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Seven wins and zero losses in the James River District is the record the Goochland Bulldogs (12-4 overall) sported after last Friday’s 79-58 victory over the Cumberland Dukes.  Led by senior guard Mark Sampson’s 28 points, the Bulldogs used a stingy and aggressive defense to pull away.  Goochland defeated Cumberland two weeks earlier but needed overtime to pull out that 69-66 victory on the road. 

  Early on it appeared their second meeting would be close also.  Dimitri Walton (12 points, three 3-pointers) and Dasean Sheran (14 points, four 3 pointers) spearheaded Cumberland’s perimeter game.  The Bulldogs were unable to solve it and only took a 37-31 halftime lead.

  “We started off kind of slow defensively,” said Goochland head coach Oliver Courtney. “We just could not get out on their shooters the first half.  We couldn’t play man to man defense like I wanted to. They were so quick.  They are one of the top athletic teams we have played.”

  The obvious was apparent however in the third period.  Goochland made adjustments to counteract the Dukes’ quickness by switching up their defenses.  Using a 1-3-1 zone, Goochland caused several turnovers and got their transition game rolling.  As a result, the Bulldogs outscored Cumberland 23-13 in the third period and never looked back.

  “We talked about it at halftime,” Courtney said of his team’s first half performance. “I was a little disappointed in our defense the first half. I think the 1-3-1 zone got us into our game.  We started to put pressure on them and we started to get a lot of deflections. I think were able to create offense off our defense the second half.”

  Speaking of offense, no Bulldog shined more than Sampson in the second half.  Known for his swooping drives to the hoop, he also complemented that with seven rebounds and four assists.  Moreover, his outside shot (five 3-pointers) had the crowd and his coach singing his praises.  Sampson converted several of his 3-point shots from well beyond the arc.

  “That was just great offense,” Courtney said of Sampson’s three-point barrage. “They had great defense.  But when a guy is hitting shots like that, you cannot draw up something to stop that.  He was hitting shots from way downtown.  He is a phenomenal athlete.  So when you come out on him he can go right pass anybody.  He can finish with the best of them at the basket.”

  Sampson was just feeling it this game. “That’s just where I shoot from,” he said. “I consider myself a leader.  But I think in this win everyone decided to come together and started playing as a team.”

  On Monday, the Bulldogs long winning streak was rewarded by recognition when Goochland was listed in the also receiving votes category of the Group A state poll.

  All recognition aside, for Courtney it is a matter of taking it one game at a time. “Sometimes people say that we are so good but I don’t believe the hype until it is all over,” he said. “I can see things to work on everyday.”

  Three wins away from recording a perfect district record, Goochland has a tough road ahead. After traveling to Amelia on Tues. and playing a rescheduled home game against Randolph-Henry on Wed. the Bulldogs close out the regular season with a trip to Buckingham on Friday night. 

GOOCHLAND 79, CUMBERLAND 58
CUMBERLAND (n/r) Foster 7, Swann 16, Harris 0, Hatcher 3, Walton 12, Sheran 14, Trent 2, Berryman 4. Totals 21 7-11 58.
GOOCHLAND (7-0 James River, 12-4) Turner 3, Henry 13, Morris 15, Harris 6, Johnson 4, Sampson 28, Henley 0, Ezell 4, Eby 0, Brooks 6. Totals 32 8-12 79.
Cumberland ............... 19 12 13 14 — 58
Goochland…................ 24 13 23 19 — 79
3-point goals: C — Sharen 4, Walton 3, Berryman, Foster. G — Sampson 5, Turner, Henry.
Highlights: G — Nick Morris 13 rebounds; Mark Sampson 7 rebounds, 4 assists.