Findley Leads Pride Past Patriots 61-52.....
STERLING, VA - Park View High School was the site, Tuesday night, of the battle for Dulles District supremacy in boy's basketball, the sole possession of 1st place, between the Patriots, and the Heritage Pride. Both teams would come into the night, tied for the top spot, but only one would go home the leader of a District that has become a heated race, between 5 teams, with a mere 2 weeks to play before tournament time.
This was the rematch of a game played earlier in the season, at Heritage, that saw the Patriots eke out a last second victory, with Thomas Mulabah sinking 2 free-throws, with less than a second on the clock, giving his team the 55-54 come-from-behind victory.
Both teams seemed to be over-stimulated at the start, with turnovers coming at both ends almost every time down the court. The 2 teams would settle down by the 2nd quarter, and the action was fast and furious for the remainder of the half. The Patriots were having much luck getting the ball to their big men, Mulabah, and Brett Dufford for easy shots underneath the basket for lay-ups, and the Pride appeared to be flustered as to how to stop Park View's power game. So they went with what they do best...rain the long range shots. Behind 3-point shots by Preston Findley and Steven Shockley, each with 4 in the half, Heritage was able to keep the score close at the buzzer, only trailing by 4, 29-25.
The question going into the locker rooms was how, or if, Heritage would be able to figure out a way to neutralize the Park View muscle in the paint. Head coach Marquez Mallisham was on the clock, and all eyes would be on him to see if he would be a blackboard whiz...
The answer came quickly into the 3rd quarter. Combining a much faster pace of passing around the perimeter than in their 1st half of play, and Curtis Rustin and Michael Massey blanketing Mulabah,Dufford, and Brock Pennington, the Pride were able to keep the Park View big men away from the boards, and the quick and patient ball movement, led by senior guard, Chris Broderick, would eventually find open 3-point shot for Findley and Shockley, tying the game early in the frame. But the Patriots had shooters, too! Marcus Freeman and Danny Foley did their part for the Patriots, hitting on long and medium range jump shots, and the lead changed hands for much of the remaining quarter, until the final minute of play. A productive spurt by the Heritage offense, combined with several turnovers by Park View, the Pride were able to stretch out their biggest lead of the game, and end the stanza with the 45-38 lead.
The 4th quarter was much as the 3rd had ended. Heritage continued to work the ball for the open shot, taking their time, and with quick, sharp, passing, making the Park View defense chase and tire, and eventually the open shot was free, and the Pride did not miss. The Patriots tried to answer on their end of the court, with the same motion offense employed by their counterparts, but the Heritage defense clogged the lane, and were now forced to take the longer shots, that would not fall on this night, as they had in their previous 2 victories. The Pride left Sterling, and drove back home to Leesburg, with a 61-52 triumph, a measure of retribution from their December meeting, and now have sole possession of the Dulles District lead.
Chick-fil-A Players of the Game
Preston Findley - Senior Guard, Heritage
Findley was the difference maker, once again, for the Pride. Hitting from short, medium, and long range, leading all scorers with 21 points, and also helped in the paint on defense to keep the Patriot big men at bay.
Brett Dufford - Senior Forward, Park View
Dufford was the work-horse in the paint for the Patriots all night. Although he was not the top Patriot scorer, he came away with 17 points on the night, and his play in the paint, on both ends of the court, kept his team in the thick of the game most of the night
