Defense led Wildcats to state title appearance

RICHMOND — One of the things Jacob Gruse readily admitted at the beginning of the season was that his Dan River team did not enjoy playing defense.

In his three previous seasons, he was right. The team didn’t play defense and his record reflected that, no matter how strong his team’s offense played.

This season was different. Most wins (25) in school history different. First Dan River boys or girls basketball team to make it to the state championship game different.

Now, just hours after Dan River’s Group A Division 2 state championship game loss to Radford, the defense should not be blamed for the loss.

For an outsider looking in, it seemed that Radford was able to hit any 3-pointer whenever a player would release a shot. The shots were contested, but came so easily that once DeAndre Thompson hit his fifth 3-pointer, all he could do was smile.

Frustrated by how fluidly Radford was able to run its offense, Gruse dialed up his defense for yet another second-half rally.

Against Lancaster and Madison County, those rallies worked. The Wildcats came up with 28 steals in those games and turned the steals into points. Dan River was able to get over the hump of trailing and use that rush of energy to build a lead and go on to win.

Not the case Saturday night. Too many 3-pointers and uncontested layups in transition.

Despite another 12 steals, including five from Reggie Stone — giving the junior guard 11 in two games at the Siegel Center, the Wildcats did not have an answer for Radford.

Still, the defense should not be blamed for the loss.

During the season, that same defense was making plays and holding teams to less than 50 points. Group AAA quarterfinalist George Washington scored only 62 points against Dan River and had to hold its breath on a last-second 3-pointer to win.

That same defense, when things were looking down for Dan River in the state quarterfinals and semifinals, would make a play or two that would result in an easy basket and immediately turn the tide in favor of the Wildcats.

Many times during the Dogwood District regular season, it would be the defense that made a play to save the day. Silly as it may sound, it was a defensive play late in the fourth quarter in the regular season finale against Chatham than preserved a 97-92 victory.

For the first time in his four years, his team played defense. It got Gruse to a state championship game. His players bought into it.

“Absolutely, that’s the only way we got here in my opinion,” Gruse said. “We played really good defense — at times we didn’t — but we did something really special. There’s a lot to be said about that.”