PETERSBURG—Southampton Academy junior varsity girls’ basketball team for a second year in a row won the Virginia Commonwealth Conference Tournament after defeating Amelia Academy 30-24 on Saturday.

“I was pleased,” said Chris Pope, who coaches the Lady Raiders varsity squad. Steve Newsome coaches the junior varsity team.

“I thought they played extremely well,” Pope said. “We seemed to be a better team offensively.”

SA finished the season 16-3; the junior varsity girls have lost five games in the last two years, Pope said.

Playing at Richard Bland Community College in Petersburg, Amelia and SA were tied 10-10 at the half. At one point in the second half, the Lady Raiders led by 10.

Scoring leaders were eighth-grader Sarah Grace Best and ninth-grader Katelyn Newsome, with 8 points each. Ninth-grader Anna Glover added 7.

SA got into the finals after defeating Christchurch 24-16 at home on Feb. 23.

Best led with 9 points; Newsome added 6.

Best was the team’s leading scorer for the season, while Newsome, Glover and Morgan Pope may move up the varsity squad next year, Chris Pope said.

“There are five ninth-graders,” he said. “All have an opportunity to move up.”

Pope said he expects a young team for next year’s varsity squad, but within two years, expects “to see a talented team for the varsity level.”

The Lady Raiders’ varsity squad finished the season 6-12 overall and 4-10 in the conference.

The varsity girls ended their basketball season with last week’s loss to Blessed Sacrament Huguenot in the first round of the Virginia Commonwealth Conference tournament in Richmond. The No. 7 ranked Lady Raiders fell 36-19 to No. 2 ranked Blessed Sacrament after going into the locker room at the half trailing 14-13.