SA girls claim tourney title in nail-biter

Published Monday, March 1, 2010

Southampton Academy's girls won the Virginia Commonwealth Conference basketball tournament championship Saturday night. Team members are, from left, Ginny Taylor, Lindsay Raulston, Forrest Best, Gabby Gatten, Catherine Glover, Rachel Holland,Courtney Beltrami, Alison Pulley, Michelle Lewis and Jessica Ruffin. Not pictured are head coach Burdette Gatten and assistant coaches Chuck Lilley and Connie Poland.

FARMVILLE — Southampton Academy's girls rallied from behind and won the Virginia Commonwealth Conference tournament championship Saturday night with a 34-33 thriller over nemesis Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Catholic School.

The Lady Raiders avenged a regular-season loss to the Powhatan school and gained some momentum heading into the Virginia Independent Schools Division 3 playoffs.

SA, seeded fifth, hosts a first-round game against 12th-seeded Stonebridge at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Courtland.

Senior standouts Lindsay Raulston and Gabby Gatten led the Lady Raiders with 15 points and 13 points, respectively. Michelle Lewis, in her first year with the Lady Raiders, added 6.

Southampton Academy senior standouts Lindsay Raulston (left) and Gabby Gatten racked up several honors at the conclusion of the Virginia Commonwealth Conference tournament Saturday night. Gatten was named VCC Player of the Year, and Raulston was named tournament MVP. Gatten made the All-Tournament team, and Raulston earned All-Academic honors. Both were named All-Conference.

SA, seeded second in the VCC, was down 18-13 at halftime and 29-23 after three quarters before rallying to outscore top-seeded BSH 11-4 in the final frame.

Gatten was named VCC Player of the Year and selected for the All-Tournament and All-Conference teams. Raulston was named tournament MVP and also made the All-Academic and All-Conference squads.

In the VCC boys' championship game, Tidewater Academy dropped a 50-49 heartbreaker to Steward School of Richmond after rallying from a 17-point halftime deficit.

The Warriors, who fell to 26-2, were paced by Mike Greene's 11 points. Southampton High School transfer Will Doyle added 8 points, as did Ferley Yerby.

The VCC tournament was played at Fuqua School in Farmville.

In other area hoops action, Isle of Wight Academy fell 67-62 to Atlantic Shores on Saturday in the Metro Conference tournament boys' championship game.

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