With Cavaliers in trouble, Gorham takes charge

VIRGINIA BEACH

Princess Anne was in trouble.

Woodside was on an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter that had cut a 34-21 lead to five points. The Cavaliers had several key players in foul trouble, and the Wolverines smelled a huge upset in the first round of the Eastern Region girls basketball tournament.

That's when Tasha Gorham took over. The Cavaliers guard calmly took the ball near the top of the key, saw an opening on the left side and dribbled strong toward the hoop.

"The girl (guarding me) just gave me some space and I took it," Gorham said.

Gorham's layup allowed the Cavaliers to breathe easier, and they never looked back in a 47-29 win Monday night at Princess Anne High School.

Princess Anne (25-1) will host Maury in tonight's quarterfinals. The Commodores defeated Nansemond River 54-46 on Monday.

Gorham's stat line didn't stand out. Her seven points were tied for fourth-most on the team, and she added only two assists.

Still, Princess Anne coach Darnell Dozier said his Cavaliers needed Gorham to pull through.

"I thought that she was the key to the game," Dozier said.

Woodside (17-8) was still within striking distance after Gorham's layup. But the deflated Wolverines didn't score the rest of the way.

"That was a huge play," said Cavaliers guard Dontranika Horton, who scored a game-high 11 points and added nine rebounds. "That gave us the momentum to keep going."

Samisha Powell scored eight points for the Cavaliers.

Princess Anne advanced on a night when it shot 36.2 percent for the game - 25.9 percent in the first half.

"They're huge and physical," Dozier said of Woodside. "And my kids are young and tender."

Gorham's left knee had been tender most of the season, the result of surgery over the summer. She said she's still only at 70 or 80 percent.

"But this is the best game I've played all year," she said.