Defending state champs in Millbrook boys' season
- By JIM LAISE SPECIAL TO THE WINCHESTER STAR | The Winchester Star
PURCELLVILLE — Loudoun Valley connected on 18 three-point shots on Tuesday in dropping Millbrook 89-62 in the Region 4C boys’ basketball semifinals Tuesday.
The defending state and regional champions (24-1) play host to Handley at 7 p.m. Thursday in a rematch of last season’s region title thriller that the Vikings won 64-63 in the final seconds. Loudoun Valley defeated the Judges 78-68 earlier this season.
Millbrook (20-6) concluded a season in which all of those losses came to elite competition. The Pioneers fell three times to Handley, a state semifinalist last season, to Loudoun Valley, to Martinsburg, a top five team in Class AAA West Virginia rankings, and to Freedom (South Riding).
“Six of our six losses came to teams which were in the top five, top 10 of their state rankings,” Millbrook coach Rob Harris said. “We played an awfully good schedule.”
Harris said the Pioneers prepared exactly for what the Vikings gave them, but “they just hit shots.”
“They’d hit a three and then we’d hit a two and they’d come back and hit one or two three’s at the exact right time,” said Harris.
Lighting up the scoreboard is nothing new for the Vikings, who have been held under 70 points just twice this season.
“Probably the best high-school shooting team I’ve been around,” Loudoun Valley coach Chad Dawson said of his squad. “Eighteen … that’s pretty amazing. I don’t know what our percentage was, it wasn’t the best, but the shots we hit — the three’s — they seemed to come at the right time.”
Millbrook closed quickly in the first quarter and trailed 15-12 after the first eight minutes.
Loudoun Valley led 15-6 inside the two-minute mark when Jordan Funk, Jalen Tyson and Isaac Brown scored three unanswered baskets to cut the margin the three points.
Then Loudoun Valley started hitting what would be a steady diet of three-point shots, just as the Pioneers were getting close.
Robby Adams hit the first one. Following a Millbrook turnover, Dominic Peterson knocked home another 3-pointer.
After a basket by Brown, Adams scored to push the Loudoun Valley advantage to 23-14.
But Brown scored and point guard Jordan Jackson went coast-to-coast for a layup to slice Loudoun Valley’s lead to 23-18 with 4:48 left in the half.
Brent Dawson drilled a 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining, but a Trammell Anthony basket and a 3-pointer from Ben Curtin drew the Pioneers within 26-23.
It was a similar lead (32-29) when the Vikings’ Mark Melbourne sank another 3-pointer. Following Anthony’s foul shot, Melbourne answered with a basket for a 37-30 advantage and then Jalen Williams, Loudoun Valley’s all-time leading three-point scorer, converted a from long distance after a pass from Jordon Miller for a 40-30 lead.
Harris called timeout with 1:07 showing in the half, and out of the huddle came another 3-pointer, for a 40-33 score.
But another 3-pointer at the buzzer from Miller, the reigning Class 4 Player of the Year, made the halftime score at 45-35.
The Pioneers, by virtue of a basket by Jordan Funk, cut the margin to 45-38, then Loudoun Valley took control.
The Vikings outscored the Pioneers 8-1 helped by a pair of 3-pointers by Peterson and Trent Dawson.
“Essentially, we have seven guys who can shoot the three,” said Chad Dawson.
Millbrook was still within 12, when Loudoun Valley slowed the pace over the final 1:39 in the third quarter and that decision paid off.
Miller drilled a trey, Trent Dawson delivered an old-fashioned 3-point play and Miller added two foul shots for a commanding 63-44 third-period advantage.
From there, Loudoun Valley outscored Millbrook 26-18 in the fourth period.
Miller had 19 points to lead five Vikings in double figures. Williams, Melbourne and Peterson added 14 each, while Dawson had 12.
Jackson had 20 points to pace the Pioneers. Funk added 11. Curtin had nine and Brown netted eight.
Five Vikings finished in double figures, while Pioneer Jordan Jackson, just a sophomore, led the Pioneers with 20. Jordan Funk totaled 13.
It was the final game for seniors Brown, Funk, Anthony and Curtin.
