RICHMOND, VA (WTKR)- It's become almost a guarantee that Princess Anne girls basketball will be playing in the state championship game. Saturday saw the Cavaliers add another title to their resume.
Micah Ojo scored 31 points and the Cavs pulled away down the stretch to top James River, 80-70, defending their Class 5 state championship. The victory marks the 14th state crown in the program's history and 10th in the last 11 years.
"This has got to be one of the happiest moments of my career," Princess Anne head coach Darnell Dozier said. "It brought tears to my eyes. That doesn't happen."
The contest was neck-and-neck for most of the way. The Cavaliers held a 22-20 lead after the first quarter, with the two squads tied at halftime and after three frames. It was not until the final stanza when Princess Anne was able to pull away.
Ojo, just a freshman, played beyond her years. She added seven rebounds and four blocks to her stat sheet, putting together one of the best performances of her young career.
"The main goals was just to get our seniors one last ring, one last championship," Ojo said. "We were able to do it. That's what really made the day special, for the most part."
Princess Anne had to contend with one of the best players in the state in James River junior guard Lanie Grant, who certainly did her part. The North Carolina verbal commit dropped 40 points in the Rapids' loss, but certainly impressed her opponents.
"We had to dig deep," Dozier said. "The kid had 40 points and nobody that I can remember ever scored 40 points against our team. That was a fantastic player. She's fantastic. I wish she was on my team."
Princess Anne has now made 17 state title game appearances, all since 2002. The 14 state crowns are the most in history and that's something of which Dozier and his team are proud.
"We're a dynasty," Dozier said. "That's what people say, so that's what we're going to say until someone comes and knocks us off."
