The L.C. Bird starters had just returned to their bench after pre-game introductions Wednesday night when the bright overhead lights in Highland Springs' Grant Hudson Gymnasium gave way to a single, broad, horizontal beam.
Mozart's "Requiem" blared from the sound system.
One by one, announcer Mark Kellum summoned the Highland Springs starters to midcourt.
It was all high drama and fanfare, and it gained the attention of the spectators at the Central Region tournament quarterfinals and the visitors from the tough-as-nails Dominion District.
Once the Springers had everyone's attention, though, they had to deliver.
Without a doubt, deliver they did.
In an intensely physical, passionately played, frenetically paced matchup between the region's top-ranked girls squads, coach Franklin Harris' crew fended off a furious fourth-quarter surge, scored the final 11 points of the game, and advanced to the semifinals with a well-earned 62-49 victory.
"You have to play 'D' for 32 minutes," Harris said. "That's what we did.
"We stepped up and played defense for four quarters."
The Springers, No. 1 in the Times-Dispatch Top 10, used a harrying 2-2-1 zone press, which morphed into a matchup zone once the ball crossed the midline.
At times, they employed a half-court trap, and a Harris creation called a "bump zone."
Their pestering ways created 18-for-48 shooting and 21 turnovers by the No. 2 Skyhawks.
"We have to prove ourselves every night," said 5-8 senior guard Jazzmin Dabney.
"We're on a mission. It's win or go home."
Ranked fifth in Group AAA by The Associated Press, Highland Springs jumped to a 21-13 lead after a quarter thanks to 10 points by De'June' Robinson.
"As soon as you step on the floor, it's game time," said Robinson, a 5-8 junior guard. "My shot was on in the first quarter. Then it was off, so I stepped up and played defense."
The Springers took a 30-26 advantage into the break.
They held the Skyhawks to only three points in their final 12 third-quarter possessions and led 41-33 entering the fourth. But the visitors hustled, scrapped, and clawed their way back to 51-49 with two minutes remaining.
Then, amidst the din of the crowd and the pressure of the moment, Highland Springs cranked its defense into high gear and its offense into overdrive.
Dabney, who scored 13 of her 18 points in the final quarter, drained a 3-pointer from the left wing at 1:16 for a 56-49 lead, and the Springers hit 6 of 8 from the line to seal the deal.
"They were throwing punches," said Dabney (speaking figuratively). "We punched back. Their inside game was their strongest link. They outrebounded us, but we came back strong with our speed and defense.
"It was crucial time. We showed a lot of heart. We never gave up. We wanted this badly."
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