STATE EXTRA: The Lee Ladies take on the Cavs

The Robert E. Lee girls basketball team will exchange glances again with Lord Botetourt this afternoon. The last time Lee and the Cavaliers met was in the Region III, Division 3 finals, when the Cavaliers challenged Lee until the fourth quarter, but ultimately lost the contest 58-56.

Cavaliers coach Chuck Pound said his girls put up a fight in the regional final and will not stop today at the Siegel Center in Richmond.

The key, he said, is stopping Angela Mickens’ fast breaks and shutting down Daquaa Scott.

“We have to try to stop Mickens and stop her from transitioning,” Pound said. “They have a great amount of talent on that team. We were able to keep up with them in regions. You have to reduce the penetration of Mickens and Scott. You can’t get behind them because they are so quick.”

The Cavaliers are not as fast as Lee, but use a balanced offense and can keep composure when they are back on their heels.

“We are not a quick team, but we know not to panic and the girls have always stayed calm under pressure,” Pound said.

And they have the quick feet and shot of senior Grace Blaylock, who has been unstoppable during postseason.

Blaylock scored 22 points against Patrick County, and 25 points against Lee.

But Lee has its own arsenal of weapons on the court and the team treats its games as work. Mickens has mentioned in previous interviews that when she takes the court its all business.

“This is all about work,” Mickens said. “I just try to stay humble.”

Last time Mickens did business against the Cavaliers, she scored 18 points in the game and erased the squad’s 13-point, second half, deficit.

“We know we have to mix it up,” Pound said. “We only have one day to practice before the game. Our rebounding will be important; that’s what we’re working on. We have to just focus.”

Scott is another player that the Cavaliers are going to have to watch and guard. Scott led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds last time she faced the Cavaliers.

“She can drop-step and play low in the post,” Pound said. “Once she gets inside the paint, it will be tough to stop her.”

Lee coach Jeremy Hartman said his players have always looked beyond themselves this season.

“They have always had high expectations,” Hartman said before the postseason kicked off. “I didn’t have to push them, they did it all by themselves.”

Lee also can mix it up with its man-to-man defense and use its half-court press to exhaust opponents and force them to pass.

The Cavaliers know that Lee can put up numbers, but Pound is hoping that his team will be able to stop the run and cut off Lee’s guards.

“We’ve played well against them before. We are resilient,” Pound said.

Both teams will have to show their resilience as the stakes become bigger. Tip-off will start at 3 p.m. at the Siegel Center in Richmond.