Bird Wins at the Buzzer in Conference 12 Championship (VIDEO)

L.C. Bird had squandered a 15-point lead and the Skyhawks fans feared that their team would be headed for overtime against a Varina team playing on its home floor, gaining momentum behind an excited crowd.

Harvard-bound senior guard Mario Haskett wanted to finish the Blue Devils off in regulation and got his wish.

With the Skyhawks inbounding behind their own basket with just four seconds to play, fellow senior guard Johquin 'Pinky' Wiley raced up the court. Two defenders converged on him as teammate Jyles Webster attempted to set a pick.

Wiley found his backcourt mate with just enough time and space to let fly a three-point at the buzzer. Haskett's shot swished through the net and the celebration began for a Skyhawks team that prevailed 61-58 to push its record to 21-1 overall on the season.

By defeating Varina, L.C. Bird avenged a 50-35 loss to the Blue Devils from one year ago in the Conference 12 Tournament Championship. This was the final year of conferences as the VHSL will eliminate them for the 2017-18 school year and going forward. Teams will play a district schedule, then enter postseason play in a regional format similar to the current setup, except there are no conference tournaments.

Haskett led all Skyhawks with 15 points, converting a trio of three-pointers. He made a critical one earlier in the fourth quarter as well.

Wiley had 10 points - scoring on three straight possessions in the third quarter - and had eight assists, none bigger than his final one.

Zion Ross of Varina had tied the score when he spun through the lane and kissed a shot off the window the play prior to Bird's game-winner. The Blue Devils trailed 53-46 going into the fourth quarter.

1 - Number of foul shots Bird missed. The Skyhawks went 6-of-7.

2 - Total of three-pointers made by Varina, which went 2-for-6 from three-point range.

11 - Amount of shots both teams combined to block in front of the sellout crowd.

12 - Points scored by Bird's Cam Henry, all of which came in the first half.

17 - Unanswered points scored by L.C. Bird in the first half during a critical 17-0 run that enabled them to take a 37-26 lead to half-time.

While Haskett and Wiley are the headliners for this Bird team, sometimes even Jaylen Dillard when he has a hot shooting night like he did earlier this season in their win over Bethel at the Reebok Crossover Showcase at the Hampton Coliseum, this is a well-rounded Bird team that can beat opponents in many different ways.

They can win by putting up over 100 points, doing so twice against Highland Springs this month. A year ago, they beat fellow State Tournament qualifier Hampton in a game that was played in the 40's. Tyrek Williams, their 6'6" junior in the post, has developed in the low block to give them an inside scoring presence. Cam Henry has continued to evolve as their utility guy that does a little bit of everything, which came in the form of 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks against Varina.

Perhaps their most influential player that provided hustle and energy came off the bench in 6'6" senior forward Jyles Webster.

Committed to play his College Basketball at Division II Concord in West Virginia, Webster does the dirty work for the Skyhawks and doesn't mind if other guys get the glory. He had 10 points, six rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks. Above all that, he has the utmost respect of his teammates and sacrificed his body on a few different occasions for loose balls.

"Jyles does a great job. He holds the paint down for us rebounding," Manns commented. "The things he does don't always show up in the box score, but he's the guy that gives you the intangibles needed in order to be successful. He wants to win."

Since Troy Manns arrived at L.C. Bird in June of 2011, the Skyhawks have been a perennial contender, often ranked at the top of the state rankings or near the #1 spot.

Plenty of talented players have come through the program in recent years with the likes of Indiana's Robert Johnson and North Carolina's Kenny Williams immediately leaping to mind. The heroic performance by Charles Falden in last year's 5A title game, albeit in defeat against Potomac, remains fresh in many minds, too.

While Bird enters the 5A-South Region Tournament as the favorite in a stacked field where the worst record team is Maury at 18-5 overall believe it or not, a second consecutive regional title is not the ultimate goal for this group. Their senior cast of Wiley, Haskett, Henry and newcomer Jaylen Dillard - who has been a significant addition from Clover Hill - wants to capture the elusive state title.

In the past decade, the Skyhawks have lost twice in the State Championship game. That included under Chuck Thomas before Manns' arrival when Norcom beat them in the old Group AAA format.

There's a sense of urgency with this Bird unit. This is their best chance to get it done. Sure, that has been said in the past. But defending State Champ Potomac could be vulnerable with some injuries. Hampton and Bethel down in Tidewater are expected to run into each other for a fourth time. Who knows how much either or both will have left in the tank by the time the State Tournament arrives. Longtime nemesis Henrico also didn't qualify for regionals this year.

Folks in Chesterfield feel that it'll be a special March for the Skyhawks and end with a Championship party they've been yearning to have for years.

There were plenty of positives for Varina to take away, even in defeat as Andrew Lacey's Blue Devils fell to 19-5 overall on the season.

For one, they erased a 15-point deficit against arguably the best 5A team in the state. The only other squad to do that was Landstown, a 6A contender who handed the Skyhawks their lone loss earlier this season in the VirginiaPreps.com Classic. Another encouraging sign for Varina was this game was much more competitive than the 58-47 win by Bird over the Blue Devils in December.

Several different players contributed for the Blue Devils. Senior 6'6" big man Kenneth Southerland was the main force with 18 points - including a pair of nasty jams - and eight rebounds after recording just one field goal in the first half. Also coming to life over the final two quarters was 6'3" senior guard Andre Watkins.

Tyrese Jenkins, a 6'6" sophomore, caught our eye with 13 points and six rebounds. Both he and Southerland consistently finished in the painted area. Samond Pinchback, a 6'4" junior, added eight points and eight boards along with three assists. The aforementioned Ross finished with eight dimes.

Varina has some solid wins on its slate this year, beating the likes of perennial Richmond area powers Henrico and John Marshall. They'll open up at Hermitage in the opening round of regional play and it's conceivable this team runs into Bird again in the second round, which would mean both teams have secured a State Tournament berth.

*** Special Thanks to James Timmons for Video Highlights & Interviews ***

Matthew Hatfield serves as Publisher 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 10AM on ESPN Radio 94.1.