The Princess Anne girls and Maury boys basketball teams each made history in Wednesday afternoon’s VHSL Class 5 state championship games at VCU’s Siegel Center.

Miami (FL) commit Brianna Jackson tallied 23 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots, as Princess Anne topped Edison 69-55 to win its sixth consecutive state championship.

Jackson scored 11 of her points in the third quarter to help the Cavaliers (25-1) keep the Eagles (27-2) at bay in a rematch of last season’s title game. The 6-foot-3 senior’s tough inside play helped Princess Anne turn a 40-28 halftime lead into a commanding 56-39 advantage by the end of the third period.

Mahogany Lester, the Cavaliers’ only other senior, totaled 14 points and eight rebounds on the afternoon. Lester, the daughter of former NBA No. 1 overall draft choice Joe Smith, will play her College Basketball at Maryland-Eastern Shore. Sophomore Aziaha James came off the bench and contributed 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

With Edison leading 18-15 after a quarter, James stepped up big to help Princess Anne seize control in the second period. She sank a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points in the stanza to help the Cavaliers to their 12-point halftime advantage.

“I’m very proud of the girls for the simple fact that we were able to get here after all of the injuries we’ve had this year,” Princess Anne coach Darnell Dozier said. “We had more injuries this season then we’ve had in probably 10 seasons combined. There were times when we didn’t even practice because we didn’t have enough healthy players to scrimmage, so to be here holding up a state championship trophy again is special.”

The victory gave Dozier his 10th state championship with the Cavaliers.

Edison got 19 points and five rebounds from junior guard Bri Johns, and 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists from UVA-bound senior Carole Miller. Johns drained a game-high five 3’s, three of which came in the first quarter to push the Eagles to their early lead.

“I felt like we played [Princess Anne] on pretty even terms,” Edison coach Dianne Lewis said. “The difference in the game was that they were able to get to the free throw line 35 times, while we only got there eight times. I’m very proud of what the girls were able to accomplish this season; there’s no shame in losing to that team.”

Edison (27-2): Carole Miller 15, Aurea Gingras 3, Bri Johns 19, Ebony Bordley 9, Celeste Castma 0, Charlotte Jewell 6, Kaitlyn Lee 0, Jaylah Evans 3. Totals 22 2-8 55.

P. Anne (25-1): Jasha Clinton 4, Aziaha James 17, Kendra Johnson 4, Brianna Jackson 23, Cameron McKinney 0, Alexia Lindsey 2, Mahogany Lester 14, McKenna Harris 5, Sheraya Lane 0, Ashlyn Campagna 0. Totals 19 26-35 69.

3-pointers: Edison 9 (Johns 5, Bordley 3, Evans). P. Anne 5 (James 2, Johnson, Lester, Harris).

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Princess Anne Girls Press Conference their 69-55 win over Thomas Edison in the VHSL Class 5 State Championship. The Lady Cavaliers have now won 10 state titles - their sixth in a row, which is a VHSL record.

Coach Darnell Dozier is 631-54 overall in 24 seasons at the helm of the Virginia Beach powerhouse.

Speaking from left to right - Brianna Jackson, Coach Dozier and Mahogany Lester-Smith.

Princess Anne Head Girls Basketball Coach Darnell Dozier spoke briefly following his team's 69-55 win over Thomas Edison in the VHSL Class 5 State Championship at VCU's Siegel Center on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

Coach Dozier is now 631-54 overall in 24 seasons with 10 state titles - a VHSL record six in a row.

Clarence Rupert scored 18 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked two shots, as Maury claimed its first state title since 1927 with a 57-49 victory over Freedom-South Riding.

Rupert, a 6-foot-5 junior, scored six quick points from close range in the first quarter to help the Commodores (28-3) take a lead they would never relinquish. Senior Bryan Phillips also tallied six points during the opening period, as Maury built an 18-6 advantage.

Freedom (19-12) was able to pull within 28-20 at halftime, due in large part to the scoring of junior guard Robbie Kemmerer and senior guard Kyle Skinner, who scored six points each in the game’s opening 16 minutes.

Skinner’s layup at the 5:26 mark of the third quarter pulled the Eagles within 30-26, but they would draw no closer. Maury erupted for a 16-4 run to close the period, highlighted by a one-handed flush by Rupert on a behind-the-back pass from Chase Coleman.

A 3-pointer from Skinner with 5:21 remaining in the game cut Maury’s lead to 50-39, which was as close as Freedom was able to get down the stretch.

Phillips finished with 15 points and five rebounds to complement Rupert’s efforts, while fellow senior Matthew Mensia added 10 points and five rebounds.

“This feels great,” Maury coach Brandon Plummer said. “To win Maury’s first [championship] since 1927, especially after coming up short last year, it’s sweet. We had a few missteps along the way, but we stuck together and got it done.”

Freedom, which was making its first-ever appearance in the championship game, was paced by Skinner’s 12 points. Junior Angelo Easter added nine points, while Kemmerer finished with eight.

The Eagles, who finished fifth in the Potomac District during the regular season, defeated previously unbeaten Potomac Falls twice in the past three weeks, including a victory in Monday’s state semifinals to punch their ticket to Richmond.

“Three weeks ago, we lost our last regular season game,” Freedom coach Justin Powers said. “To go from finishing fifth in our conference to playing for the state championship in a span of just a few weeks, I can’t even put into words how special it’s been.”

Freedom-SR (19-12): Robbie Kemmerer 8, Kyle Skinner 12, Angelo Easter 9, Yugank Shrestha 3, Bikram Kohli 0, Zach Hoenig 6, Lance Johnson 5, Matthew Azzouz 0, Madden Moore 6, Nicholas Westfall 0. Totals 16 13-21 49.

Maury (28-3): Chase Coleman 5, Bryce Phillips 0, Bryan Phillips 15, Matthew Mensia 10, Dasmon Wright 0, Shawn Lewis 0, Clarence Rupert 18, Keshaun Tonsall 4, Corey Hollis 4, Chris Hogge 0, Max Siedel 0, Carter Alexander 0, Mashall Gerloff 1. Totals 23 9-15 57.

3-pointers: Freedom-SR 4 (Skinner 2, Shrestha, Hoenig). Maury 2 (Coleman, Mensia).

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Maury Press Conference after 57-49 win over Freedom-South Riding in the VHSL Class 5 State Championship on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. The Commodores captured their first state title since 1927, doing so after the heart-break from a season ago when they were knocked out in the opening round of regionals by eighth-seeded Salem.

Including their three-game sweep in the Eastern District Tournament to open the 2018-19 campaign, Maury finished 28-3 overall in year two under Head Coach Brandon Plummer.

Maury second-year Head Basketball Coach Brandon Plummer chats following his team's 57-49 triumph over Freedom-South Riding in the VHSL Class 5 State Championship at VCU in Richmond on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

The Commodores went 28-3 overall, capturing the program's first state title since 1927. Plummer now has won a State Championship as a Head Coach and a player, where he helped Booker T. Washington capture one during the 2005-06 campaign.