When Nansemond River and Kecoughtan got together on Tuesday night at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach for the Region 5A Tournament quarterfinals, one thing was certain. That was a team nicknamed the Warriors would come out on top. The question was which school with that moniker would it be?

Throughout various moments of the tug-of-war battle, it remained difficult to tell. In fact, the 32 minutes of regulation weren't enough to decide a victor. The four-minute overtime period settled the score as Nansemond River kept its magical season going, eliminating Kecoughtan 64-61.

For Nansemond River, a proud program that had the best winning percentage of any across Hampton Roads through Head Coach Ed Young's first 10 seasons and considerable success even before his arrival, few could've envisioned them getting this far. After four straight losing seasons and a 3-4 start to the 2018-19 campaign, everything looked to be going in the wrong direction.

Then, right before Christmas, the passing of Young's mother - Gloria - in Pennsylvania - rocked the leader of the Suffolk squad. They rallied together, handing Class 4 playoff participant Smithfield its first loss of the season during the King's Fork Holiday Tournament while under the direction of longtime assistant Head J.V. Coach Craig Frost. Nansemond River also lost a close affair with Lakeland in the Championship of the holiday tourney.

Since Young's return to the team in early January, Nansemond River has gone 12-2 with the lone blemishes coming to Oscar Smith and King's Fork - two teams currently at the regional semifinal level in Region 6A and Region 4A, respectively. They would later avenge the loss to King's Fork as well as beat crosstown rival Lakeland two times.

Rayshawn Murray paced the Warriors in their 64-61 OT win over Kecoughtan with 15 points, five rebounds and four steals. He's one of four senior starters for Nansemond RIver. Another, forward Jeremiah Lewis, dominated the backboards with game-highs of 16 boards and six blocks.

The lone player who's not a senior in Nansemond's starting lineup - junior Justin Fatherly - had 12 of his 14 points after half-time, where Kecoughtan led 23-21 in the back-and-forth tussle. The other two senior starters for Nansemond River - Jamal Boone and Jalil Langston combined for 16 points and 15 rebounds.

As for Willie Gause's Warriors from Kecoughtan, they got 20 points from fabulous freshman point guard DeJuan Campbell. The leading scorer in the Peninsula District this season, Campbell was held to 4-of-20 shooting from the field with Langston hounding him much of the night, though he did go 11-of-12 at the foul line to go with five rebounds, four assists and a couple of steals. Junior guard Jaylin Davis chipped in 13 points, seven steals and four boards.

Nansemond River turned the ball over 22 times on the night, though did not commit one during the four-minute overtime session. They also had 13 steals and 10 blocks on a night where they bumped their record to 16-7 overall.

A win over Green Run on Saturday would mark the first State Tournament trip for the Warriors in basketball since the 2006-07 campaign - a year where they were led by four scholarship players in Andre Jones (Winthrop), Nick Wright (Old Dominion), Quinton McDuffie (Chowan) and Mark Brown (Chowan). Jones, Wright and McDuffie were juniors on that squad that fell to eventual State Champ Highland Springs in the quarterfinals.

Nansemond River forwards Jeremiah Lewis and Justin Fatherly chat following their team's 64-61 overtime win over Kecoughtan in the Region 5A Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Fatherly, a junior named 2nd Team All-Southeastern District, had 12 of his 14 points in the 2nd half, including a pair of emphatic dunks.

Lewis, a senior chosen 1st Team All-Southeastern District, finished with 9 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks.

Now 16-7 overall and winners of 12 of their last 14, the Warriors take on Green Run at the Norfolk Scope at 5 PM on Saturday, February 23, 2019 with a State Playoff berth on the line.

Nansemond River Head Basketball Coach Ed Young chats after his team's thrilling 64-61 overtime win over Kecoughtan - the battle of the Warriors - in the Region 5A Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at Virginia Beach's Green Run High School.

Young achieved his 425th win as a Head Coach in Virginia (28 years) and is now 243-125 in 15 seasons at the helm of Nansemond River. At 16-7 overall, his Warriors this season move within a win of the program's first State Tournament berth since 2007.

Up next for Nansemond River is a date with Green Run on Saturday, February 23, 2019 in the regional semifinals at 5 PM at the Norfolk Scope.

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a regular contributor to the ACC Sports Journal. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him weeknights from 6-7 PM on The 757 at 6 as well as every Saturday at 10 AM to Noon on ESPN Radio 94.1.