Saints headed to semis

For St. Anne’s-Belfield’s senior class, there might not have been a better way to go out in its final game at the Conway Convocation Center. The Saints cruised past defending VIS Division I champion Potomac School 87-57 on Thursday to advance to the the state semifinals.
Relying on its usual balanced attack, St. Anne’s got double figure-scoring performances from each of its five senior starters, led by Mark Terrell’s 20 points. Bryan Lynch finished with 19, Alex Asher added 15, and Quincy September scored 11.
Brett Goodloe, who was averaging 21.3 points a game — good for second in Central Virginia, got off to a slow start offensively but got his teammates involved as a result. The 6-foot-3 guard ended up two rebounds shy of a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 12 assists and eight boards.
“We were real patient tonight, I think that was really important and led to easy baskets,” Goodloe said. “It was great because everyone got involved. When we move the ball like we did tonight, we’re hard to guard.”
Goodloe had just two points at halftime — both on free throws — but Asher and Terrell picked up the slack. Asher, who had 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals, led the Saints with 10 points and seven rebounds at the break. Terrell chipped in with nine, and STAB secured a 10-point lead, 33-23.
“We really wanted to prove a point tonight,” Asher said after the game. “[Goodloe] is the reason that the points were spread out tonight to all of us. I try to work hard around the basket and get offensive rebounds and putbacks, and once things get on a roll that’s the kind of player I am.”
Potomac (19-12), who defeated St. Anne’s in last year’s quarterfinal game en route to the championship, got a game-high 23 points, three blocks and eight rebounds from Fordham-bound Brian Freeman. P.J. Miller, who will attend the New Jersey Institute of Technology. next season, poured in 16, but no other Panther reached double figures.
Goodloe’s first field goal didn’t come until the 2:40 mark of the third quarter when the Saints took a 46-29 lead.
With the win, St. Anne’s will now take on Miller in today’s VIS semifinals in Petersburg. The Mavericks knocked off the Saints by seven earlier this season, and STAB is ready for its chance at revenge.
“[Miller is] big [and] they run the floor well — it’s going to be tough,” Saints coach Brian Kent said of today’s matchup. “I think if we just don’t get caught up in their game and stay in our game like we did tonight and execute, then I think we can stay in it and make it a game.”
Asher said that the Saints would love to do what Potomac did last year as a No. 3 seed, knocking off Miller and Atlantic Shores, the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, to win it all.
“[Potomac] proved last year that it’s possible,” said Asher. “That the higher seeds aren’t invincible.”