RICHMOND — For a high school basketball team that has won 27 games, Radford hasn’t been the most consistent bunch this season.

One aspect of the Bobcats’ play never changes: withering defense. That tends to cover up a lot of flaws.

Radford had flaws aplenty Thursday in the Group A Division 2 semifinals and still drilled Essex 54-40 at the Siegel Center.

The Bobcats (27-2) will take an 18-game winning streak into Saturday’s championship game against Gate City, a 73-61 winner over William Monroe. Radford will be playing for its third state title in five years.

“We’re going to have to play a lot better or we’re going to be accepting the runner-up trophy,” Radford coach Rick Cormany said.

Asked when the Bobcats were going to return to the gym to prepare for Saturday, Cormany said, “Early as possible.”

Radford missed its first eight shots before Isaiah Phillips connected with 3:23 left in the first quarter to make the score 2-1. Radford went on to shoot 25.8 percent for the first half, 34.7 (17 of 49) for the game. The number was 5-for-14 from 3-point range but that included 4-for-5 accuracy from freshman point guard Marcus Finley, who led the team with 16 points.

“I got used to the surroundings, and coach [Bill] Nichols told me to act like there was a wall there,” Finley said. “That’s what I did, and the shots were falling.”

Finley had the unusual-for-him statistical line of one assist and seven shots taken for the game. He had 10 points in the first half, at which point Radford led 23-15.

“If he hadn’t been shooting the ball well in the first half and throughout the game, we probably would have been in major trouble,” Cormany said.

Free throw shooting was another problem for Radford, particularly in the second half when the Bobcats struggled to make 12 of 23. For the game, it was 15 of 31. Finley (2 for 6) wasn’t immune nor were Josh Little and Phillips, the team’s two most experienced players, who were a combined 6-for-14.

Phillips scored 12 points to go with seven rebounds but added five of Radford’s 10 turnovers. Little scored 10 points with four rebounds as the Bobcats prevailed 38-34 on the backboards. Eight more rebounds — the team lead — came from sophomore Nate Jones, who added 10 points.

Radford led by as many as 18 points in the second half. The difference as always was the Bobcats defense. They held the Trojans (9-14) to 40.9 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers. Finley, Jones, Little and Phillips combined for nine of Radford’s 10 steals.

Essex started the season 0-8 as a dozen players who competed for the Trojans in the 41-14 loss to Goochland in the state football final Dec. 8 rounded into form. The Trojans, who made the basketball semifinals for the first and only time in 1984, were led against Radford by Keith Bundy’s 20 points.

“Radford is a quality team, very disciplined and well-coached,” Essex coach Scott Garber said. “You can’t tell with them whether they’re up by 10 or down by 20 when they’re playing. That is the kind of team we respect, and that’s the kind of team we aspire to be.”

As many tribulations as the Bobcats had at the offensive end, they never stopped playing defense.

“We know that if we’re missing shots we can get it back on defense,” Phillips said.

Cormany was having trouble savoring the victory.

“It’s real hard to be positive now, other than the fact we’re still playing,” he said.

No elaboration was necessary.

“I think coach pretty much said it all,” Little said.

ESSEX (9-14)

Bundy 10-23 0-2 20, Hammond 0-3 1-4 1, Ashlock 3-6 2-2 8, Tompkins 1-2 0-4 2, A. Balderson 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Hill 3-6 0-0 6, Jones 1-2 0-0 3, Rolling 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 0-2 0-0 0, D. Balderson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-44 3-12 40.

RADFORD (27-2)

Finley 5-7 2-6 16, Jones 2-11 5-8 10, Little 4-11 2-6 10, Phillips 4-11 4-8 12, Bradley 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 1-4 0-0 2, Miano 1-5 2-2 4, Jordan 0-0 0-1 0, Facemire 0-0 0-0 0, Cox 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-49 15-31 54.

Essex 5 10 8 17—40

Radford 11 12 16 15—54

3-point-goals — Essex 1-6 (Jones 1-1, Bundy 0-3, Hammond 0-2), Radford — 5-14 (Finley 4-5, Jones 1-5, Phillips 0-3, Cook 0-1). Rebounds — Essex 34 (Ashlock 9), Radford 38 (Jones 8). Assists — Essex 9 (Bundy, Ashlock,Hill 2), Radford 10 (Jones 4). Fouls — Essex 25, Radford 10. Fouled out — Ashlock, Hill.

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