STATE EXTRA: Gap’s seniors enjoy the ride together since youth

SWOOPE — The Buffalo Gap girls basketball team played it cool before its Saturday game against West Point. The Bison rallied in the second half to defeat the Pointers in the Group A, Division 1 quarterfinals 55-48 in Harrisonburg.

But there was little doubt among the Bison that moving to the semifinal round would take place.

Seniors Courtney Sanderson and Madison Benner pulled up metal chairs at practice on March 3. They were just four days from tip-off. But that day, the players were just a bunch of friends and teammates reflecting on the season. There didn’t seem to be any sign of nerves, but Benner said there was an underlying pressure to defend the state crown.

“People expected us to do well again,” Benner said. “That in itself is pressure. It’s kinda like all the teams that didn’t make it wanted revenge on us, that we were the team to beat.”

Bison coach Chad Coffey always had lofty expectations for his team and told his squad to start each season fresh.

“The coach always tells us, ‘You’ve got four seasons during the year: You got the regular season, district tournament season, regional tournament season and state tournament season,’ ” Sanderson said. “It’s like you start over new.”

The Bison also reached the point where, if there were going to be another parade held in their honor, they had to get themselves in order.

“It’s like we kinda decided that there can’t be anymore fooling around,” Benner said.

As for Sanderson and Benner, they were teammates on the court before they ever entered high school; they know what to expect from each other.

“Me and Courtney have been going to school together since the fourth grade,” Benner said. “We’ve grown up playing basketball together. It’s really cool that now we’re seniors doing the same thing.”

Off the court, Sanderson also knows how to have fun.

“I just feel really comfortable with all these girls,” Sanderson said. “We get crazy, laugh, go out together. We’re just like a family.”

As seniors, the state crown looks even better than it did last season.

“A lot of us are seniors and good friends, so to win this in our last year is important,” Benner said. “I would say we were more separated last year. It would be even better that we won it this season.”

Gap will face Franklin County in the semifinal round Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond.