The Hargrave Military Academy Tigers had a trio of games this past week, including their home opener. The Tigers went 2-1 on the week bringing their overall season record to 3-2. The Tigers extended their winning streak to three games with wins over North Cross and Holy Cross before falling in a close game against Nansemond-Suffolk Academy on Saturday afternoon.
Game Recap: 12/5 vs North Cross
Hargrave 63
North Cross 35
The Tigers opened up their home schedule in Walter Davis Gymnasium against North Cross on Wednesday night. After a back and forth first few minutes, where neither team scored, the Tigers struck first with a layup by IJ Ezuma ’21 and never seemed to look back as they opened up an 18-6 first quarter advantage on a Grant Okolo ’19 buzzer beating three pointer. The Tigers carried that momentum into the second quarter as they went into halftime with a 35-14 lead on the heels of an incredible defensive effort. The second half was back and forth with both teams trading baskets, however, the Tigers were able to increase their lead by the final buzzer and earned the 63-35 victory over their VIC rival.
Notable Performances:
Grant Okolo ’19–15 points, 6 rebounds
IJ Ezuma ’21–10 points, 5 rebounds
Matt Brown, Jr. ’19–9 points, 4 deflections
Game Recap: 12/7 vs Holy Cross (Robert Thomas Invitational at Virginia Episcopal School [Lynchburg, VA])
Hargrave 63
Holy Cross 54
The Tigers traveled up 29 North to Lynchburg, Virginia to participate in the Robert Thomas Invitational at Virginia Episcopal School. In their first matchup on Friday, the Tigers faced another VIC foe in Holy Cross. The Tigers struggled early and found themselves down 11-6 just minutes into the game. Great energy and defensive focus helped the Tigers stay close and the score was tied up at 28-28 after the first two quarters of play. The Tigers ratcheted up the defensive intensity in the third quarter as they took a 45-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Their lead was maintained by a pair of huge three pointers by Grant Okolo ’19, which pushed the Hargrave lead to ten in the waning minutes of regulation and they were able to hold on for the 63-54 victory.
Notable Performances:
No Stats Available
Game Recap: 12/8 vs Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (Robert Thomas Invitational at Virginia Episcopal School [Lynchburg, VA])
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 68
Hargrave 65
In a rematch of the 2018 VISAA Division 2 State Tournament First Round, the Tigers were unable to come away with the win against a well-coached, very talented Nansemond-Suffolk Academy team that was looking to avenge last year’s playoff loss. Both teams played extremely hard defensively throughout the entire game and that was evident from the opening tip-off. The Tigers opened up a 17-14 lead after the first quarter despite having multiple starters in foul trouble. The second quarter went back and forth with both teams making runs and the Tigers found themselves down 30-29 at the intermission. Hargrave opened up the second half with three straight layups by IJ Ezuma ’21 but Nansemond-Suffolk stormed right back and eventually built a 49-41 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter. A Grant Okolo ’19 hard drive to the basket where he finished through the contact energized the Hargrave bench for the final stretch run, trailing 49-44 after three quarters of play.
The fourth quarter was an exciting, fast-paced eight minutes of basketball where both teams were determined to not give any ground, fully intent on coming away with the victory. Down by 8, the Tigers utilized some great three pointers by Nathan Kania ’20 to inch their way back in the game. With 25 seconds left, the Tigers executed beautifully, and Ezuma made a tough, spinning basket through the foul to tie the game up at 65-65. Ezuma’s free throw miss turned into a fast break layup for Nansemond-Suffolk and the Tigers were not back to defend it in time. After battling back, the Tigers ultimately fell 68-65 in what appeared to be heart-breaking fashion on Saturday afternoon.
Notable Performances:
Matt Brown,Jr. ’19–18 points, 3 rebounds
Nathan Kania ’20–12 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds
Grant Okolo ’19–12 points, 4 rebounds
IJ Ezuma ’21–11 points, 6 rebounds
The Tigers are back in action on Wednesday, December 12th as they travel down to Matthews, North Carolina to take on the Goats of Combine Academy. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
