Greetings from the Norfolk Scope Arena! We're back for Day 4 of 4 at the Scope as teams have already punched their ticket to the State Tournament, but tonight we have a couple of squads looking for regional trophies.

Updates tonight here on the Blog and on Twitter @ hatfieldsports ...

Maury Head Coach Brandon Plummer chats after his team's 53-46 win over Green Run in Region 5A Championship at the Norfolk Scope on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

Next up for the Commodores is a matchup on Friday, March 1st against Region 5B runner-up L.C. Bird at Norview High School in Norfolk.

Let's take a look at the final numbers now...

After finishing +8 on the backboards in the first half, Green Run got out-rebounded 19-18 by Maury over the game's final two quarters. Neither shot it particularly well from three-point distance or the foul line, areas they'll each need to be better at in order to take down either of the two Richmond heavyweights - Varina or L.C. Bird.

It's no secret that Green Run missed its third leading scorer, sophomore guard Elijah Kennedy, hospitalized with the knee injury. Someone else off their bench will have to emerge, and in Maury's case, they have to get floor general Chase Coleman on track after shooting just 2-for-17 from the field the last two games.

It was 38-36 in favor of Maury just moments into the fourth quarter, then the Commodores went on an 11-2 spurt following the second dunk of the night from Ashley James to put the W on ice.

Maury is in good shape as long as they hit their free-throws and avoid turning the ball over.

So Green Run will be headed to the '804 area code to play Varina, while Maury stays home in the '757' to take on L.C. Bird.

Maury has kept Green Run from getting transition buckets for much of the night and that is the difference in them holding a nine-point lead with 2:06 to play.

The Stallions are going to have to turn to their full-court press, but it might be a bit too late as the Commodores have seasoned guards in Chase Coleman, Bryan Phillips and a four-year starter on the wing as well in Matthew Mensia that generally don't lose momentum late in ballgames (the 21-point fourth quarter lead blown at Granby aside).

The half-court trap for Maury has been somewhat effective as well. Neither team has really collected itself since the long delay, but Green Run is more in a malaise than the Commodores for the time being.

6:33 remaining - Maury 40, Green Run 36 in the Region 5A Championship. Commodores burning some clock before HC Brandon Plummer calls time-out.

Maury outscored Green Run 11-7 in a ho-hum third quarter that featured more free-throw misses than highlight-reel plays from either team, sadly.

We finally resume play after about 15 minutes (and I honestly think the clean-up crew made it worse than better). Maury reserve Keshaun Tonsall gets a basket, plus draws the foul. He misses the free-throw to give the Commodores the lead.

Back at the other end, it's Jacob Cooper finishing off the bounce. Green Run leads 34-32 with two minutes to play as Clarence Rupert heads to the line to shoot a pair for Maury.

This is taking entirely WAYYY too long to clean up. It's almost as if we had another half-time.

And they are using some things to clean up the floor that will potentially make it slippery or slick.

Let's hope nothing happens after Saturday's knee fracture sustained by Green Run sophomore Elijah Kennedy when he slipped and got seriously injured.

Hopefully we'll resume play here shortly at Scope.

Bryan Phillips follows up that trey with a driving lay-up, then Maury traps Green Run's Karree Smith along the sideline and Stallions Head Coach Kenneth Harris burns a time-out.

It's deadlocked at 30 at the 6:14 mark of the third period.

With a 2-to-1 advantage, Green Run should feel they are winning this game by multiple possessions. Instead, it's tied. We'll see if that continues in the second half or if Maury can shrink the rebounding deficit and ultimately take the regional crown.

Second half about to commence...

A good flow to end the 2nd period. Maury Head Coach Brandon Plummer has to be pleased that went to the break even considering there were a few moments where it appeared Ashley James of Green Run might take things over, especially following the alley-oop flush that gave his team a three-point advantage early in the second quarter.

Neither team has gone up by more than four. The Commodores turned it over just once in the second quarter.

2:55 to go 2ndQ - Maury 23, Green Run 21. Bryan Phillips makes a pair at the foul line to put the Commodores in front.

Green Run has gotten sloppy a bit offensively. Guards Ashley James and Jake Cooper have four turnovers apiece. They have to be careful not to get sped up from Maury's defense and remain patient offensively to execute in the half-court at their pace.

Maury is only down three though and must hold their poise and keep Green Run from going on a run following that energy play by James.

Green Run has used nine players so far, whereas Maury has only played six. The lone sub off the bench for the Commodores so far has been Bryce Phillips, younger brother of All-Eastern District 1st Team guard Bryan Phillips.

It's deadlocked at 7 just three minutes in as Maury goes up a three-pointer from senior wing Matthew Mensia, but sophomore Jacob Cooper of Green Run gets away from the double team and gets a nice lay-up on the attack move.

Cooper has a nice acceleration first-step move to get in the lane and create. Neither team has taken full control. It is worth noting that Green Run's Ashley James - the hero with the buzzer-beating bank shot from Saturday's semifinal game against Nansemond River - is scoreless so far. James had 30 in that win and is 30 away from tying Tyler Blount for second most points in Stallions history.

My pick is Maury takes this one, but Green Run has already looked like a Team of Destiny with their wild playoff wins over Princess Anne and Nansemond River to reach this title game. If it's close, the Stallions could find a way again.

As my cohort on press row Jerry a.k.a. 'The Vendor' Noell put it perfectly, "The only person with more jewelry than Princess Anne Head Girls Basketball Coach Darnell Dozier is Liberace."

Indeed. The Princess Anne Girls cruised tonight and it's hard to envision anyone keeping them from another title. This was their 15th regional title under his direction. Every playoff win was by double-figures with little resistance.

The Green Run Boys vs. Maury should be an intriguing battle. Green Run looks for its first regional title since 1984, while Maury seeks its first since 2014. The Stallions are coming off that miraculous half-court heave banked in by Ashley James at the buzzer against Nansemond River, whereas Maury had to sweat out a close one themselves against Eastern District rival Norview thanks to Clarence Rupert's two free-throws with a couple of seconds left to beat the Pilots for the third time this season by five points or fewer.

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.