By BRIAN WOODSON
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLAND, Va. — It’s state tournament time. Reaching that point of the season has become a common occurrence for the Lady Bears.
“It definitely never gets old,” Bland County senior Laurel Hankins said. “It is always exciting.”
That excitement will continue today as the Mountain Empire District and Region C champion Lady Bears (22-2) meet Cumberland District champs and Region D runner-up Ervinton (23-4) in the Group A, Division 1 state quarterfinals at Salem Civic Center. Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m.
“Every team you play from here on out is decent,” Bland County senior Kirby Mustard said. “You don’t get anybody that is not good, we just want to come out and play our hardest and get a win.”
Today’s winner advances to Richmond next Thursday to play in the Division 1 state semifinals against either Altavista and Surry County. It would be the Bears’ third straight visit to the capital city.
“We’re trying to work hard, but as we’re working hard, we’re trying to have fun,” Hankins said. “Coach has made sure to tell us that not many teams are playing right now so we’re trying to enjoy it, but we’re trying to work our butts off to get back to Richmond.”
They’ll have to in this one. While Bland County has won 16 straight games — with their only losses coming to MED foe Narrows — the Rebels are also on a high, making their first-ever state tourney appearance behind talented senior post player Kelly Rasnick and junior guard Chelsea Hill.
Rasnick has exceeded 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career for the rural Dickenson County school. The Rebels’ lone defeats this season have been to Haysi, St. Paul, Castlewood and unbeaten J.I. Burton.
“I think they have one of the best players in the state, the Rasnick girl is pretty talented,” Lambert said. “They’ve got a couple of other girls too.
“I have seen them play, they’re solid, they’re going to be a little bit bigger than we are, but this time of year everybody at this level is good. If you don’t show up to play, you’re going home.”
Bland County reached the state finals last season — losing to Buffalo Gap — with the help of three post players. They have none this year, but the Bears have compensated with defense, crashing the boards, shooting 3s and making pressure free throws, all the signs of a veteran group full of determination.
“This group of kids is a lot different than the last two,” Lambert said. “The last few years we have had some size, but this year we don’t have any size, but with what we don’t have in size, they really make up for in effort.”
It also helps to have an entire starting lineup of seniors, including Hankins and Mustard — who combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter of last week’s Region C championship game win over Narrows. Sam Magyar — who has been on a tear from 3-point range in recent games — Kayla Dillow and Erika Duncan also provide experienced play for the Bears.
“My goal, and I have told these girls all year long, keep it close to the fourth quarter and then our experience will show,” Lambert said. “That is our main goal is to keep to close through the fourth quarter and then hopefully we’ll make free throws and do all the right things ... .
“I think this time of year if you have kids that know the game and can handle a little bit of pressure, I think you can beat about anybody. Plus you add a group of that can shoot the ball fairly well, and hopefully our size won’t matter.”
With such a small team, the Bears like to fire up the 3s, although they have also shown the ability to move the ball around and get open shots in the lane despite their smallish size.
“We’ve become strictly a jump shooting team, but it’s addictive,” Lambert said. “In the Galax (regional) game, Laurel went out with an injury, and in five straight possessions we had four girls make five different 3s.
“It’s addictive when you’re shooting, but it can go the other way too.”
Hankins, who is Bland County’s leading scorer, has often been forced inside this season, but Magyar and Mustard have been especially effective from long range. So have others, including Jessica Blessing and Katie Tate off the bench.
“Everybody knows they’re going to try and shut down Laurel and Kirby and now Samantha, but I still have two or three other girls that can light it up at times when they want to,” Lambert said. “If they are shooting the ball well, they can light it up.”
Making those shots in Bland’s small gym is commonplace, but doing it at the 7,000-plus seat venue in Salem could be a challenge. The Bears have, however, grown used to being on the big stage, and that could definitely be an advantage for them.
“I think the biggest difference when we first got there was playing in the bigger gyms so hopefully we’ll go there and try to ignore the huge surroundings,” Hankins said. “I think we should be getting used to it by now, but it’s still an experience because it is so much bigger than here.
“I think we’ll have a good crowd behind us.”
Definitely. Bland County has a small population, but many of those residents will be on Salem today.
“I couldn’t say enough about the support this community gives us,” Lambert said. “Bland County has always been good at supporting their athletes. I’ve seen more people out this year and I don’t even know who they are.”
Hankins added, “I think they are pretty excited, everywhere we go out you see signs out there telling us good luck. It has been great, they have supported us forever now.”
The Rebels await, with a trip to Richmond to the winner. The Bears are ready.
“We know a little bit about them ... but we have never played them so we’ll have to be ready,” Hankins said. “We have to definitely rebound Saturday and hopefully we’ll play hard and be ready, but most of all, I think we have to rebound and play defense.
“If we play hard defense, I think we’ll be all right.”
—Contact Brian Woodson
at bwoodson@bdtonline.com
