Barons use balanced attack in convincing win

ST. GEORGE — For Sports Quest Academy’s inaugural trip to St. George, the Blue Ridge School basketball team made sure to leave a lasting impression. The Barons put on an offensive show and handily defeated the visiting Spartans, 82-64, on Wednesday.

Blue Ridge coach Bill Ramsey wasn’t sure what to expect from Sports Quest Academy, a prep school out of Richmond that tailors to developing high-level athletes, but he was confident in his team’s conventional play.

“I didn’t know anything about them. They’re a new school, a new program,” Ramsey said. “We’ve seen lots of different teams, so we can pretty much adjust to whatever defense is thrown at us and just go out and play our game.”

Things did not start off so well for Blue Ridge when Sports Quest struck first and hard. The Spartans jumped out to a 17-10 lead, picking apart the Barons’ defense for easy second-shot lay ups and jumpers in the lane. At the end of the first, the Spartans led 21-16 and definitively controlled the glass, out rebounding Blue Ridge 10-2.

When Darryl Smith hit a long-distance 3-pointer to open the second quarter, the Barons got a spark and took effective control of the game. Behind excellent ball movement and tighter man defensive coverage, Blue Ridge went on a 21-4 run to finish out the period and took a 42-31 advantage into the half. Blue Ridge adjusted its lineup to match up more effectively with the athletic Spartans.

“I think going with one big instead of two bigs helped us get a little bit quicker. We still have 6’6 wings, so we still have size but we have two centers that start. [Sports Quest] is quick, and we were getting beat a little in transition because we couldn’t match up with their speed,” Ramsey said. “When we went with one big at a time, we were much quicker. I think that helped us a lot.”

Despite several Sports Quest runs after halftime, Blue Ridge continued its offensive dominance and extended its lead. Despite a game-high 27 points and 18 rebounds from Brian White, the Spartans could not get the upper hand on the Barons.

“A lot of games we play are really close games, played possession by possession. So when you can get yourself a decent lead, it’s a good feeling,” Ramsey noted.

Blue Ridge benefitted from a well-rounded offensive effort. Nine Baron players put points on the board, four of them reaching double figures. Ahmad Fields led Blue Ridge with 19 points and seven boards. Smith chipped in with 15, and Paris Maragkos and Andre Roberts each added 14. George Washington-bound Maragkos also threw down two dunks.

“We have a lot of players that are good, and I try to get them all playing time,” Ramsey added. “At least the top 11 or so played even minutes, and they all did a great job.”

Blue Ridge is back in action on Friday, when it hosts Liberty Christian Academy.