The Hargrave Tigers wrapped up the regular season with a 76-70 road victory over Virginia Episcopal School, moving their season record to 20-5 overall and 3-3 in VIC Conference play.
In a virtual must-win game for both teams, Thursday night’s contest was a highly competitive, very exciting 32 minutes of high school hoops. With VIC Conference standings implications, as well as VISAA State Basketball ranking implications, both teams were primed for this game. The Tigers came out on fire, building a 15-4 lead in the game’s opening minutes but Virginia Episcopal answer with a 7-0 run of their own. Hargrave held the lead after the first quarter, 15-11.
The second quarter was a fast paced eight minutes with both teams essentially trading baskets and there were very few defensive stops. Virginia Episcopal poured in 28 second quarter points and took a 39-35 lead into the locker room.
The game’s final 16 minutes were littered with outstanding plays from both teams in what proved to be a 2-3 possession game through the final buzzer. IJ Ezuma ’21, who picked up three first half fouls, did not play a minute in the third quarter. But the Tigers held serve as Brehon Lambert ’20 and CJ Farmer ’22 stepped up in Ezuma’s absence, both offensively and defensively. Despite a great effort, Hargrave still trailed 55-53 heading into the game’s final frame.
“Playing in the VIC, it’s like getting into the ring for a heavyweight prize fight every single night,” remarked Head Coach, Ben Veshi. “All four schools have unbelievable players and top-notch coaching staffs. They say competition breeds success and there is no shortage of competition within our conference. I was extremely happy with how our guys rose to the occasion tonight and played through adversity on the road.”
Down 59-56 early in the fourth quarter, Mazae Blake ’20 found Nathan Kania ’20 in the corner for a three pointer which tied the game. After a defensive stop, Zion Russell ’21 connected with a streaking Ezuma for a lay-up, giving Hargrave the 61-59 lead. Both teams traded baskets until Kania, from the same corner as his previous three, took a pass from Russell and nailed the go-ahead three pointer, giving Hargrave a lead that they would hold on to through the final buzzer, as clutch free-throws and timely defensive stops secured the 76-70 victory for the Tigers.
“Such a great win for our group,” said Veshi. “These guys played so hard and we hit timely shots. This group has been growing daily and they’ve yet to back down from a challenge. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort so far this season!”
Notable Performances Included:
Mazae Blake ’20–19 points (8-11 FG), 5 assists, 4 rebounds
Nathan Kania ’20–13 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
Zion Russell ’21–11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
IJ Ezuma ’21–11 points (3-4 FG), 7 rebounds, 3 blocks
Reggie Walton, Jr. ’20–8 points, 5 assists
Brehon Lambert ’20–6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
CJ Farmer ’21–8 points (4-5 FG), 2 rebounds, 2 blocks
With the win, the #6 (VISAA State Basketball Ranking) Tigers earned the #2 seed for next week’s VIC Conference Tournament, which means they will host a home game on Thursday, February 20th. This marks the first home game the Tigers will host in the VIC Conference Tournament since moving up to VIC Division 1 three years ago.
Hargrave will host the Miller School on Thursday in the VIC Conference Tournament Semifinals from Walter Davis Gymnasium. Tip-off is to be determined.
