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Titans Reign Supreme at Green Run Spring League

The Lake Taylor Titans are coming off arguably the best season in school history in Boys Basketball. They finished 24-5 overall, captured their first regional title since 1983 and made it to the State Championship game.

While the ending was not the one that the Norfolk school had hoped for - losing an eight-point lead and getting outscored 12-0 over the final 4:25 by Monacan in the title game - it was an experience that should help those returning to the squad.

On Wednesday night, Lake Taylor completed a strong run in the Green Run Spring League by edging the host Stallions, 44-39 for the Championship. The Titans went went 12-1 during the Spring League, suffering its lone loss 40-39 to Cox back on May 16th.

Throughout the Spring League, Lake Taylor saw different players step up, highlighted by a trio of Class of 2018 prospects with next-level aspirations in 6'2" guard Joe Bryant, 6'4" wing Dereon Seabron and 6'3" wing Jalen Jordan.

Bryant, who recently picked up his first offer from Hampton University, had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in the victory over Green Run. Besides attacking off the dribble and looking to post-up, Bryant played tough, physical defense down the stretch. He helped limit the Stallions to just two points over the game's final seven minutes as his team was able to erase a 37-33 second half deficit.

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Joe Bryant is part of a talented Class of 2018 trio leading the way for Lake Taylor
Joe Bryant is part of a talented Class of 2018 trio leading the way for Lake Taylor
Matthew Hatfield

Without Seabron, Lake Taylor wouldn't have made it to the Finals. Known for being a tall wing with range out to the three-point line, Seabron used his athleticism to finish going towards the cup in a semifinal comeback vs. Princess Anne, plus came up with a handful of rebounds. He ended up with a team-best 19 points, 12 in the second half.

Princess Anne actually led Lake Taylor during the semifinals by 10 during early in the second half and 45-37 with five minutes to play, thanks in large part to a dominant showing from 6'6" forward Michael Barfield-Owens. In the defeat, Barfield-Owens scored 17 of his team's first 23 points and finished with 32 points.

Jordan was instrumental in Monday's quarterfinals against eighth-seeded Kellam, which claimed a 24-17 lead moments into the second half. As the Titans had three starters out, Jordan turned in a stellar all-around effort with 32 points - draining four three-pointers and going 9-of-12 at the foul line - and exerted himself on the defensive end of the court in the 53-39 comeback triumph.

Green Run found itself in a tough battle against city rival Cox, a potential sleeper to watch out for next season in Group 6A, during the semis. In fact, the Falcons led by as many as eight in the second half before a 22-4 blitz by Green Run gave them a 47-37 victory.

Six-foot-6 center Emonni Wood from the Class of 2017 led the way with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and five blocks. Class of 2019 guard Ashley James (6'2") chipped in 14 points. Class of 2018 guard Cortez Johnson (5'11") added seven assists and five steals.

Demontae Tyler gives Lake Taylor another dangerous shooter on the perimeter
Demontae Tyler gives Lake Taylor another dangerous shooter on the perimeter
Matthew Hatfield

In the Championship game, Lake Taylor built a 25-13 advantage behind the hot shooting of Class of 2017 wing Demontae Tyler (6'3"), who scored eight points and knocked down a couple three-pointers in the first half. Tyler ended up with 11 points.

But Green Run would close the first half on an 11-0 run to pull within a point at the break. Class of 2018 forward Shawn Sanders (6'5") was the catalyst, tallying nine points on 4-of-4 shooting and grabbed four rebounds in the half. Remarkably though, Sanders didn't get another shot attempt the rest of the game and added only one more rebound in the second half.

Class of 2017 guard Najon Nobles (5'10") began to heat up for the Stallions in the second half, scoring 11 of his game-high 17 points after the break. Green Run would nudge ahead 37-33, though couldn't hold the lead. While the Stallions were just 50% from the charity stripe in the second half - 4-of-8 - Lake Taylor hit on 7-of-10 (70%) at the foul line over the final 20 minutes. The Titans also finished with a 28-23 advantage on the backboards.

*** Final Green Run Spring League Standings & Scores Here ***


Matthew Hatfield
serves as State Basketball Analyst for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. 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 every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.

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