Sherando Turns Away Brentsville 54-49
BRENTSVILLE, VA - It took a while for Brentsville to get started Friday night, but when they did, it was too late. Falling 49-54 to the visiting Sherando Warriors, Brentsville could attribute last night's loss to the sluggish start. Being outscored 19-7 in the 1st quarter, it seemed the Tigers had dug themselves a hole they couldn't get out of.
Yet with the clutch play of Brentsville senior guards Tyler Brown and Dimitry Jacquet, the Tigers happened to find themselves within two points late in the fourth quarter. Several untimely turnovers later, however, and Brentsville saw their comeback hopes dashed. Sherando's Matthew Brady in particular played a huge role in stifling the comeback effort, as he drained 8 straight free throws in the final two minutes to effectively put the game out of reach.
Early on, Sherando had looked poised to blow the game wide open, as the inside combination of Doug Davis and Brian Barlow was dominant. Scoring a majority of their combined 12 points in the opening frame, Barlow and Davis also became extremely effective along the glass. In total, it made for a frustrating opening period for Brentsville's big men as they were severely limited both offensively and defensively.
However, Brentsville's fortunes changed when Jacquet entered the contest. Coming off the bench, Jacquet proved to be a valuable inside presence as he racked up a total of 9 points in the first half. By the time Jacquet was done with the damage he created down low, Brentsville found themselves down only 11 points at the break.
That momentum carried right over into the third quarter, but this time it was Sherando who went stone cold. Scoring a meager 6 points in the stanza, the Warriors went into stop mode, while their counterparts continued to get hot, and find ways to score down low and in transition.
For Brentsville, scoring also meant an opportunity to implement their full-court press, something that has proven to be very effective for them over the years. Creating several turnovers and scoring opportunities off the press, Brentsville was back in business entering the fourth quarter.
As the Sherando lead was eventually cut to 2, it took a huge Derek Crosen three pointer to resurrect the shooting touch of Sherando, as they took the 5 point lead and never looked back.
Brentsville would not go away quietly. Sinking 2 three-pointers in the final 40 seconds, they cut the lead to 3, but it was Brady who took care of things down the stretch. Continuing to make his free throws, he re-assuredly gave Sherando a comfortable two possession lead the rest of the way.
Chick-fil-A Players of the Game:
Tyler Brown - Brentsville
Finishing the night with 17 points, Brown was key down the stretch in guiding his team back from an early deficit. Despite ultimately falling short.
Matthew Brady - Sherando
Brady was cooler than the Fonz late in the game. Making 8 consecutive free throws in the final two minutes, Brady was able to crush any Brentsville comeback hopes. Brady ended with a team high 10 points.
