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Kellam Wins Beach Tournament

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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Kellam
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Rolls, Silences Stallions:
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style=>
line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>In front of a near packed
to capacity crowd at Ocean Lakes High School on Friday night, the #2 seeded
class=SpellE>Kellam Knights had about as flawless a performance as a
team could enjoy in capturing their second Beach District Tournament
Championship in three years. Playing the
fourth-seeded Green Run Stallions, Kellam jumped on
them immediately in building an 18-6 lead after the first quarter and never
looking back from there in a 55-38 rout.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>It was textbook execution for the Knights from their
passing, shooting and patience on the offensive end to the rebounding and
contesting of shots defensively.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>One player recorded as many rebounds for
class=SpellE>Kellam through three quarters of play as Green Run's entire
team. The Knights also shot 59% from the
field in the first half, got assists on nine of 11 field goals and converted
four of their first eight three-pointers.
There was little to nothing they could do wrong.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It's a good time to peak," commented
class=SpellE>Kellam's Norman
class=SpellE>Hassell, the Beach District Coach of the Year.
style=> "Everybody wants to get on a streak before
you get into regionals with a chance to go to Scope, and you want to play your
best basketball at the end of the year.
We put together one decent game.
I'm very proud of the guys.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>With the win, Kellam moved to
20-5 overall. Green Run dropped to 19-6
overall, suffering its second defeat to the Knights in three meetings this
season.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Player of the Game:
style=> Kellam senior
forward Ramone
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Snowden.
style=> It was truly one of Snowden's finest hours
yet in a Knights uniform. The future Old
Dominion Monarch fully embraced the mantle of being 'the man,' posting 22
points, 19 rebounds, six assists, three blocks and three steals.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Consecutive losses to Landstown
within a three-day span humbled the Knights.
That setback kept Kellam from capturing the
outright Beach District regular season title and securing the #1 seed for
regionals. Above all else, it served as
motivation to fuel Snowden and his teammates.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We were all kind of angry about giving up the #1 seed
to Landstown, and we went at it in practice, down on
the ground and everything," stated Snowden, who was selected as the Beach
District Player of the Year on Saturday.
"It was about being tougher. Last
night, we won, but this one we just wanted it.
If everybody stays focused, we're good to go."
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
Keys to Victory:
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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>#1
- - Erase All Doubt, Beat the Press:
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style=> Some teams come in with the mindset of it's
relatively easy to get Kellam out of their comfort
zone. Get the ball out of Snowden's hands,
double him when he does touch it so that he has to give it up and pressure
their guards since they have a sophomore playing the point in
class=SpellE>Janai
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Raynor-Powell.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"That's the one thing we work on every single day,"
class=SpellE>Hassell said about preparing for presses.
style=> "Janai's a
sophomore guard, but 25 games later he's seen it all at this point.
style=> We try not to let pressure bother us.
style=> Their pressure means we slow down and do our
thing."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Through one half of play, Kellam
turned it over just four times.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
#2 - - Strike from the Perimeter:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>To
beat a Green Run team with talented guard play and athleticism, the Knights
knew they had to counter by capitalizing on their outside shooting
opportunities. When Snowden drove into
the lane, he collapsed the defense and opened up wide open looks for his
teammates from deep.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Tyler
Vinsand
line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>and
normal'>Alex Ratajczak struck on their open looks
to help widen the lead to as many as 21 before intermission.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I tell Ramone big-time players
step up in big-time games," Hassell added.
style=> "When we're going to hit 3's from other
people outside of him, it's going to be tough to guard.
style=> We got to the rim and that takes a lot of
pressure off everybody just running at Ramone, so
that helped a whole lot."
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
#3 - - Thwart Any Run:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Even
though they were up 17 at the break, Kellam didn't
sit back and relax with that lead. They
were able to increase it by continuing to play fundamentally sound basketball,
and when the reserves checked into the game for brief stretches, they
maintained that same energy and momentum that got established in the first
half.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>By doing that, the Knights kept a dangerous Green Run
team from going on a vintage run to make a comeback.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We know that they are fierce competitors and that this
is a game of runs," Hassell pointed out.
style=> "Everybody makes a run, so we were just
trying to really caution ourselves about getting comfortable, lazy and allowing
a big run to happen. We haven't done
very well in the third quarter and don't really do well keeping our foot on the
pedal. That was what most of our
conversation was to try to keep everything going the way it was going and don't
let up."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
mso-highlight:yellow'>Regionals Set: 
One mission is complete for Kellam and that's
capturing the Beach District Tournament crown. 
Now another one begins and that's getting back to the Norfolk Scope for
the second time in three years.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Back in 2011, the Knights were a perfect 27-0 and lost
a heart-breaker to eventual State Champion Norcom in
the regional semifinals, a game that will stick with Snowden and others that
were on that team.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It means a lot.
I'm determined to get us back there," Snowden commented.
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Kellam
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will take on the #3 seed out of Southeastern District, Western Branch, at 6:00
PM at Princess Anne High School on Monday.
The Bruins haven't won a region playoff game in 14 years and they are
also smarting from blowing a 16-point fourth quarter lead to King's Fork in the
Southeastern District Tournament Championship.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>How does Kellam come down from
cloud nine and get ready to play the Bruins?
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"That high will be down real soon," Hassell
answered. "You've got two days to go by,
we're out of school Monday, will get together Monday morning early some point
and we'll have a very detailed conversation about what's going on.
style=> That's a chance to go to Scope, and that's
what we're all trying to do. If I've got
to get you excited to get ready to go to Scope, you shouldn't have been on this
team."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Postgame Audio with
class=SpellE>Kellam Coach Norman Hassell
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style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Final
Stats:
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Kellam
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line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 55:
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Ramone Snowden - - 22Pts. 9-15FG, 3-8FT, 19Reb. 6Ast.
3Blk. 3Stl.
Tyler Vinsand - - 12Pts. 4-8FG, 3-6 3's, 2Reb. 2Stl
class=GramE>.
Chris Smith - - 11Pts. 4-6FG, 3-5FT, 5Reb.
Kobe Copeland - - 7Pts. 3-5FG, 6Reb. 2Ast.
style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Green
Run 38:
normal'>
Tyler Blount - - 8Pts. 3-15FG, 2-10 3's, 2Reb. 2Stl.
Demetri Wilson - - 7Pts. 3-9FG, 1-3 3's
Shaun James - - 6Pts. 2-3FG, 2-2FT, 4Reb.
Lequan
Thomas - - 3Pts. 1-4FG, 1-4FT, 5Reb. 5Ast. 4Stl.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'> 
style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>
115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";text-decoration:none;text-underline:
none'>Matthew Hatfield
style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>
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Network. Check out
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