Battlefield District Tournament

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The Battlefield District Boys Basketball Tournament gets going tonight at Caroline High School with two great matchups.

First, tournament host and top-seeded Caroline (18-3) plays Courtland (13-9) at 5:30 p.m. The Cavaliers won both regular season meetings against the Cougars, but their Feb. 2nd nail-biter at Courtland showed how intense this old Battlefield rivalry can get. Caroline won that game, 59-57, on a buzzer-beater by senior guard Devin Coleman.

In the nightcap, Eastern View (11-10) faces James Monroe (16-6). The two teams split their regular season meetings, with each winning on its home court. What will happen on a neutral court with an opportunity to play for the district tournament championship on the line?

I’ll have live updates from both games.

 

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Caroline 20, Courtland 16 after one. Mykai Smith with 8 for Caroline, Nick Woods also has 8 for Courtland.

 

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Caroline up 36-30 at the half. Courtland’s Woods leads all scorers with 14, while Caroline’s Smith has 11 to lead his team.

 

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Caroline leads 48-44 heading to the fourth quarter.

 

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Caroline 68, Courtland 65 FINAL

Courtland’s Mike Hilliard had his potential game-tying three-pointer blocked at the buzzer by Caroline’s David Ware, allowing the Cavaliers (19-3) to defeat the Cougars 68-65 in semifinal game one of the Battlefield District Boys Basketball Tournament.

Courtland (13-10) had scratched and clawed its way back from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to force another nailbiter between the two teams, just 10 days after an incredible 59-57 thriller won by Caroline at the buzzer.

The Cougars’ Nick Woods led all scorers with 22 points, 14 of which came in the first half. Junior Camryn McDonald chipped in 12 more, as the two post players exploited their size advantage inside to keep their team within striking distance throughout the game.

For Caroline, Mykai Smith tallied 19 points, connecting for three 3-pointers on the night. The junior canned all three of his treys before halftime as Courtland once again geared its defense to deny Ware the ball. With Smith’s shooting leading the way, the Cavaliers built a 36-30 halftime advantage.

As for Ware, the star senior still managed to score 18 points on the night, muscling his way to a handful of baskets in the paint and getting to the foul line frequently (7-for-11).

Devin Coleman was the third Caroline player to reach double-figures in the game, finishing with 12 points.

 

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James Monroe leads Eastern View 23-17 after a quarter in the nightcap.

 

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At halftime, second-seeded Eastern View leads third-seeded James Monroe 38-32. The Cyclones posted a 21-9 second-quarter scoring advantage to take control going into the locker room.

Sophomore Zion Clark leads Eastern View with 13 points, all of which came in the second quarter.

JM’s Michael Gray leads all scorers thus far with 14 points.

 

[CarolineCav99]

D’Ago Hunter’s long three-pointer from the top of the key just before the buzzer gives EV a 52-46 lead over JM after three quarters.

 

[CarolineCav99]

Eastern View 60, James Monroe 59 FINAL

In a see-saw nightcap, James Monroe never could quite get over the hump against Eastern View.

The Yellow Jackets (16-7) came out firing on all cylinders in the first quarter, getting nine points from sophomore Michael Gray to build a 23-17 advantage. But they could not sustain the lead, mustering just nine points in the second quarter while the Cyclones’ Zion Clark (13 of his team-high 18 points in the period) outscored them by himself.

JM would score the first six points of the second half to tie the game at 38, the last of which came on a floater from the right baseline by freshman Ricky Goode-Wright at the 6:08 mark. But that would be the final deadlock of the game, as EV promptly responded with a 5-0 spurt and never trailed again.

The Jackets’ last chance came after a Gray steal and timeout, trailing 60-57 with 10.7 seconds remaining. Coming out of the timeout, Gray was smothered by multiple Cyclone defenders and unable to get a good look at a potential game-tying three-pointer. He was forced to pass to teammate Justin Logan near the foul line, who made an uncontested layup with 2.5 seconds left. JM did not have enough time to commit an intentional foul after Logan’s basket, as the Cyclones smartly held the inbounds pass as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Gray led all scorers with 21 points. Makeem Johnson added 13 for the Yellow Jackets, while Logan tallied 12.

In addition to Clark’s 18 points, D’Ago Hunter’s 13 contributed to a balanced EV attack. Jalen Veeney tallied 12, while Blake Leake added 11.

Eastern View (12-10) will play Caroline (19-3) at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday night for the tournament championship. The two teams split their regular season meetings, with Caroline winning 102-85 at EV on Jan. 19 and the Cyclones returning the favor 72-67 on the Cavs’ home floor on Feb. 5.