RICHMOND, Va. – On Saturday the Lord Botetourt girls basketball team reminded us all that defense can win championships.
In what started out as a competitive game between the Cavaliers and James Monroe, quickly shifted in the first half when Madelyn Caron picked up her third foul. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of the opportunity, building a 13 point lead.
But, LB countered by opening the second half with a 10-0 run that helped them take a 35-34 lead. Senior guard Madilyn Winterton scored 15 points in what proved to be a 49-44 championship victory for Lord Botetourt.
The Cavaliers credit their defense down the stretch for the win--24 points off of 30 turnovers while also holding the Yellow Jackets to their lowest point total of the season.
“Just everybody picked up exactly what they needed to do,” said Lord Botetourt head coach Renee Favaro--also referred to as “Coach G”. “We played our roles, and what we’ve been all year is a group, a defensive group. A group that sits down and plays and plays for each other and plays unselfishly and just really gets after it on the defensive end, and we made some big defensive steals and plays she got some big steals there at the end that really sealed the deal for us.”
“I was so excited coming off of this win, but walking back to the locker room, I’d never cried more than when I was just with Coach G,” said Cavaliers senior guard Madilyn Winterton. “We sat there walking back to locker room, and I was bawling my eyes out because that was my last game with the best coach I’ve ever had. She’s truly amazing. She pushes me every single day, and I’m so sad that that was our last game, but to be able to get that win for her is so big, and I’m grateful that we’re able to have that experience.”
“We would never want to do it for anybody else. She’s our rock,” said Madelyn Caron.