There wasn’t a spot on the floor on which South Lakes’ Jordan Scott didn’t thrive Friday night. He hit three-pointers, free throws, put-backs, and mid-range shots – including one improbable attempt after just about sitting on his butt.
At the other end, his help on the Seahawks’ trapping defense turned Madison guards over during key moments, leading to important stops and transition baskets.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore’s all-around spectacular performance carried South Lakes to the 6D boys title, a 61-49 win over the Warhawks in the Region 6D Championship Friday at Washington-Liberty High School.
It’s the second consecutive region title for the Seahawks (24-3), who will play in a state tournament quarterfinal on Friday. Madison (19-8) also advances. Four of its losses this year were to South Lakes.
Scott, named 6D Region Player of the Year, finished with 29 points. His tricky field goal while being fouled, falling to the floor with 6:02 left in the third quarter, gave the Seahawks the lead for good, 31-28.
Jack Kaminski (team-high 18 points) and Joey Chalabi (10 points, eight in the fourth quarter) did all they could to keep the Warhawks in the game thereafter, but South Lakes finished on a 20-9 run and weren’t denied.
“Last year’s team was a lot about our five starting seniors,” Scott said. “This year, I had to step up and take on a bigger role. [Friday], we wanted to come out and throw the first punch and go from there.”
Scott scored his team’s first seven points, and the often slow-starting Seahawks led 11-4 halfway through the first quarter. Madison regrouped in the second quarter, rallying behind Kaminski to grab a four-point lead. The game was tied at 24 at halftime.
Chalabi scored eight straight points in the fourth quarter to cut his team’s deficit to two with 4:33 to play before South Lakes pulled away.
“There’s a reason Scott is the Player of the Year,” Chalabi said. “He won the game for them.”
Warhawks coach Kevin Roller said afterward, “He’s the player of the year and he played like it.”
On the Seahawks’ performance down the stretch, Roller said, “That’s what South Lakes does to you. You work hard to stay in the game, then there’s a turnover, and all of a sudden you are down five points, then seven; then you have to play man-defense and they go to the foul line.”
Seahawks junior point guard Brian Kennedy turned his ankle late in the first half and was helped off the court. He returned in the third quarter, though lost a lot of his dynamic quickness.
“The ankle was just burning,” Kennedy said afterward. But he efforted when he was needed most, especially on the traps.
Kennedy said, “When teams run a dribble hand-off, they turn their heads away from the play and we trap them with a double-team. This means their only pass is the most difficult one, one across the floor to their teammate furthest away.”
Prior to last season, South Lakes had not won a region title since 2003. Coach Mike Desmond said this year’s squad has spent the season turning the “improbable into the possible.”
Calling Scott’s performance, “amazing,” Desmond said his young star took a step forward on Friday by playing aggressively, going to the basket from the start.
“Often, he lays back at the beginning and waits for the game to come to him,” Desmond said. “Not tonight.”
Said Kennedy, “Jordan was just insane tonight – big time.”
–Paul Bergeron
@PaulBergeron3