Throughout competitive sports, a recurring theme is that the setting of a contest matters. Teams strive for home court or home field advantage, which history has proven is often, indeed, an advantage.

Sometimes the advantage, however, can simply come from the experience of playing at a special, epic location that transcends designations like “home” or “away.” Lakeland High School’s boys’ basketball team got a taste of this experience at the Norfolk Scope Arena on Friday.

The Cavaliers faced Woodside High School in their first game of the Scope Holiday Invitational Basketball Tournament.

The exciting contest, which went to overtime, ended in a 56-52 Lakeland defeat, but this and a late arrival could not destroy the special memory for Cavaliers players, coaches and staff.

“It was very exciting,” Lakeland senior guard Kenya Latham said Friday. “We were hoping to play at the Scope last year, but we never got the chance. But this year we’re going to make the best of it. Hopefully, we’re going to win the next two games.”

Cavaliers coach Clint Wright suspected that a lot of the players in the tournament had never played at Scope, and Lakeland activities director Gregory Rountree figured it was a first for Lakeland.

“I don’t think we’ve ever played here at Scope,” Rountree said, while standing on the perimeter of the playing floor. “I think this is our first time.”

Each of the eight teams in the tourney were guaranteed to play three games, once each day, concluding today.

Wright recalled how Lakeland came to be invited via a phone call in February.

“We thought that this would give our kids a great experience, and I think it really did,” he said. “When they offered, we said ‘Yes’ quickly, before they had the potential to withdraw the offer. I hope we showed enough that we can compete with these teams, and we’ll see what happens as it goes down the road.”

Rountree referred to the old Virginia High School League alignment when he said, “The regionals once upon a time was held here, so we wanted to give our kids that opportunity to play in a big atmosphere like the Scope. Some of them will never get an opportunity to play in an arena.”

It was an opportunity relished by Lakeland’s players, particularly because of the change in where the regional tournament is located now.

Last season, “we thought the regionals was going to stay at the Scope, but once they changed it, we were kind of discouraged about that, because we were finally good enough to make it to the Scope,” Latham said.

The game featured a variety of things the ordinary high school contest does not, including a big screen hanging above the court that featured multi-angle instant replays of the game.

Latham also noted the court was different.

“It was longer than a regular high school court,” he said. “It seemed like it.”

Wright said, “The horn, even, was a different type of tone.”

The venue was a walk down memory lane for Wright, who played there twice in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships as a member of the Norfolk State University men’s basketball team.

“In 1990, we won the conference championship right here in the Norfolk Scope,” he said. “It did bring back memories when we were able to step on the floor.”

Thinking of his players getting to play there now, he said, “I think it’s something they will cherish for a very long time.”