As Ella Negron posts up, Patriot senior Addisyn Banks prepares to drive to the hoop Tuesday night at Potomac.

Patriot experience gets Pioneers past Potomac, 49-43

The Patriot Pioneers have a veteran starting lineup, chock-full of experience, which includes four seniors plus First Team All-Cedar Run junior Ella Negron.

In the playoffs at Potomac Tuesday night, Patriot needed every bit of that experience to advance.

Patriot got 15 points from Negron en route to a 49-43 6B Regional Quarterfinal victory over the Panthers. The Pioneers jumped out to a double-digit lead early and never trailed, though Potomac cut their lead to one possession several times.

The game was extremely physical throughout and Potomac showed no quit. However, Patriot was prepared.

“Veterans and being discliplined,” Patriot coach Antoinette Wadsworth answered when asked how Patriot was able to jump to an early lead and then hold off Potomac. “We have to know how to come out in tight situations and be disciplined.”

“I’m just glad we were able to put it all together, what we practiced this week and over the course of the season, to get it done tonight and advance.”

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Patriot’s Ella Negron (15 points, eight rebounds, five assists) prepares to hand the ball off.

Early it looked like the Pioneers might get it done fairly easily, leading 17-9 after a quarter and 26-20 at half. Wadsworth’s team picked apart the Panthers with its precision passing in the first quarter, and limited Potomac star Lajayla Lipscomb, the Player of the Year in the Cardinal District, to four points at half.

Potomac (15-7) started to creep back into the game, however. Lipscomb and junior guard Tiana Jackson started to attack the basket and get to the line. Lipscomb and fellow senior Olivia Wright started to crash the offensive boards. The Panthers first pulled to within two points again at 30-28 off two free throws by Jackson. Later, Lipscomb brought them to within 40-38 off a steal and a bucket.

The Panthers’ raucous home crowd started to get into it. But each time Potomac made a run, Patriot’s veterans responded.

Negron would find Addisyn Banks (eight points, seven rebounds, five assists) down low, and vice-versa. The Panthers would dare Patriot to shoot from outside, and while the Pioneers weren’t great from the arc, Banks and fellow seniors Emily Casey (six points) and Sydnee Smith (nine points, seven rebounds) each delivered a clutch three-pointer.

Most importantly, when things got loud, Patriot generally still took good care of the ball. Negron and Casey made three of four free throws late to ice the game, while Potomac, which had made a lot of free throws throughout the contest, missed a few late.

Veteran composure got the job done for the Pioneers (17-7), who advance to face Cedar Run rival Gainesville in the 6B Semis on Wednesday. Wadsworth’s team has been this far before–they fell last year in the region semis as Woodbridge’s Amani Melendez scored 38 to sink the Pioneers in a double overtime game. This year, Gainesville represents another steep challenge, as the Cardinals have already defeated Patriot three times this season.

Patriot senior Sy
Patriot senior Sydnee Smith was key on defense limiting Lipscomb, and also had nine points.

Still, Wadsworth, who registered her 100th career victory at Patriot with her team’s win, is more than happy to bet her battle-tested squad can again step up to the challenge.

“We’re going to meet a familiar opponent,” she said. “We absolutely gotta show up and be ready to go. We’ve got to rebound better…have to make sure we are disciplined and focused.”

Potomac, which finished the Cardinal District regular season slate undefeated, ends a great year on a disappointing note. Jackson finished with 17 points and was 12 of 14 from the free throw line. Despite starting slow, Lipscomb finished her high school career as her usual dominant self, registering 15 points and 15 rebounds.

–Chris Jollay

all stats are unofficial

POTOMAC FG FT TP REB AST
JACKSON 2-14 12-14  17  5  0
PULLER 0-4 0-0  0  2  3
LIPSCOMB 4-16 7-11  15  15  0
WRIGHT 3-6 2-2  8  8  0
ALLEN 0-4 1-4  1  3  1
Ofosumensah 1-1 0-0  2  0  0
Thomas 0-0 0-0  0  1  0
TOTALS 10-41 22-31  43  34  4
Threes: Jackson 1-4, Puller 0-2, Lipscomb 0-1, Allen 0-1
PATRIOT FG FT TP REB AST
UPPERMAN 2-7 0-0  4   5   4
CASEY 1-6 3-4  6   3   0
SMITH 3-8 2-4  9   7   1
BANKS 3-10 1-3  8   7   5
NEGRON 5-12 5-5  15   8   5
Bilal 1-5 0-0  3   0   0
Wright 2-2 0-0  4   0   0
Honkus 0-0 0-0  0   0   0
TOTALS 11-16  51  30  15
Threes: Casey 1-4, Smith 1-4, Bilal 1-4, Banks 1-5,   Upperman 0-4