Balanced Attack Leads Herndon to Quarters

Two top 10 teams in the Northern Region. Two efficient offenses and tenacious defenses. Two of the region’s best players, both heading to Division I programs next season. It had all the feeling of a regional semifinal.

But it was just the first round. That’s what happens when the Concorde and Patriot districts meet in the opening round of the regional tournament.

Herndon scored the first 12 points against Woodson Monday night, and while the Cavaliers stormed back and kept the game close, the Hornets never trailed, advancing to the Northern Region quarterfinals with a 66-61 win.

“I told [Woodson coach] Doug [Craig] before the game that I thought it was going to be a tough one, because they’re a really good team,” Herndon coach Chris Whelan said. “These guys all know that it’s one and done, you lose and you go home. I would hate to be in that other locker room right now.”

So frequently this season, Herndon has ridden Austin Hamilton to win after win. But Hamilton was off from the floor, and the Hornets had to get more from their supporting cast to hold off a strong Woodson team.

Hamilton and Jonathan Beltran both scored 17 to lead Herndon. Patrick McLauglin had 15, while Raleigh McKenzie added 10.

After Herndon jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the game, Craig called a timeout to let his team regroup. They came out of the timeout with an easy bucket for John Schoof, and outscored the Hornets 10-4 the rest of the first quarter.

A high-scoring second quarter resulted in Herndon taking a 32-28 lead to the locker room at halftime. The teams went back-and-forth in a chippy third quarter, but Woodson held the ball down by two with 1:14 remaining. Schoof drew a foul on freshman DeAndre Thomas, and the two exchanged words. While Thomas was restrained by his teammates, it was Schoof who was whistled for a technical. Beltran went down to the other end and sank both free throws.

Herndon was awarded the ball after Schoof’s technical. On the ensuing possession, Beltran drove the lane, made a layup and drew a foul. His free throw gave Herndon a 46-39 lead. Instead of having the ball trailing by two, the Cavaliers found themselves behind by seven.

They never had the ball with a chance to tie the rest of the game.

“They’re 22-2 for a reason,” Craig said. “We had some chances, especially in the fourth quarter. We missed some shots around the basket. Against a really good team on the road you can’t do stuff like that.”

The Cavaliers held Beltran scoreless in the first half, but with his star teammate not shooting the ball as well as he’s accustomed to, the senior took the initiative after halftime.

“Austin, Raleigh, the seniors get into me, because I’m one of the leaders on this team,” Beltran said. “On the bench, during the timeouts, they talk to me and yell at me. It gets me motivated.”

Herndon will face rival South Lakes in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Hornets beat the Seahawks 82-56 in a regular-season meeting back in December.

“They’re going to give us a good fight,” Hamilton said. “I think if we do what we do and limit their scorers, I think we can come out with a win.”