Spartans, Vikings Nab Holiday Wins
The Broad Run Spartans took the lead in the Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament with their second win, defeating the cross-town Stone Bridge Bulldogs 64-49. The Spartans used a quick footed zone defense most of the night to keep the Bulldogs from driving to the basket and led the entire way.
"I never would have believed that we would play this much zone against Stone Bridge," said Spartan coach John Costello. "I was really happy with the way our kids played tonight." Kevin "Obi-wan" McGaughey bounced back from an early technical foul to lead the Spartans with 16 points.
Winning player of the game honors for the Spartans, however, was Ali Janjua. The senior forward came into the game and played withering defense, grabbing several key rebounds and scoring 11 points.
"Ali's role is simple," Costello said. "Stay in the paint, play defense, and get rebounds. But with confidence, he could become a more multi-dimensional player for us."
Bulldog scoring leaders Nik Brown and Richie Berry were not able to repeat their big night from Monday. Brown ended with 15, while Berry was held to 11 after scoring 21 against Dominion the night before. Turnovers and poor free throw shooting plagued the Bulldogs, who fell to 4-3 and will face Loudoun Valley on Wednesday.
The Spartans improved to 8-1 and have the inside track to win their second consecutive Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament crown as they face a struggling Dominion squad on Wednesday.
The Titans mounted a furious second half comeback attempt against the Vikings, but Django DeGree played tough defense down the stretch, making key steals that sealed a 40-33 win. Both teams fell into a much more deliberate half court game after games Monday that resembled track meets.
Mike Hathaway helped the Vikings build an early lead with 3 offensive rebounds in the first and finished with 10 points and player of the game honors. Kyle Kohnen also added 10 for the Vikings, including two 3-pointers. Deandre Reeves led the Titans with 10 points, but the Titans lost the shooting touch as they notched their second loss in the tournament.
BEST BUY PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Dominion - Deandre Reeves
Loudoun Valley - Mike Hathaway
Stone Bridge - Nik Brown
Broad Run - Ali Janjua
