Princess Anne Survives Overtime Thriller to Extend Its Virginia Girls Basketball Dynasty

Princess Anne High girls are again Virginia state basketball champions. But the Cavaliers, ranked No. 1 all season in the High School on SI Virginia Top 25, had to use every ounce of their championship mettle to do it.

Princess Anne outlasted No. 4 Menchville in the Class 5 state final at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center. No. 8 Osbourn Park held on to the Class 6 crown while 16th-ranked Manor completed an improbable run to its first Class 4 championship.

Abingdon, Clarke County and Galax had their “one shining moment” inside Siegel Center.

Here’s a recap of championship weekend in Richmond:

Ojo, Princess Anne Continues Reign

Since arriving at Princess Anne three years ago, Micah Ojo has lived up to lofty expectations. The 6-foot-1 guard/forward added to her impressive resume as the Cavaliers (28-0 overall) fended off Menchville, 65-62, in overtime Thursday to complete a second straight perfect season.

Menchville (26-2), behind 16 points from Amen Byrd, led 50-44 with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left in regulation. Princess Anne tied it at 55 with nine seconds left as Ojo’s steal led to a layup by Alauna Olds.

Starting with Ojo’s layup, the Cavaliers scored the first seven points in overtime, as they claimed their 12th Class 5 title in the last 13 years. The Virginia Beach school has won 71 consecutive decisions.

Ojo, a member of the U.S. National under-16 squad, finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and six blocked shots. A consensus Top 10 recruit in the Class of 2027, Ojo has 73 points, 31 rebounds and 18 blocks in three state final games.

“This is one of the most exciting games I’ve been in for sure, being in overtime,” Ojo said to The Virginian-Pilot. “This is special, especially for this group of (seven) seniors. We wanted to win it for them.”

Osbourn Park, Rainey Finishes Off Manchester

It’s back-to-back for Osbourn Park as Keyarah Rainey finished her varsity career in grand fashion. The Towson University-bound guard scored the first 10 points for the Yellow Jackets en route to a game-high 24 points in the Class 6 title-game rematch with No. 5 Manchester Thursday.

“Coming into the game, I knew I had to step up,” Rainey said. “Keeping calm, trying to keep everybody composed was a big thing for me today. I knew I had to do that because I knew there was going to be a lot of pressure and everybody's going to be nervous.”

Osbourn Park (25-5) never trailed after the opening basket, going on a 16-2 run. Manchester (26-2), which got 17 points from Madison Smith, pulled to within, 35-31, early in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets immediately responded with seven straight to pull away.

The Yellow Jackets overcame many distractions, playing 13 road matches in their first 14 games. The Manassas school lost key guards Samia Snead and Payton Walters to season-ending knee injuries.

“They trusted in who they are, because at the end of the day, it wasn't about what I do as a coach. It's what they're going to do as a team, and they're phenomenal,” Osbourn Park coach Chrissy Kelly said. “Just a phenomenal group of young women that I'm very fortunate and privileged to coach.”

Manor’s “Second Chance” Leads to Historic Title

It was a postseason unlike no other for Manor, which won its first state championship with a 43-40 decision over No. 17 Salem in the Class 4 finale Saturday.

Freshman guard Jha’Ziya Babb finished with 23 points for Manor (26-1). Emme Custer had 20 points for Salem, which ended the Mustangs’ 2025 campaign in the state semifinals.

Manor’s redemption tour appeared suddenly over nearly a month ago when the school’s then-athletic director reported the team played an ineligible player in their Region A quarterfinal win. The team was told the school failed to file a waiver for an in-season transfer to play in the postseason - a Virginia High School League requirement.

The players and parents considered it unfair to be disqualified for a “paperwork error” by an adult (the then-athletic director) and filed in court to have the disqualification overturned. A Portsmouth Circuit judge agreed - citing a lock of due process for the player - and vacated the forfeit.

Manor rolled through its next four playoff games, but needed several clutch plays against Salem (27-2) in the final seconds Saturday to secure the coveted title. Leah Williams’ layup with 30 seconds left for a 41-40 lead, and Kaliyah Eason added a free throw.

Senior Ca’Asia Brown tied up Salem’s Bailey Rider as she drove to the basket, forcing a jump ball, giving the Mustangs possession with six seconds left in regulation. Brown converted a free throw with two seconds remaining, and Salem’s desperation heave landed way short.

“We proved a lot because a lot of people doubted us,” said Brown to the Virginian-Pilot afterwards. “We stuck with what we do and proved a lot of people wrong.”

Trivette, Abingdon Finish on Top

Abingdon made history Saturday and Annsley Trivette authored it. The Falcons won their first state championship with a 58-38 over Skyline in the Class 3 finale.

Trivette, a versatile 6-foot-3 center who will take her talents to North Carolina State in the fall, finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots. Abingdon (22-8) never trailed, closing the first half with an 11-2 run for a 30-21 advantage.

“It’s crazy. I don’t even think I can wrap my head around that,” said Trivette of her team’s historic moment. “Maybe it will set in a little bit later, but right now, it doesn’t seem real.”

Camilla Diamond led Skyline (23-6) with 19 points.

Sister Act Powers Clarke County to Crown

Alainah McKavish capped her four-year varsity career with an exclamation point Friday. The Shippensburg recruit had 22 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two assists as Clarke County captured the Class 2 championship over Union, 67-55.

McTavish became the program’s all-time scoring leader with a 3-pointer in the first half. Her 2,234 points passed Carla Holmes’ mark of 2,215. Holmes, who graduated in 1987, went to play collegiately at the University of Maryland.

“It meant a lot to me. It was one of my goals when I was a freshman, and I feel like I've worked very hard to get to that goal,” McKavish said to The Winchester Star. “And we got the win, so that made it even better."

It was third state championship for Clarke County (27-2), which won the Class 2A title in 2023 in McKavish’s freshman year. The second was special because McKavish’s sister Paige was alongside.

Paige McKavish, a sophomore, finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Paige Stemberger had 13 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

“Alainah won it her freshman year, and we didn't do that last year, so I knew this year we had a really high chance of doing it,” said Paige. “That was my main goal, that's all I wanted to do, was win a state championship with her.”

Junior guard Katie Witt, who became the school’s all-time leading scorer earlier this month, scored a state final weekend-best 27 points for Union (19-10).

Breakthrough for Galax

In its first state final Friday, Galax built a 31-19 halftime advantage and cruised to the Class 1 crown with a 57-39 decision over Luray. Madelyn Goad scored a game-high 15 points for the Maroon Tide (26-3).

Rylee Hawks added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Galax, which best finish prior to Saturday was state semifinalist in 1990 and 2012. Ella Parlett tied Goad for game-high honors with 15 for Luray (18-11).

The Maroon Tide was a work in progress this season with four freshman on the varsity.

“If it weren’t for everybody working as a team, we wouldn’t be here early in the season. I mean, we all knew each other, but not really well,” said sophomore Kayla Young, who had seven points and a game-high seven assists. “We had to get to know each other, work together, and play hard.”