Melinda Wilson scored Blue Ridge's first five points of the second half to cut the team's deficit to 26-24. After a Bailey Clancy field goal tied the game at 26-26, Jacquelyn O'Neal scored the go-ahead basket.
O'Neal (pictured above) increased the lead to 31-26 by making a shot in the lane while being fouled and making the ensuing free throw with 3:55 left in the third quarter.
She also had an and-1 in the fourth quarter. With an assist by Wilson, O'Neal gave the Lady Knights a 51-46 lead with 1:59 left in the game.
O'Neal finished the game with a double-double, scoring a game-high 18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. She also recorded five blocks and three assists.
"She did an awesome job," Blue Ridge coach Stephanie Schroeder said. "She's my consistent one underneath. She thinks rebound all the time because that's her specialty."
Seven of O'Neal's points were scored in the third quarter. Wilson also scored seven in that quarter, as she finished the game with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and 3 steals.
Schroeder said the Lady Knights' big third quarter was a credit to her team's offense as well as its defense, the cutdown of turnovers in particular.
After committing 12 turnovers in the first half, Blue Ridge cut the number down to seven in the second half.
"We wanted to make smart passes and move the ball," Schroeder said. We came out and we nailed our first three possessions down the court, and I think that just transferred over to our defense. Once we played good on offense, we seemed to play good on defense. That goes hand-and-hand."
On the defensive end, Lexington's Sydney Freed was held to nine points. Freed was Lexington's leading scorer in Thursday's first-round game against Okaw Valley.
Taylor Wonderland was the Lady Minutemen's leading scorer with 15 points.
"We wanted to keep Freed under control, and we came out and did that," Schroeder said. "It was a good game tonight. We shut them down when we wanted to."
Jamison Brandt opened up her scoring in the fourth quarter. After getting shut out in the first three quarter, she scored all seven of her points in the final period.
Brandt also recorded eight rebounds and two blocks.
Although she was shut out through the second half, Korrie Gilbert kept the Lady Knights in the game during the first half with nine points. Her first five points gave Blue Ridge the opening 5-0 lead.
Gilbert (pictured below) also recorded seven steals and three assists.
With the win, the Lady Knights (7-7) will face Heyworth in the semifinals of the tournament. The Lady Hornets beat Sullivan 51-33 in Friday's quarterfinal round.
Blue Ridge and Heyworth will play on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The winner of that game will play in the championship bout at 8 p.m. on Wednesday against the winner of Tuesday's 6:30 p.m. semifinal game between Clinton and Decatur Lutheran.
The loser will play the loser of the Clinton/Decatur Lutheran game for third place on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
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