Sports
Quince Orchard Eliminates Seneca Valley from Basketball Playoffs
Screamin' Eagles downed by Cougars, 62-37, in the second round of the state playoffs.
For three quarters on Monday, did its best to avenge its two regular-season losses to cross-town rival Quince Orchard. The Screamin' Eagles were doing all the little things that coach Tom Sheahin had been emphasizing all season: diving after loose balls, playing tough defense, and limiting the offensive turnovers. But it all came undone in a span of five minutes in the game's final quarter.
Backed by a 19-0 run to open the final stanza, the Cougars sent the Screamin' Eagles home with a 62-37 loss before an exuberant crowd at Quince Orchard High School in the Maryland 3A West regional playoffs.
"We just lost our composure," Sheahin said. "But I give all the credit to QO. They take their time and get a high-percentage shot every time. They have a great program here."
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Trailing 36-33 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, junior Robb Lim was whistled for his fifth foul of the night and was sent to the bench. Some have called Lim the heart and soul of this year's Seneca Valley team and his absence was felt immediately.
After Lim fouled out, the Cougars scored 19 unanswered points and outscored the Screamin' Eagles, 26-6, in the final eight minutes to end Seneca's season.
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While Sheahin wasn't making any kind of excuses following the game, Seneca was a completely different team in the final quarter.
"We played pretty good defense for three quarters," Sheahin said. "Basketball is a game of runs, and we didn't do enough to stop them. It's as simple as that."
Quince Orchard, meanwhile, used its potent, quick-tempo offense to keep the Screamin' Eagles off-balance down the game's final stretch.
Quince Orchard's Andre Gaines, a 6-foot-5 senior, led all scorers with 24 points while sophomore Eric Hoadley added 11 and senior Ben Kelly had 10.
Seneca's Miles Cooper led the Screamin' Eagles with 16, but was the only Seneca player in double figures. Andrew Hampton scored six, Lim four, and Daquan Sampson, who entered the game averaging nearly 10 points per game, was held to just two.
Quince Orchard hosts Frederick High School Wednesday night. Frederick defeated QO, 79-77, in the regular season.
