Girls Hoops: Freedom 61, Millbrook 43

Orange (Mar. 1, 2009) – The Freedom High School girls basketball team didn’t even need its best effort Saturday to bolster an already “banner year” as the Eagles defeated Millbrook, 61-43, to add the Region II Division 3 crown to their growing collection that includes the 2009 Dulles District regular season and tournament titles.

That is three titles more than the 4-year-old South Riding school had prior to this season and the Eagles (25-2) are now three wins away from doing something no other Loudoun team has ever been able to accomplish — capture a Virginia High School League state basketball title. Freedom begins that quest with a quarterfinal game on Saturday agaisnt Region I runner-up James Monroe, at a neutral site, most likely Robinson High School. (Officials said final details would be ironed out Monday. Ticket prices will be $8).

Millbrook (24-2) came into the contest on a 22-game winning streak — Freedom has now won 19 straight — but the Pioneers had not faced a team with an athletic 6-foot-3 center such as Kelsey Buchanan and the Freedom junior, some nine inches taller than the average 5-9 Millbrook starter, finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and six block shots. 

It is also safe to say that Millbrook hadn’t faced a point guard of the caliber as Eagle senior Meixandra Porter, who scored a game-high 21 points and she hurt the Pioneers early with her outside jumper and then later engineered the Eagles high-octane running game which quickly stretched a 2-point game in the third quarter into a double digit lead with a 10-0 run.

“(Porter) creating her shot was the difference. They had to pull out of their zone,” said Eldredge.

The pace of the game was slow to start with the score just 13-9 in Millbrook’s favor when Freedom went off on a 14-3 run that was ignited by three consecutive outside shots by Porter who will play next season at NCAA Division I Colorado State.

Buchanan, who to that point had been getting plenty of boards and good looks but he ball wouldn’t fall, then hit back-to-back baskets inside. Porter ended the run with another basket and two free throws and Freedom had a 23-16 lead that they would never relinquish.

Despite the win —  in front of a festive student section that made the two-hour trip to Orange County High School and arrived in all matter of face paint and costume, looking like a mash-up of extras auditioning for the musical “Cats” and a remake of the movie “The Night of the Living Dead” — Porter was convinced that her team could play a lot better.

“We did not execute very well at all,” said Porter. “We need to tighten up, we need to get back to work on Monday.”

While Freedom’s super sophomore Dionna Scott was under the weather and not scoring until late in the game, the other Eagles picked up the slack with Alexis Mayo and Ceara Scott each scoring nine and Kim Koditek adding valuable input.

“What I am proud of is our big three, not all of them showed up,” said Elredge. “I went deep on my bench and they came out and did what they are supposeed to do.”

Millbrook, led by Tylesa Harper-Scott with 13 points and Courtni Green with 15, cut the gap to 26-24 early in the third but the Eagles utilized a transition game for a 10-0 run.

Ceara Scott, a junior who transferred to Freedom this season, started the run with a nice slash to the basket. Koditek then scored a layin off a Porter pass and Buchanan scored from the block. Scott picked off a pass and went down for two more points and Mayo got int he mix with a layin, again from Porter.

The Freedom student section was on their feet the entire game and only got louder as the minutes ticked down to the school’s first ever regional title.

“I’m so surpirsed at how many of them came out,” said Porter. “We did this for them …they got us hyped up.”

Buchanan could only smile and agree with Porter’s assessment of the Freedom fans: “I love our fans.”

And they came up to give the players hugs of congratulations after the trophy presentation Saturday it was clear the feeling was mutual: The Freedom fans love their team.