The Hargrave Tigers emerged victorious on Tuesday evening as they defeated Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, 64-57, in Walter Davis Gymnasium. The victory advanced the Tigers to their third straight VISAA Division 2 State Tournament Elite Eight.
In a rematch of last year’s First Round match-up, last night’s game between the Tigers and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy had all the excitement that a playoff game entails. The Corps of Cadets had Walter Davis Gymnasium buzzing with enthusiasm throughout the entire game. Both teams had to shake off the big game jitters early, as the first points of the game came on a Grant Okolo ’19 (Riverdale, MD) lay-up with the foul over two and a half minutes into the game. Both teams continued to trade baskets and Hargrave held a narrow 10-9 lead heading into the second quarter.
After Wade Thomas ’19 (Danville, VA) split a pair of free throws to start the second quarter, the Tigers’ offense stalled for a few minutes and Nansemond-Suffolk took advantage, taking a 17-11 lead. CJ Farmer ’22 (Danville, VA) provided the next three points for Hargrave but they were still trailing 17-14 over midway through the second quarter. Both teams got hot for a few possessions as Nathan Kania ’20 (Danville, VA) knocked down a pair of threes on back-to-back possessions but Nansemond-Suffolk sandwiched in their own three pointer and the score was knotted up at 20-20 with 1:30 remaining in the first half. Neither team scored from the field but combined to make eight free throws and Nansemond-Suffolk took a 26-22 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Nansemond-Suffolk pushed their lead to 31-22 in the first couple minutes but all of a sudden, like a light switch flipping on, the Tigers’ offense was activated by a pair of buckets from Okolo and Matt Brown, Jr. ’19 (Kenosha, WI). This flurry also re-activated the Hargrave faithful in the stands. The crowd then erupted when a Kania three-pointer, his third of the game, brought the Tigers to within two possessions. After a Hargrave timeout, the Tigers closed the quarter on an 8-2 run to even the score up at 37-37 heading into the final frame. The opening possession of the fourth quarter proved to be a big one as a Thomas three-pointer right in front of the Hargrave bench gave the Tigers their first lead since 11-9 early in the second quarter. On the ensuing possession, Kania forced a turnover which lead to a pair of Okolo free throws. Nansemond-Suffolk score on a tough lay-up but the Tigers, unphased, executed their offense perfectly, which resulted in a nothing-but-net mid-range jumper from IJ Ezuma ’21 (Raleigh, NC) to maintain a 43-39 advantage for Hargrave. The Tigers forced another turnover and coming out of the timeout, Brown, Jr. knocked down a three-pointer from the top of the key, three of us 25 second half points, to give the Tigers a seven point lead. Timely blocks and defensive stops, coupled with exceptional free throw shooting down the stretch helped the Tigers secure the 64-57 victory.
After the game, Coach Veshi remarked, “I’m just so proud of these guys. We’ve been battle-tested all year and we’ve played a lot of close games. These guys kept their composure and really fed off the energy from the Corps down the stretch. Nansemond-Suffolk is a really tough team to beat and they will be a force to be reckoned with over the next few years at the state level. We had been getting good looks in the first half but couldn’t get any to drop, luckily, we made those same shots in the second half. Our seniors [Brown, Okolo, Thomas, and Adam Saliu ’19 (Java, VA)] all stepped up defensively in the fourth quarter and I believe we built a lot of positive momentum heading into tomorrow. VES is really well coached and extremely talented but we’ve had a pair of close games with them during the regular season. It should be a fun one in Lynchburg tomorrow night!”
Notable Performances Included:
Matt Brown, Jr. ’19–25 points (7-10 FG, 10-11 FT)
Grant Okolo ’19–13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Nathan Kania ’20–9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds
IJ Ezuma ’21–7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Wade Thomas ’19–7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
The Tigers advance to the VISAA Division 2 State Tournament Elite Eight, where they head to Lynchburg, Virginia to take on the #2 Virginia Episcopal School Bishops. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
