Herndon's Austin Hamilton Scores 1,000th career point

Herndon senior guard Austin Hamilton scored his 1,000th career point in the Hornets’ 74-61 victory over Oakton at home.

Late in the game, Hamilton heard chants of “M-V-P” from the crowd when he hit a double pump layup and collided mid-air with Oakton center Abdi Barre.  Hamilton finished with 19 points in the game.

The Cougars were led by Steele Shemeld, who finished with 24 points, including 11 in the third quarter. Barre finished with 17 points and blocked several shots emphatically late in the fourth quarter.

“They’re a good team, and they give us problems every time,”  Herndon Head Coach Chris Whelan said.  “They have some good players. Shemeld is capable of doing that on any night, he had a really good day shooting out there.”   

The Hornets had a balanced scoring effort, as four of their players finished in double digit scoring figures. Herndon forward  Patrick McLaughlin finished with 18 points in the game.

Oakton tied the game at 56-56 with 5 minutes remaining, but Herndon forced a few key turnovers and hit some clutch free throws to seal the win.

“They went on a nice run, but we kept our composure,” Whelan said, referring to the huge third quarter by Oakton offensively.  “They went on two good runs actually, but we kept attacking the rim and working through it.”

Herndon improved to 15-2 overall and remains undefeated in the Concorde District.  They’ll host Centreville High School on Tuesday.