Maury Green Run Advance
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style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>5A-South
Conference 9 Tournament Semifinals:
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Final - - #1 Maury 71, #4 Kellam 53
Final - - #2 Green Run 61, #3 Norview 57
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";
background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Commodores Cruise Behind Coleman:
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"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Those that have followed the High School Basketball
scene in Virginia, and particularly Hampton Roads, know that the player being
touted as the next 'phenom' is Maury freshman point
guard Matt Coleman.
style=> With offers already in from such schools as
ODU, UVA and Virginia Tech, he has quickly jumped onto the recruiting radar
screen and figures to be a nationally-rated prospects before graduating.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Coleman displayed his skills in a dizzying opening
quarter burst, scoring 14 points and sinking four three-pointers to help the
Commodores bolt to a 26-16 lead through eight minutes of play on their way to a
71-53 rout of the fourth-seeded Kellam Knights in
Wednesday night's Conference 9 Tournament semifinals.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Even a popped blood vessel, which occurred when he got
poked in the eye vs. Norview late in the regular season, couldn't slow him down
from or hinder his uncanny court vision.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I got in a rhythm and just kept on shooting until I
missed. All week in practice, I was
feeling it and wanted to come out and show what I was doing in practice,"
Coleman said.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"At the beginning of the season, I was laidback and new
to the varsity level. Now, I know I can
play with these guys, play at a high level, make plays and not just fit in, but
look above average."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Earlier this month, Coleman was named the Cox Sports
Player of the Week in Hampton Roads for his play in a trio of wins over First
Colonial (20Pts. 10Ast. 7Stl.), Salem (18Pts. 8Reb. 8Ast.) and Norview (16Pts.
10Ast.), where he approached triple-double numbers each time out.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>On 8-of-13 shooting from the field, 4-for-5 from long
distance, Coleman finished with a season-high 25 points against the Knights while
also dishing out six assists and making three steals.
style=> All five of his free-throws were converted as
well.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"It might've been the best game he's had all year.
style=> He shot the ball extremely well obviously,
but the thing that most people don't notice is the defensive pressure, the
steals. He's one of a kind," stated longtime
Maury Head Basketball Coach Jack Baker,
who notched career win #692.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Since January when we came back from Christmas, he's
been as good as you can ask for. He's
stepped up his game and is so much better than he was in December.
style=> He's managing the game, becoming more of a
leader on the floor. Right now he's in a
zone and playing very, very well."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Baker expressed concern about this matchup against
class=SpellE>Kellam for a few reasons, most notably the fact that they
escaped with a 62-56 win on the road over the Knights back on February 1st in
what was one of their closest games of the season.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I thought it was vital for us to play well early
because they gave us all we could handle last time at Kellam,
and I'm sure they came in pretty confident they can beat us," he noted.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Although Maury trailed 7-4 less than four minutes in,
the Commodores turned up their defensive intensity a notch, forcing
class=SpellE>Kellam into 23 turnovers with 14 coming before half-time.
style=> Maury's lead swelled to as many as 20 points midway
through the third quarter.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Complementing Coleman's great play were
class=SpellE>Jaleel
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Ferguson,
normal'>Anthony Williams and David
Reed. Ferguson tallied 13 points and
nine rebounds. Williams, a sophomore, finished
up with 11 points and four steals. Reed
chipped in nine points as the Commodores - ranked second in the state in 5A -
moved to 22-1 overall.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>For Kellam, which closed out
the season at 14-9 overall, they were led by junior point guard
class=SpellE>Janai
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Raynor-Powell's
14 points.
normal'>Evan Burton and Will Shook had
nine apiece for a Knights team that shot 7-of-17 from beyond the arc.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
href="https://ct.yimg.com/mr/uploads/914/1517681.WMA">
none;text-underline:none'>Postgame Audio with Maury Coach Jack Baker
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Blount's Big Shot Propels
Stallions:
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of the goals all year long for the Green Run Stallions was to make it to the Norfolk
Scope. Even though the Eastern Region Tournament
no longer exists, the Stallions wanted to get on the big stage under the bright
lights and play for a Championship. They'll
get that chance on Saturday afternoon after defeating the third-seeded Norview
Pilots, 61-57 in what turned out to be a wild roller-coaster conference
tournament semifinal at Maury High in Norfolk.
normal'>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Green Run has senior guard
normal'>Tyler Blount to thank. In
the fourth quarter, Green Run saw its lead evaporate and suddenly trailed by
three with 2:45 to play when Norview 6-foot-3 junior forward
class=SpellE>Daevon
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Brown brought the crowd to its feet
with a monster dunk off of a steal.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Out of a time-out, 6-foot-4 wing
normal'>Jamaal Matin brought the Stallions within
one, and then Green Run drew a charging foul, setting up a giant three-pointer
by Blount with 1:21 to go that gave them the lead that they wouldn't relinquish
from there.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"After the dunk, they had the momentum.
style=> I knew we had to settle it down somehow.
style=> I told my teammates to just be patient.
style=> They were going to make a run, fight back and
when they made that run all we had to do was answer them," commented Blount,
who in the fourth quarter alone scored 13 points and made 7-of-8 free-throws,
all coming down the stretch with the game on the line.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"I didn't want to go home.
style=> I had to make them.
style=> We didn't want our season to end.
style=> We had failed all three games right before
the Scope until this year, losing in double-overtime two years ago and last
year losing by three to King's Fork. I'm
very excited and can't wait."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Through the game's first 12 minutes, Green Run shot 60%
from the floor and didn't commit a single turnover.
style=> They led, 25-12 at that point.
style=> Little by little, Norview chipped away at
that lead.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>The Pilots, who ended the season at 15-8 overall,
trailed by nine at the half. At the end
of the third quarter, Green Run's advantage was only five, 42-37.
style=> In the final eight minutes, the pace was
often frenetic and the noise deafening as Norview started to get shots to
fall.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"He (Coach Jonathan
Wilson) waited until the fourth quarter to press us, and we were expecting the
press from the beginning from the last game.
I think that bothered us, but we weathered the storm as the game went
on," commented Green Run Head Basketball Coach
normal'>Kenneth Harris, whose message was simple once his team lost the
lead.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"We've been here before.
style=> The kids were ready, all in, listening and
didn't get rattled at all."
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>That's when Green Run's seniors, highlighted by Blount
and Matin, took charge.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Blount finished up with 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting
from the field and made 10-of-12 at the charity stripe.
style=> His three-pointer in the corner late proved
to be a season-saver for the Stallions.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"He stepped up. I
think he finally got over that hump as far as hitting that big shot," Harris
said of Blount. "Every time he was at
the free-throw line, he was saying he's not going home.
style=> That's my leader, one of my go-to guys and coaching
him for four years has been unbelievable."
115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Matin
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>,
who collected 18 rebounds in the previous regular season meeting between these
two teams, recorded another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
style=> Sophomore
normal'>Sterling Carrington added eight points, six rebounds and four
assists. ECU football signee
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Shaun James grabbed seven boards.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Brown's ability to hit the offensive boards helped keep
Norview in the game. He finished up with
a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds.
Sophomore Jaylen
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Frazier contributed 13 points and junior
guard Damion
style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> Madison put up 10 points.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>Now 20-4 overall, Green Run achieved a milestone in the
victory. It marked their first 20-win season
since 1996 when current Stallions assistant coach
normal'>Rod Cooper was their starting point guard.
style=>
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>While the Stallions are set to play the winner of the
class=SpellE>PenSouth Conference 10 Tournament Championship between
Warwick and Menchville next Tuesday at
class=SpellE>Kellam High School in regional play, they will first try to
capture a conference tournament crown.
To do so, they'll have to beat a Maury team that won both regular season
meetings, including rallying from 14 down to defeat them 41-39 back on January
25th.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"Jack Baker [is] one of the best coaches in
Virginia. You have to come with your A-game.
style=> They're a very good team and have only lost
one game to a private school team. You've
got to be ready to play," Harris stated.
"Verdana","sans-serif"'>"They're going to be ready to play.
style=> They've been to the Scope and know what it's
like. We just have to step up to the
plate, and when they throw punches, we have to be able to throw them back."
style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'>
style='text-decoration:none;text-underline:none'>Postgame Audio with Green Run
Coach Kenneth Harris
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