RICHMOND, VA (WAVY) — Lake Taylor vs Northside. Class 3 title on the line. Two words.

Appointment. Viewing.

This game was the definition of evenly matched and back-and-forth. To be fair, It was always supposed to be razor thin on paper. Defending champs, vs a 25-1 powerhouse with two dominant bigs, both averaging double-doubles. 

It was just that right out of the gate. Northside was able to keep Lake Taylor’s dominant paint presence quiet in the first quarter. Besides a few impressive post moves by Rodney Baines, it was a quarter of gritty baskets and earning every single point. At the end of the first, it was 12-12 with no sign of a score gap. The defenses were too good, and wouldn’t let up an inch.

The second quarter started off with Elijah Washington getting going early, converting an And-1 layup to put the Titans up 15-12.

The titans held the lead for the entire second quarter until just under a minute and a half to go, when 23 finished a tough layup. 26-25 Northside, and that’s how it would look going into halftime.

When the second half started, the Vikings went on a 10-4 run, highlighted by an outside barrage, courtesy of 10 and 23. With Washington out of the game with three fouls, Northside took its run to a double digit lead with just over five minutes left in the quarter.

By the end of the third, Northside lead 54-43.

In the 4th, Elijah Washington fouled out, a fight broke out on the court, and Lake Taylor falls in the state final 73-58.