Fresh off an emotional victory over rival and top-seeded Benedictine in the VIS Division I semifinals, Blue Ridge was never able to get into its groove against a talented Paul VI team on Saturday in the championship game.

“It took us a minute to wake up,” said Blue Ridge coach Bill Ramsey.  “But once we woke up, we played well.“

Blue Ridge set a school record with its 16th consecutive win with a dominant second half in a 60-54 victory over Roanoke Catholic on Saturday.

In a highly-anticipated matchup between two of central Virginia’s top teams, Round 1 went to Blue Ridge.

Blue Ridge also got a boost from junior center Martins Abele, who added 17 points and 11 boards. The 7-foot-1, 295-pound Latvian is undoubtedly a welcome presence inside.

Abele, a junior, moved to the states from his native Latvia over the summer. He says his goal is to someday make it to the NBA, just like Andris Biedrins, his countryman who plays for the Golden State Warriors.

“When I found out [12] days ago, it was a really sad situation,” Mikalauskas said. “I felt terrible, but at the same time I’m excited to become a professional now.”

On Tuesday, a day after UVa coach Dave Leitao announced that Mikalauskas would no longer be a member of the program, sources told The Daily Progress that “The Pride of Lithuania” planned to return to the states early next week and go through an appeals process with the university. The exact nature of his appeal is not known.