Furious Rally Falls Just Short; Battlefield Nips Hayfield by 2

     Hayfield’s Boys Varsity squad took to the Hawks Nest floor for the second time in three days, again sprinting out to an early 10 point 1^st quarter lead, then finishing up a dozen, 18 to 6 over Battlefield HS. The offense was clicking, with many of the Hawks baskets coming from point blank range (7-8 inside 3 feet). Hayfield’s offensive tone was set by Soph. SG Brian Cobbs (19pts, 2rebs, 2asts), who had 7 points in the first 5 minutes, including Hayfield’s lone three ball in the first half.

      Unlike Tuesday, Hayfield stayed committed to getting the ball down low, only attempting three shots from downtown in the first quarter. Like Tuesday, their opponent came storming back in the 2^nd. Battlefield HS, who came into this game ranked in the top 10 in the Northern Region, was initially caught off guard by the Hawks game plan, but then regrouped in the 2^nd 8 minutes. They started utilizing their superior height advantage down low, and pounded the Hawks for 25 points (including 12 points in the paint), in the pivotal 2^nd quarter, and took a 1 point lead into the half, 31-30.

    Hayfield played better defense in the third quarter, limiting Battlefield to 15 points, but were unable to close the distance, falling behind by six with 8 minutes remaining. It might have been a greater deficit, but Sr. C Corey McGhee (12pts, 6rbs, 6asts, 2blks) kept Hayfield within striking distance, with inside scorig, and two monster rejections. Buoyed by their defense, the Hawks found their offensive rhythm in the 4^th, finally getting back to what worked so well in the 1^st quarter, penetrating the key, and finding the open man. Down 60-50 with under 4 minutes remaining, Hayfield mounted their rally, with Cobbs and Sr. SG Romaine Oakley (6pts, 2rebs) finding their range from beyond the arc, each draining two threes a piece. With less than a minute, Hayfield drew even at 60, and seemed to be on the cusp of completing the miraculous comeback. Unfortunately, a couple missed possessions ended their rally, and Battlefield escaped with a 2 point win.

Other Contributions included: Jr.  Langston Gaither (10pts, 8rbs, 4asts) had another solid game running the Hawks offense, and was key down the stretch, breaking down Battlefield’s perimeter defense, and finding open shooters. Sr. Swingman Aaron Jeter (10pts, 4asts, 1stl) had another good all-around game, at both ends of the floor, and was one of four Hawks in double figures. Jr. PF Cam Wilkerson helped spell McGhee, as his fouls mounted in the 2^nd, and scored 3 of Hayfield’s dozen points in that quarter. Jr SF Carrington Brox (2pts, 1rb) made instant impact in the 2^nd, by snaring an offensive rebound, and finishing the put back for his first varsity points of the season.

Pts. Scored By: Oakley (6), Cobbs (19), Douglas (0), Jeter (10), McGhee (12), Curetan (dnp), Jones (0), Wilkerson (3), Gaither (10), Brox (2), Wheeler (1), Mahmoud (dnp), Miles (dnp), Hamadouche (dnp)