With a final hurrah from the raucous crowd, the game between the Hawks of Hayfield Secondary and the Seahawks of South Lakes HS ended in favor of Hayfield 70-61. The victory moved Hayfield into a first place tie with the Seahawks atop the Liberty Conference, with the Hawks holding the tie breaker. The game itself lived up to its billing, as both teams came to play high caliber basketball. The Seahawks jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but the Hawks never lost sight of their game plan; to play inside-out basketball. The Seahawks started out in zone, which the Hawks systematically picked apart with patience on offense and pinpoint interior passes to their budding star junior C Eliet Donely (19pts, 11rebs, 2blks), who consistently took his defender to the hole, scoring 8 of his 19 points in the first quarter.

The Hawks led by 1 after the first quarter, and only once more fell behind the athletic Seahawks. Over all the Hawks won every quarter, in large part to the balanced scoring of senior SF Amir Atkins (22pts, 5rebs, 1stl) who scored at least 5 points in every quarter, en route to going over 20 points (4^th time this season) for the first time since his dominant 33 point game vs. Centerville HS. Atkins, who routinely sacrifices his body driving to the hoop, received a bruise or two when he drew one of the three charges drawn by Hayfield (PF Dalon Thomas drew the other two as he increased his team high total to 13).

Entering the 4^th quarter, nursing a 6 point lead, the Hawks were able to get up by double digits, and began to pull away. The Seahawks were not going away quietly, burying three shots from beyond the arc, to keep the Hawks within sight. In the end though, the Hawks won this game at the free throw line, by converting 70% of their attempts in the quarter (14-20). Senior PG Tyler Thornton (16pts, 3rebs, 2asts) led the barrage, converting 8 of 12 in the quarter, including 5 in a row. Thornton hit his high mark for the season in scoring, while routinely breaking down the Seahawks press defense off the dribble.

Other notable contributions, included: Senior SG Phil Guydon (7pts, 1stl) played an excellent all around game, including converting a driving fast break layup, after receiving a Rondo-esque full court bounce pass from Atkins in the decisive 4^th quarter. Junior PF Montez Wilson (2pts, 5rebs, 2asts, 3stls) had a key offensive rebound, which he caught and laid back up for a critical basket in the 4^th quarter. Junior SF Kelsey McCrimmon (2pts, 1reb) provided valuable minutes off the bench, and converted a key basket in the 2^nd quarter, as the Hawks bounced back from a early second quarter Seahawks 10-2 run.