Sports
T.C. Again Too Much for Annandale
Despite Ziegler's 21 points, Titans take regional championship
Just 10 days removed from a banner victory over Annandale in the Patriot District championship, T.C. Williams had to prove themselves once again going up against the familiar Atoms. This time, much more was at stake.
With the Northern Region championship on the line and leading 47-46 with just more than two minutes remaining, T.C. Williams’ center Rick Mathews was the last Titan in the way of Annandale’s Karl Ziegler on a fast break. Mathews stood his ground and drew a charge against the Patriot District Player of the Year. That play symbolized the defensive minde- Titans and they held strong in the closing minutes to win the Northern Region championship 59-54.
Mathews, who didn’t garner any district honors during the regular season, was awarded the MVP of the regional tournament after a stellar 17-point performance, in which he blocked shots and crashed the boards for second-chance points. Even after defeating the Atoms for the district title this season, all the 6-foot-6 center had in his mind entering the game was the unpleasant memory of losing to Annandale in the first round of the Patriot District tournament last season.
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“I wanted everything,” Mathews said. “I wasn’t trying to lose this game. This game means a lot to us. We lost to these guys in the first round of the district tournament last season. I wasn’t trying to have that happen to us again after what happened to us last year.”
After a sluggish first half, T.C. Williams coach Julian King made an adamant point to his team about the defensive structure that he prides himself on, and the way Rick Mathews didn’t back down.
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“That’s what we live off of,” King said. “Our defense and he [Mathews] knew that he had to go back and protect the basket and he knew they were in a situation where they needed a quick one. That’s how we practice.
After Mathews’ drawn charge, T.C.’s Jamal Pullen made a basket and guard Tyrell Sitton (eight points) grabbed a steal off a deflection for a fast-break layup to give the Titans a 51-46 lead. Moments later, guard Tyler Driver stole the ball and made a pair of free throws to vault the Titans to what looked to be an insurmountable 53-46 lead with 1:15 remaining in the game.
The Atoms, who had played T.C. Williams tough all game and all season, didn’t give up hope in this fourth meeting. Karl Ziegler had a game-high 21 points, and power forward Melvin Robinson also chipped in scoring 11 difficult points down low.
After a Ziegler steal and layup, the Atoms were all of a sudden within a one possession game, trailing 54-51 with 40.2 seconds left.
That’s when the fouling frenzy began.
With 33.3 seconds remaining, Annandale fouled Driver (nine points). Driver, who calmly made two free throws a minute earlier, missed both shots. Down by just a possession, the missed foul shots gave the Atoms new life. However the Atoms did a poor job of boxing out the shooter and after his miss, and Driver did what any smart shooter would do and followed his own shot. After a scramble for the ball on the left baseline, Driver got a rebound off his own miss and was fouled again. This time, he converted both free throws to give the Titans a 56-51 lead.
“It was real tough because that’s what we needed,” Annandale coach Anthony Harper said. “If we had got that and came back down for a quick two, you’re looking at a one point game or maybe tied. That hurt us a lot.”
With 15.3 seconds remaining, Kyle Ziegler was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer and the Annandale forward made all three foul shots to give Annandale a chance, trailing 57-54. The Titans’ Daquan Kerman and Jamal Pullen would both make 1-of-2 free throws each to close door on the Atoms chances.
Annandale led 21-17 at halftime in a sloppy played first half by both teams. The Titans darted out to a lead midway in the third quarter when Pullen dished off a no-look assist to Mathews that resulted in a 3-point play to give the Titans a 29-26 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. The third quarter played to the Titans’ favor as T.C. Williams took a 39-34 lead entering the final quarter.
“We just wanted to match their intensity,” Pullen said. “In the first half we didn’t really do that and that motivated us in the second half and we picked it up.”
Pullen, who scored 13 points, was a key cog in all facets of the game for the Titans, and helped his team stay within their defensive principles by stifling Annandale’s usual solid perimeter game to only making one 3-pointer.
“It hurt us in a way because we normally knock down anywhere from 4-to-5 three’s a game and take that away from us that kind of effects us,” Harper said.
By virtue of advancing to the regional championship, both T.C. Williams and Annandale qualify for the state tournament.
T.C. Williams (24-5) will play Eastern Region runner-up Phoebus Friday at 8:45 p.m. at Robinson High School. Annandale (20-8) will play Eastern Region champion Norcom in Williamsburg Saturday at 1:45 p.m.
The Titans previously played Phoebus at the VirginiaPreps.com Classic on Jan. 22 and lost 48-41.
“That [game] was helping us prepare for this right now,” Mathews said. “Coach King came in a put us on the schedule with them so we could get good competition… It’s hard work, we [now] want to finish everything.”