Highland Springs wins a wild game

Figure this one.

One quarter into the Highland Springs-Deep Run game in the first round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament last night, the host Deep Run Wildcats were shooting lights out and had the Springers fighting for their collective lives.

The game swung the other way, however, and with just over four minutes to go in the contest, the visiting Springers, thanks to a perfect storm of speed, quickness, and defensive intensity, had a commanding 17-point lead. Many in the home crowd were heading for the exits.

But it wasn't over. Deep Run fought back again and with 42 second to play in the game, the difference had been sliced to 4. From that point on, the scrappy Wildcats were forced to foul to stop the clock. The Springers made enough of their free throws, and when the final buzzer brought the frenetic action to a close, Highland Springs had a hard-earned 72-66 victory.

"It was great for the fans," said Highland Springs coach George Lancaster, "but as a coach, if I win by 20, I'm fine - if I win by one, I'm fine."

The Wildcats came out on fire in the first quarter, hit 10 of their 12 shots (including five of seven from behind the three-point arc), and took a 26-14 lead into the second.

"I think it was a little fool's gold," said Deep Run coach Rally Axselle, whose team is ranked No. 7 in the Times-Dispatch Top 10. "We thought we'd shoot that well the whole game. No team can continue that.

"We kept shooting thinking we'd keep hitting, and we just got out of whack.

"Give them credit. They got after us."

As they were falling behind, the No. 5 Springers switched from their 2-3 zone to a man-to-man defense that ratcheted up the tempo and forced 7 second-period turnovers that led to numerous offensive opportunities. When the Springers' Jeri Mask took an entry pass from point guard Xavier Parham and hit a soft jumper from the paint with 0:03 left in the half, it evened the game at 35.

"You live by the 3, die by the 3," said Parham, a 5-11 senior.

"We came out in man-to-man and shocked them," he said. "It's a team defense. Everybody came together and played with heart."

The Springers kept the heat on in the third period, hit 9-of-15 shots from all angles (including 3-for-3 from 3-point land by Jarvis Threatt), and outscored the reeling Wildcats 21-8.

"Coach told me they'd play a type of zone where I could post up and get the ball any time I felt like it," said Highland Springs 6-5 senior Natwan Young who finished with 21 points.

"My teammates kept feeding me the ball. I fed off of that and scored or dished it off to my teammates."

With 4:06 remaining, Trey Williams hit a pair of free throws to give the Springers a 66-49 advantage, their greatest of the night.

With Antone Exum running the show, however, the 'Cats battled back and closed to 67-63 when Jay Johnson drilled a 3 from the left wing at 0:42, but the Springers hit 5-of-8 from the foul line the rest of the way to hold the Wildcats at bay.

"We were never worried," said Young. "I believe in my teammates."

Highland Springs ------------------------- 14 21 21 16 - 72
Deep Run ------------------------- 26 9 8 23 - 66

Highland Springs (5-1): Threatt 13, Parham 6, Hodnett 1, Young 21, Mask 20, Williams 7, Booker 0, Hopkins 4, Reed 0. Totals: 26 16-25 72.

Deep Run (3-3): Simmons 2, Jackson 6, Chambon 0, Dosh 10, Wood 0, Johnson 10, Clarke 1, Sudol 0, Peaden 6, Folliard 10, Exum 21, Molnar 0. Totals: 25 9-14 66.

3-point goals: HS - Threatt 3, Mask DR - Exum 2, Folliard 2, Johnson 2, Peaden.