All season, Highland Springs girls basketball coach Franklin Harris has preached to his team about taking the season one practice and one game at a time.
At halftime of Friday's Central Region semifinal game against Cosby at the Siegel Center, Harris said he told his team to take that mentality to the floor once again, but this time, one basket and one possession at a time.
After trailing for most of the first three quarters of the game, the Springers took control in the fourth and advanced to the championship game with a 59-45 win over Cosby.
"We said we'd play 'one stop, one score' and that's how we'll play the second half," Harris said. "It's pretty special with a group of girls that come to practice every day and flat go hard."
According to Harris, this is the first time in approximately 29 years the Springers have qualified for the state tournament.
Cosby came out in the first quarter and seemingly put the Springers on their heels as the Titans went up by eight points. Highland Springs made only three field goals in the quarter and shot 50 percent from the line.
De'June' Robinson, who finished with a team-high 19 points, was the early bright spot for the Springers as Highland Springs kept the game close.
"We just relied on each other," she said of her team's ability to not get down despite trailing for most of the contest. "We kept each other up and relied on our defense."
Brianna Justice had 16 points, and Kermisha Clark had 13 for the Springers. All-region first-teamer Jazzmin Dabney scored only four points, but three of them came at a crucial point early in the fourth quarter to break a 41-41 tie and put the Springers up for good.
Highland Springs' defense pushed the tempo to a point where Harris said it had an effect on the Titans.
"(Defense) is about making people get up tempo the way they don't want to get up tempo," Harris said. "I think in the fourth quarter, we had them tired and a little fatigued maybe and it showed."
The Titans scored only five points in the fourth quarter. Dorothy Adomako led the Titans with 21 points and 17 rebounds.
Cosby's Madi Conyers, who had three points, and Felicia Adomako, who had nine, fouled out in the fourth quarter.
After defeating L.C. Bird and Cosby, the Springers will face another Dominion District team in Monacan in Monday's Central Region title game at the Siegel Center. Harris said the Chiefs and Springers are incredibly similar.
"They are disciplined and well-coached. We both play tough defense and like to run," he said. "It'll be who blinks first."
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