BRIAR WOODS 62, MILLS GODWIN 59 OT
Briar Woods came out of the locker room a different team after trailing 30-20 at halftime. The Falcons closed the gap in the third quarter and eventually took the lead in the fourth against Godwin.
Still, Derek Butler’s team needed overtime to prevail. Junior Will Shin was particularly good in the extra frame, hitting a key three-pointer and delivering five points total. With the Falcons up only one with seconds left in overtime, senior Aidan Clark yanked a teammate’s miss of a one-and-one down and delivered a putback to extend Briar Woods’ lead to three.
That was the final margin of victory as a desperation three by Godwin missed a few seconds later. It wasn’t all good news for the Falcons, as senior guard Ian Haufler suffered a significant ankle injury in the third quarter. Haufler was a big part of the team’s comeback, here below dishing to Connor Hutton for a bucket on the first possession of the first half.
That play and the improved ball movement set the tone for the half. Coach Butler was also pleased with his team’s ability to get into transition after halftime.
STONEWALL JACKSON 61, HYLTON 58
Stonewall Jackson held off a furious rally by Hylton late to get its second victory on the season.
The Raiders took command late in the third when they embarked on a 16-0 run to crack open a close game. Swingman Jaden McKenzie was key, fielding passes in the middle of the Hylton zone and attacking the hoop and finding open shooters.
Down 20 points late, Hylton fought back with a 14-0 run of its own. The Bulldogs exploited careless Stonewall passes and junior forward Nathan Arrington got red-hot, doing most of his damage during the Bulldog run. Still, Stonewall hit enough free throws and made enough plays down the stretch to hold on.
“It’s been a struggle for us this year but we’re glad to get this win,” Raider coach Marcus Lawrence said. “We were very disciplined tonight on the offensive end and eventually got good shots–Jaden was really effective in the middle. Our press really bothered them as well.”
McKenzie led the Raiders in scoring with 20 with fellow senior Caleb Washington chipping in 13. Arrington led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while guard Courtenay Houston added 16.
The Raiders will pay Briar Woods in the consolation bracket today, while Hylton will meet Godwin.
OAKTON 56, LANGLEY 53
The Cougars avenged an earlier loss this season to Langley behind a strong game from senior forward Max Wilson.
Oakton led for most of the contest but had trouble putting away the relentless Saxons. Every time Oakton got its lead up Langley would battle back with good defense and timely three-point shooting.
But Wilson proved too much. The lightning-quick and long senior was active on the defensive end and got to the rim consistently for the Cougars. He finished with 19 points, while senior guard Chris Neary and sophomore forward Eren Ertan also registered double digits in points.
Junior shooting guard Jiaan Sehhat led the way with 20 points for Langley, while senior forward Aidan Owen had 13.
STONE BRIDGE 96, LAKE BRADDOCK 92
The Bulldogs shocked the host Bruins with a composed effort, announcing themselves to the Northern Region as a bona fide threat to do postseason damage in February.
Faced with the unique challenge of Lake Braddock’s up-tempo 32-minute pressure, Stone Bridge didn’t back down. No stranger to up-tempo games themselves, they ran with the Bruins and in fact led most of the game by around 10 points.
Lake Braddock’s fortunes improved when star sophomore forward David Solomon started to assert himself inside. Almost unstoppable down low, Solomon grabbed offensive rebounds off teammates’ misses and converted time after time. Solomon finished with 26 points, most of them in the second half.
Stone Bridge’s senior-laden lineup remained unfazed as Braddock cut into the lead late, controlling the ball against the Bruins’ pressure and delivering the win. Michael Jerome had a game-high 31 points to lead the way, while Michael Healy (19), Billy Crichton (18), Isaiah Rhodes (12) and Cole Devido (11) all hit double figures. Lightning-quick sophomore point guard Dylan Hundertmark also proved invaluable against the Bruins’ defensive pressure.
Jimmy Anderson added 21 for the Bruins, who will battle Langley in the third place game today. Stone Bridge will take on Oakton in tonight’s championship.
–Chris Jollay