CHARLOTTESVILLE — Eastern Hancock was quick to take control.
Winchester was quicker taking it away.
In a back-and-forth contest for three quarters, the Class 2A Royals went on a 10-2 run during a 2:20 span of the third period to take their biggest lead of the game, 39-34, with 2:10 left.
The Class 3A Golden Falcons, a powerhouse in Class 2A from 2016-19, needed just over a minute to regain the lead, then took their biggest lead of the contest, 47-41, to end the quarter.
Winchester (6-1) went on to defeat Eastern Hancock (9-4) 70-60.
“They changed up defensively and we struggled to adjust,” Eastern Hancock head coach Shari Doud said. “They went to a zone and the kids were out of sync in our zone offense, even though we had a plan. There was a lot of miscommunication and several turnovers that resulted in layups.
“You can win and lose games in short segments and that was definitely the difference maker.”
When Winchester’s Caitlyn Campbell scored off of a turnover to give the Falcons a 41-39 lead with 1:06 left in the third quarter, it was the 11th lead change of the game.
There were six ties and neither team led by more than five points until Winchester’s 13-2 run to wrap up the final two minutes of the third period.
The Falcons extended the lead to 11 in the fourth quarter, but the Royals were able to battle back to cut it to three points.
Sophomore guard Grace Stapleton hit four fourth-quarter three-pointers. The last one cut Winchester’s lead to 58-55 with 3:20 to go. Two free throws from Eastern Hancock frosh Ruby White cut it to 62-59 with 1:18 left.
Other than the short game-changing segment of the third quarter, coach Doud couldn’t have been happier with her team’s effort and performance.
The Royals are trying to get ready for post season play and taking on a team like Winchester will help get them prepared for a strong sectional that includes Class 2A standout Triton Central.
Winchester had combined for a 95-17 record over the last four years. They lost in the Class 2A state title game in both 2018 and 2019 and won its Class 3A sectional in 2020.
It was Eastern Hancock’s first game against a Class 3A team, all previous contests had been against teams in either Class 2A or Class 1A.
“They’re no walk in the park, that’s for sure,” Doud said. “We knew we had our hands full. These kind of games are great for us. I know it’s a loss in our column, but that’s not a huge concern. We’d like to be playing our best ball come tournament time. Against these type of teams, we’re going to have to be playing our best ball.”
Winchester had a five-point lead in the first half, while Eastern’s biggest advantage was four.
It could have gotten away from the Royals as they found themselves in a lot of first-half foul trouble. They committed 13 in the first 16 minutes and had five players with at least two fouls. At the break, Stapleton had three. Winchester shot 21 first-half free throws, hitting 13.
Eastern Hancock showed a good inside-outside offensive punch with the long-range shooting from Stapleton and the inside accuracy of the 6-foot White.
Stapleton had five three-pointers on the night and a team-high 20 points. White came off the bench to score 14. Senior Chloe O’Neal scored nine. Emma Bolding had six and Caroline Stapleton and Sammie Bolding each tallied five points.
Winchester had four players in double figures, led by Morgan Lawrence with 20. Campbell scored 16. Taylor Brown had 12 of her 14 points in the second half. Gena Moore scored 11.
