Quince Orchard Outlasts Blake, 62-51
Quince Orchard's Riley Seligmann, who finished with 8 points, takes it to the hole against the Bengal's Ryan Frazier...
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Coach Wiggins gets his team pumped up for the 2nd half, but the deep bench of the Cougars proves to be too much..
Photo by: Howard Bernstein / GamedayMD.com | VIEW GALLERY
Mac Kennedy taking it up strong against Carlton Agwu came up big for the Cougars with a game high 13 points...
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STORY BY: MARC BASTOW
GAITHERSBURG, MD - In a game that was two years in the making and one of the most anticipated of the year, the Quince Orchard Cougars, riding a stretch of clutch fourth quarter free throw shooting and Andre Gaines' rebounding, withstood a furious Blake rally and pulled away for a 62-51 win last night in Gaithersburg.
The win improved Quince Orchard's record to 12-2 (5-0 in 3A West) while the loss dropped the Bengals to 9-2 (5-0 in 3A East). Mac Kennedy led the Cougars with 13 points, while Ryan Frazier tallied 13 in a losing effort for Blake.
This was a matchup of teams that, while they've never played one another in a regular or post-season game, know each other very well. Two years ago both teams' junior varsity squads, made up of virtually all the players on the current varsity rosters, went undefeated in regular season play.
Naturally each team felt they were the better squad, and the talking and competition followed throughout the regular season, summer, and fall league play. With both Quince Orchard and Blake now in the 3A division this year, the schedule makers finally had a chance to give the players the opportunity to settle the issue on the court.
With the background in place, and a chance to possibly secure a home-court advantage in the regional finals on the line, this was the game everyone, coaches and players alike, wanted to see.
"This is a bigger game than Springbrook to us, because it counts," said Blake coach Marcus Wiggins before the game. "There are 3A bragging rights involved, and maybe a home game in the playoffs."
For everyone in the gym who expected an immediate up and down, furiously paced game, the first quarter may have come as a surprise. Blake came out of the gate sluggish, while Quince Orchard did what they do: pressure and trap on every possession, and substitute liberally.
Blake came out without any answers to the pressure, and quickly fell behind 14-4 by the time Wiggins called a time out with 3 minutes remaining in the quarter. Wiggins switched from a man to man to a zone after the timeout, and his strategy paid dividends as the Bengals settled down and closed to 20-13 at the end of the quarter.
If the first quarter was difficult for Blake, the second quarter was a disaster. Quince Orchard ratcheted up their defense another notch while their offense flourished, and they outscored the Bengals 15-6 for the quarter.
As has been their custom all season, the Cougars put 7 players in the scoring column, led by 4-points from Andre Gaines, and a huge 3-pointer by Ian Amatetti early in the quarter. Meanwhile Blake was held without a field goal, and they went into the locker room down 35-19 at the half.
For Wiggins and his team, the half could not come soon enough. "We did not play our style, we did not play our game, and we had to come out differently," Wiggins said after the game.
The Blake team that came out of the locker room was different than the one that went in, although it took some time for the difference to show. A quick basket by Blake's Carlton Agwu (12 points) and another by Hedgepeth was offset immediately by two from Quince Orchard's Riley Seligman (8 points), and once again three minutes into the quarter Quince Orchard substituted an entire group with the score 39-23.
A slew of Quince Orchard turnovers led to a 7-2 spurt by Blake, and in addition to turning the ball over the Cougars were being whistled for a number of fouls. Blake went into the one and one at the 3-minute mark, and after Ryan Frazier drained a 3-pointer for Blake, the Bengals were suddenly within 3 points with just under 2 minutes left in the quarter.
A Hedgepeth drive to the basket resulted in a bucket to get the Bengals within one, but the ensuing free throw was waived off by a lane violation. The inability to tie the score seemed to stop Blake's momentum in its tracks. "We sort of lost it for awhile," said Wiggins. Blake's run ended just before the end of the quarter, as Steve Everett hit a jump shot to extend the lead back to 3 points at the end of the quarter.
"We make you play our style the whole game, all 32 minutes," said Quince Orchard coach Paul Foringer, "and you could tell they were getting very tired by the end. Coming back from that far takes it out of you."
Blake started the quarter by missing a jump shot, a layup and a free throw, and only a late surge by Frazier, who hit a three pointer to get the Bengals to 50-46 at the 3:33 mark, kept the game close.
With their legs tiring (Hedgepeth started cramping in the middle of the quarter) and Foringer rotating in fresh players the entire quarter, Blake started to miss more than their share of shots, while Quince Orchard continued to press and patiently ran their offense, gladly settling for free throws throughout the quarter. For the quarter Quince Orchard made 13 free throws, more than enough to off-set Blake's 11 total points.
"We were really tired at the end," said Wiggins, "they have more depth. They play 10-11 guys during the game, and we play 7-8. Coming back, particularly after we missed the chance to tie, took it out of us. Give them credit."
So Round One of this rivalry that started two years ago on junior varsity teams that never played one another goes to Quince Orchard. If all goes according the plan and schedules, Round Two might be played in late February, a scenario that will please everyone involved. Stay tuned.
Player of the Game: Quince Orchard's Andre Gaines as a stat-stuffer extraordinaire, with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Blake had no real answer for Gaines on either side of the court.
Honorable Mentions:
Mac Kennedy, Quince Orchard: 13 points
Justin Corydon, Quince Orchard: 8 points
Carlton Agwu, Blake: 12 points
Brandon Hedley, Blake: 9 points
The Game Changed When: Blake closed a 17-point deficit to one point at 41-40 when Quince Orchard's Steve Everett drained a jump shot near the end of the third quarter to extend the lead to 3 points. Blake never got closer.
Game Notes:
Blake finished the game with 11 steals, but could only convert 4 of them into baskets.
Quince Orchard finished the game with nine different players scoring.
Next Games (Monday, January 25 2010)
Quince Orchard at Seneca Valley (5:15 pm)
Einstein at Blake (5:15 pm)
