Senior guard Spencer Payne scored five points in the last 25 seconds of overtime as visiting Broad Run rallied from a late six-point deficit to defeat Woodgrove, 60-58.
It was a game of comebacks and runs in which the Spartans were fortunate to have the last one. Down for most of the first half, the Spartans got hot in the third quarter and went on an 11-0 run to take the lead. Broad Run expanded its lead into double digits in the fourth quarter, hitting its shots and forcing Woodgrove to take bad ones. Up 50-40 with only about three minutes left in the game it appeared the Spartans would get a regulation win.
Then Woodgrove delighted the home crowd with an improbable comeback. Junior guard Robert Mustacchio buried a three to make it 50-43. Junior forward Alex Owen stole the ball and found junior guard Zack Johnson for a bucket. Johnson stole the ball again a short time later and sophomore forward Brock Redman followed a miss with a put-back. Finally, after a defensive stop Johnson found Redman open for a three-pointer to knot the game at 50. Broad Run still had opportunities to win it in regulation but couldn’t convert. Junior guard Schuyler Carman missed the front end of a one-and-one with 13.6 seconds left and even Payne, who had converted 42 consecutive free throws, missed one earlier.
In overtime the Woodgrove 10-0 run became 14-0 as the Wolverines scored the first four points of the extra session. Finally the Spartans converted to break their drought, but then the hosts scored four more points to up their lead to 58-52 with just a couple minutes remaining. It appeared that with all the momentum on their side Woodgrove had scored an amazing comeback victory.
Then the momentum started to shift again in a crazy way. Woodgrove got a technical when one of its players changed jerseys on the sideline because he had blood on it. Payne converted a free throw and then Broad Run scored a little later. The Spartans got a steal and senior guard Scott Collins got the ball to Payne, who converted an old-fashioned three-point play on the lay-up. With just a little time left it was now tied at 58.
The Wolverines had the last shot but senior forward Zachary Cunningham missed a floater with a couple seconds left in the overtime. Payne pulled down a nice two-handed rebound and was fouled. As the Spartans were in the double bonus Payne, who was 8-10 from the line up to that point, calmly drilled two free throws and the victory was sealed. Despite the earlier misses Payne, one of the best free throw shooters in NOVA, was suddenly the hero with his key rebound and five quick points late.
Payne led Broad Run (5-10), which avenged an earlier loss this season to Woodgrove, with 23 points. Carman had a very strong game as well, contributing a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Collins added eight points for the Spartans, who host district rival Potomac Falls this evening.
Redman had 17 points and 12 rebounds for Woodgrove (9-6). Owen added 15 points and sophomore Patrick Strite eight points for the Wolverines, who were playing without talented senior forward Owen Fuller (ankle). Fuller will miss tonight’s game against Park View, but should return Friday for a clash with Dominion.
–Chris Jollay
all stats are unofficial
| WOODGROVE | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| JOHNSON | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| MUSTACCHIO | 1-9 | 0-1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | |
| CUNNINGHAM | 2-14 | 0-0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| OWEN | 6-11 | 2-3 | 15 | 5 | 1 | |
| REDMAN | 8-12 | 0-0 | 17 | 12 | 2 | |
| Strite | 3-7 | 0-0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| Alford | 1-5 | 1-4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| Drawbaugh | 1-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
| Blizzard | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | 24-69 | 3-8 | 58 | 38 | 15 | |
| Threes: Strite 2-5, Redman 1-2, Owen 1-3, Cunningham 1-6, Drawbaugh 1-6, Mustacchio 1-7, Johnson 0-1, Blizzard 0-1 | ||||||
| BROAD RUN | FG | FT | TP | REB | AST | |
| HAYES | 1-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| JORDAN | 2-4 | 2-3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | |
| CARMAN | 5-9 | 0-3 | 10 | 11 | 3 | |
| PAYNE | 6-13 | 10-12 | 23 | 7 | 0 | |
| COLLINS | 3-4 | 0-0 | 8 | 4 | 3 | |
| Turner | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| Smedley | 1-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Griffis | 2-5 | 2-2 | 7 | 4 | 1 | |
| TOTALS | 20-47 | 14-20 | 60 | 35 | 14 | |
| Threes: Collins 2-2, Jordan 1-3, Griffis 1-3, Payne 1-4, Smedley 1-4, Hayes 0-1, Carman 0-2 | ||||||