Kecoughtan Wins Tie-Breaker vs. Hampton
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It was virtually the same script as a year ago between
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these two Peninsula District contenders.
Last season, the Hampton Crabbers and Kecoughtan
Warriors needed a tie-breaker game to determine the #1 seed for the Eastern
Region Tournament. Hampton lost the
first meeting before winning the next two, prevailing again in the regional
title game and going on to capture a State Championship.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Whether or not the two schools meet again in the
Eastern Region game remains to be seen, but this time it'll be
class=SpellE>Kecoughtan as the #1 seed after their 53-44 triumph over
the Crabbers secured a playoff berth.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We're used to battling with them," remarked
class=SpellE>Kecoughtan Head Basketball Coach
normal'>Ivan Thomas afterwards. "The
Peninsula District is a grind and we got this game.
style=> We tip our hats to Hampton, they did a superb
job. I thought our guys played pretty
good defense tonight. It wasn't easy."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>In moving to 19-4 overall, Kecoughtan
jumped on Hampton early. They led 9-4
after the first quarter while the Crabbers began ice cold shooting from the
field, misfiring on their first six shots and going 2-for-13 in the opening
period. The Warriors used their size to
their advantage with Rajay
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Bullock,
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Kaelin
normal'> Poe and Justin Lipscomb gathering
nine rebounds through eight minutes of play.
normal'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>With Division I College Basketball signees on display
in Kecoughtan's Bullock (Providence) and
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Greg Alexander (ECU) as well as Hampton's
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Anthony 'Cat' Barber (NC State) and
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Jordan Baker (ODU), it was sophomore
point guard Marcell
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Haskett who
stole the show.
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Haskett
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
put up 13 points and three assists, scoring a pair of critical baskets late in
the third quarter with Hampton making a run to try to tie the game.
style=> Those hoops kept the Crabbers at bay.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"You can throw him in the category of being a future
Division I guy," believes Thomas of his point guard.
style=> "I think he can play defense and he can score
the ball. He led our team tonight, is
picking up the pace as the season goes on.
Last year, this kid had seen everything as a freshman, played in some
big games as a freshman. Now, he's a bit
of a seasoned sophomore and that's a luxury for us to have."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Above all else, Haskett's
fearless play on the defensive end of the court caught the attention of many
onlookers. Barber, considered one of the
marquee guards in the country who entered needing only 29 points to break the
Peninsula District career scoring record set by Bethel's Tony Rutland in 1994,
was held to just 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Of course he's tough.
He's a McDonald's All-American [candidate].
style=> I just listen to the coaches and follow my
defensive principles because that's where it starts," Haskett
said of guarding the guy they call Big Cat.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"The plan was to come out and hit first and not let
them hit. We wanted to be more
aggressive than we have been. Working
with Coach Thomas, I love it because he's teaching me to be a better point
guard and my role is higher than it was last year.
style=> It's not always about me scoring.
style=> It's important that I let the game come to me
and we feed our two horses in Greg and Rajay."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>As Thomas noted earlier, it was anything but easy
keeping him in check as well Baker, who misfired on all six of his shot
attempts, three nights after burning the Warriors for four three-pointers in
the first half alone. What
class=SpellE>Kecoughtan did do was make Hampton work for its points and
not get a ton of points in transition or the painted area.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We did a good job of rotating tonight, helping the
helper," Thomas added. "We've got guys
that can penetrate, slash, do different things and contribute in different
ways."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Barber's 30-footer at the third quarter brought Hampton
within five points down. Hampton would
get within three, 41-38, with 4:57 remaining after two free-throws by
class=SpellE>Cyonte
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Melvin.
style=> Kecoughtan had an
answer, though.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Bullock scored the next two trips down the floor and
then found Will Askew for his only
points of the night, pushing the lead up to seven.
style=> Much like in their first meeting when they
beat the Crabbers, Kecoughtan's role players stepped
up.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>To go with Haskett's 13
points, Poe grabbed nine boards and reserve guard
normal'>Lawrence Williams put up nine points, more than three of Hampton's
starters. Williams also made each of his
three field goal attempts and three foul shots.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>After getting walloped by 23 on Tuesday and remembering
being in this same exact spot last year, Kecoughtan's
returning players had a different level of focus and hunger, recognizing the
important of grabbing the #1 seed for regionals that will give them a home game
in the first round.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"The mindset was to come out and just play hard,"
class=SpellE>Haskett said. "I
don't think we had a lot of effort the last game and missed a lot of shots we
usually make. Not that we didn't take
that game to heart, but we were more focused and had a little bit different
mentality."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
href="http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/914/1363062.WMA">Postgame Audio with
class=SpellE>Kecoughtan Coach Ivan Thomas
line-break'>
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Stats:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Kecoughtan
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 53:
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Rajay Bullock - - 16Pts. 6-13FG, 4-5FT, 10Reb. 4Blk
class=GramE>.
Marcell Haskett - - 13Pts.
6-10FG, 3Ast.
Lawrence Williams - - 9Pts. 3-3FG, 3-3FT
Greg Alexander - - 8Pts. 3-7FG, 2-6 3's, 2Reb.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Hampton
44:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Anthony 'Cat' Barber - - 13Pts. 6-20FG, 0-0FT, 7Reb. 2Ast.
Cyonte Melvin - - 10Pts. 3-10FG, 3-4FT, 3Reb.
Sammie Royal - - 6Pts. 3-5FG, 4Reb. 2Blk. 2Stl.
Tre Perry - - 6Pts. 3-10FG, 5Reb.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
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