Miller, Blue Ridge win in VIS semifinals

PETERSBURG - No. 2 seed Miller survived a hard-fought, emotional effort by No. 3 seeded St. Anne’s-Belfield in the VIS Division II semifinals at Richard Bland College on Friday, winning 62-56. Behind Marshawn Powell’s 23 points and seven rebounds, the Mavericks advanced to today’s state championship game, where they will face No. 1 Atlantic Shores Christian, which defeated Norfok Collegiate 76-63.

Miller coach Fred Wawner has counted on Powell’s leadership all season, and Friday was no different.

“It was a fight and we knew it was going to be. Hats off to St. Anne’s and coach Kent, they did a great job,“ Wawner said. “When times are tough, we’ve all kind of figured out that Marshawn’s the guy we need to get the ball to. I was excited for him today because he came out and established us early, he ran the floor hard, he did everything.“

The Saints came to play and proved that they belonged in the state’s final four, taking a 13-12 lead after the first quarter. The second quarter belonged to the Mavericks, however, as they started the period on a 7-0 run and found themselves up 31-20 at halftime. Powell scored 15 of his game-high 23 by the break. Hippolyte Tsafack scored seven points and had eight rebounds, and Brice Kofane blanketed Brett Goodloe defensively, holding the Saints’ leading scorer to 11 points on three field goals in his final high school game. Junior D’Andre Corbin also contributed with four points, four rebounds, eight assists and five steals for the Mavericks.

St. Anne’s was led by its core group of seniors, as Alex Asher scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Quincey September had a memorable final game for his team, adding 10 points and eight rebounds to go along with a tremendous defensive effort. Asher and September played the Mavericks’ big men tough the entire contest despite a noticable size disadvantage.

“Alex always seems to rise to the occasion in big games like this,“ St. Anne’s coach Brian Kent said. “I thought he did a great job with three 6-7, 6-8’s around him to still be able to come up with the boards. Quincey did a great job too until the final horn.“

The Saints started the third quarter like Miller did the second, as they went on a 7-0 spurt to cut the Mavericks’ lead to four over the opening two minutes of the half. St. Anne’s (22-6) continued the trend over the next few minutes, and Brett Goodloe’s three-pointer with 2:34 left cut Miller’s lead to just two, but then Ricardo Rush hit a couple of big shots and Miller pushed its lead to nine after three quarters, 46-37.

The teams traded buckets much of the final eight minutes and it looked as though the Mavericks had the game in hand with a 59-47 lead after a pair of Powell free throws with 1:41 to play, but the Saints again went on a run. Brian Lynch hit a three and the Saints fouled quickly, sending Rush to the line, where he sank two free throws. Asher, Lynch and September then each hit baskets on the next three STAB possessions and got to within five with 23 seconds left and desperately fouled Powell on the ensuing inbounds play. Powell missed the first foul shot and it appeared that the Saints might still have a chance, but knocked down the second and St. Anne’s could not score again.

Miller will have to contain Atlantic Shores’ dynamic duo of Andre Dawkins - who has committed to Duke - and Oklahoma-bound Stephen Pledger in today’s championship game, and Wawner knows that it won’t be particularly easy.

“We’re excited. This was our goal all season,“ Wawner said of today’s game. “We’re very familiar with [Atlantic Shores], we need to play our way and we’ve got a chance. It’s hard for us to guard smaller teams, especially those guys, they’re both terrific players.“

Powell is friends with both Dawkins and Pledger, and the two remind him of the Seahawks’ buzzer-beater win over Miller earlier in the season. Powell hopes that next time they talk, it will be him who reminds them of his team’s state title win.

“They never let me forget about how they beat us,“ Powell said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a battle. I can’t wait.“

Barons advance to Division I final

In Petersburg, Blue Ridge held off two-time defending VIS Division I state champion and No. 1 seed Benedictine in Friday’s state semifinal at Richard Bland College, 74-63. Barons guard Denzel Wilson led the way with 24 points, five rebounds and nine assists, and Darnell Turner finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks. The Barons will face the No. 6 seed, Paul VI, in this afternoon’s championship game.

Turner had 10 points after a first quarter that Blue Ridge closed on a 10-0 run to lead 22-12. The Barons went to work in the second, as they led by 22 at one point, and enjoyed a 41-20 halftime lead.

The Cadets stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring Blue Ridge 20-10 and were down by just 11 points going into the fourth. Benedictine guard Darien Brothers, who led his team with 24 points, was fouled on a three-pointer with four and a half minutes left and hit all three free throws to cut Blue Ridge’s lead to 57-50. Wilson had a big fourth quarter, scoring 11 points down the stretch, including hitting five of his six crucial free throw attempts.

Benedictine wouldn’t go away though, and cut the Barons lead to eight before Luka Boras - who also finished in double figures with 10 - hit two big free throws with just over a minute to play to put the game in the win column. Scott Williams had a rather quiet night offensively with just six points, but dished out four assists and snared five rebounds to help the cause.

Head coach Bill Ramsey’s fourth-seeded Blue Ridge team will attempt to capture their fourth state championship in school history in today’s 5:30 final. The Barons previously hoisted the trophy in 1986, 2000 and 2001. Paul VI defeated Norfolk Academy in the first round, followed by an upset win at No. 3 seed Bishop O’Connell before defeating Christchurch in Friday night’s semifinal.