can really get to the rack… and he is a very good finisher. Coach Gruse took notice, “(Barber is) so strong, so athletic, and quick…. can get to the bucket, and shoot the jumper.” Barber and Urgo squared off quite a bit, but when guarding someone like Barber, you are going to have to get some help from time to time. The Knights provided that in the form of three charging fouls, drawn on Barber throughout the contest. The Highlander Junior finished with nineteen points, which is thirteen under his average. Another bright spot for the Highlanders was G/F 5 Christian Housh. The Junior buried four threes on his way to 18 points on the night.
Highlander G/F 5 Christian Rouse drives for two of his eighteen on the night
First Half – Opening the game with the Knight’s five Seniors starting – G 5 Charlie Urgo, G 2 Cameron Bishop, G/F 3 Jacob Tozier, G/F 31 Walker Swanson, and big man, C 44 Akan Ndem – Cave was up to the task. Meanwhile, Glenvar started cold. The Knights ran out to an eight to zip lead, all from G 5 Urgo. Glenvar didn’t get their first bucket to go down until the 4:16 mark, with nearly half the first quarter gone. Getting shots wasn’t the issue for the visitors, as Coach Mann’s club took plenty, they just weren’t going in. The Glenvar coach didn’t pull any punches. “(We) took a lot of shots the first quarter… (If) we make just half of those, we are in the game.”
G 0 Aiden Alexander goes strong in the paint
The Highlanders were 3 for 16 from the field in the first quarter alone. That kind of shooting coupled with an opponent like Cave, spells a big hole to dig out of for a Knight opponent.
Urgo readies to launch a three
The Senior G 5 Urgo, on the other hand, was stroking his jumper. He was 3/5 from three and 1/2 inside the arc early on. When Cave Spring’s regular season starters were inserted into the game at 1:37, the Knight Seniors had provided a pretty fair cushion. The Quarter ended 17-6 Cave Spring.
Cave G/F 14 Stark Jones attempts to throw one down on a fast break
In the second quarter, Cave began to use their size advantage to get the higher percentage shots. Sophomore C/F 24 Dylan Saunders found pay dirt three times around the bucket.
Knight F 12 Bryce Cooper takes a charge on G 3 Barber
At 5:27, the 6’8” Sophomore got the first official, in game, dunk (see the cover) at the new gym, and the Knights were excited. Barber worked hard to get his next two but by then the lead had grown to 32-15 for the Knights. Adding salt to Glenvar’s wound, Senior Point Guard 2 Cameron Bishop got into the mix with two ‘threes’ on back to back trips. Cave led at the midpoint 38-21. G 5 Urgo finished the half with eighteen points, while Glenvar G 3 Steph Barber had collect ten points.
G 3 Steph Barber plays up around the rim
Second Half –
Glenvar settled down in the second half and really worked the boards, but couldn’t make up any ground on Coach Gruse’s club.
G 3 Barber picked up his third foul, on a charge, at the 5:04 mark of the third quarter, sending him to the pine, which hamstrung the visitors ability to reduce the margin of difference. G 5 Urgo and G 2 Bishop both picked up long range buckets in the third quarter and the Knight’s continued to keep the game well in hand. Cave did a good job of working the middle against Glenvar’s 3-2 zone, and then kicking or skipping the ball out for open looks. In the final quarter the “Senior five” returned to play, only to be ceremoniously taken out of the game one by one at the end, to an standing ovation by the limited attendees.
Cave G 5 Charlie Urgo can score going to the bucket as well
After the game Coach Mann was pragmatic, “We probably won’t see anybody close to that (Cave Spring) right there until we get to Radford or somebody like that (in the playoffs). If we can fix our end (our own issues) I think we will be okay.”
Glenvar C 20 Nick McMahon protects the rim in the fourth quarter
Cave Spring has one more regular season game with rival Hidden Valley Friday at home. Glenvar’s regular season is over and the Highlanders await who they will play this coming Monday in the regionals.
Cave Spring – Urgo 27 pts (3-FG, 5-3ptrs, 6/7 FTs) Bishop 11 pts (1-FG, 3-3ptrs) Saunders 10 pts (4-FGs, 2/2 FTs) Cooper 8 pts (4-FGs) Jones 8 pts (4-FGs) Tozier 6 pts (2-3 ptrs) Ndem 2 pts (1-FG) Griffiths 2 pts (1-FG)
Glenvar – Barber 19 pts (9FGs, 1/1 FT) Housh 18 pts (2-FGs, 4-3ptrs, 4/4 FT) Johnson 7 pts (2-FGs, 1/1 FT) Hendricks 6 pts (2-FG, 2/3 FTs) Crouch 4 pts (1-FG, 2/2 FTs) Bell 3 pts (1-3ptr) Wiley 2 pts (1 FG)
