Liberty boys surge past Lancers

Liberty’s boys basketball team held Amherst’s leading scorer Jordan McCray to three points in a 69-57 Seminole District triumph, Monday night at home.

“We put Tyler Gilchrist on him and Tyler did a heckuva job,” Liberty coach Jeff Monroe said. “He doesn’t score much, but he played great defense and set the tone.”

Carlton “Boo” Payne, who is averaging a double-double in scoring and rebounding, netted 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Chris Harmon led all scorers with 20 points and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds. Payne and Harmon also combined to block five shots.

The Minutemen opened a 20-point lead in the third quarter before struggling to put the Lancers away, shooting 5 for 14 from the foul line as a team.

“They didn’t quit,” Monroe said. “They cut it down to 10 at one time. We knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.”

Mario Vaughan sank four of his five 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 16 points to lead the Lancers (3-3, 1-2).

“That’s the most talented team (coach) Eddie (Carter has) had over there for the past few years,” Monroe said of Amherst. “He’s used to having football players playing basketball and now he has basketball players playing basketball.

“They’re athletic enough they could cause people some problems,” he added. “We were trying to slow them down somewhat. We pressed them a little bit. We played well, we just didn’t finish the game the way we should have.”

Once missing as many as four key players due to injury or illness, the Minutemen should be back to full strength for Thursday’s game at Rustburg, with Kordero Thompson, who injured his knee late in the football season, being cleared to practice today.

Jefferson Forest 48, Rustburg 46, OT

Brandon Harrison hit the tying score with 1.3 seconds left in regulation and the game-winner with 2.6 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Jefferson Forest to a dramatic Seminole District home victory.

After losing senior guard Jeff Miller, who moved out of the area over the winter break, the Cavaliers (5-4, 3-1 Seminole) trailed by five points with a minute to go in regulation.

Rustburg (3-4, 1-2) got a game-high 20 points from Antoine Davis.

Brookville 57,

Staunton River 27

Jared King sank five of the Bees’ 10 3-pointers, which accounted for the difference in a 30-point road win over the Golden Eagles, who led 6-4 after the first quarter.

King finished with a game-high 17 points, followed by Logan Thomas, who tallied 16 two days after playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl football all-star game in San Antonio.

Girls basketball

William Campbell 54, Gretna 44

Samantha Younger scored 15 points and made six steals and Amber Marstin had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Generals (3-8, 1-2) notched their first Dogwood District victory and dealt the Hawks (6-4, 2-1) their first.

Amber Fitzgerald racked up 15 points and 13 rebounds for Gretna, which also got six points and 14 rebounds from Samantha Butts.

The game was played at Brookville after William Campbell’s floor was damaged by a water leak last month.