It took Buckingham County about one quarter to get its feet under it against Dan River in the Region B, Division 2 title game.
But once it did, an explosive effort from Tarian Ayers and Taylor Boyers’ usual double double was enough to spark the Knights to a 61-49 win Saturday night at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg.
Ayers poured in 16 points and hauled in eight rebounds while also dishing out three assists. The sophomore gave Buckingham some balance and prevented Dan River from locking in on Boyers, who shot 60 percent from the field and scored 17 points to go with his 11 rebounds.
For the second straight game, Kevin Bolden was a defensive force underneath, yanking down nine boards while rejecting four shots. He also had nine points. Harry Eldridge matched that scoring effort with nine of his own, while point guard B.J. Jones had eight points and dished out eight assists.
Trey Edmunds finished with 15 to lead Dan River, and was the lone Wildcat in double figures.
Dan River, who last season eliminated Madison in the state semifinals, jumped out to a 17-14 lead in the first quarter, but Buckingham exploded out of the gate in the second and took control from there.
Buckingham will take on Middlesex at the Siegel Center in the state quarterfinals Friday or Saturday.
