Petersburg trounces Thomas Jefferson, 78-46

By: Eric Kolenich | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: February 22, 2012

PETERSBURG Coming into the Central Region tournament, Thomas Jefferson was a hot pick to pull an upset.

The Vikings had defeated John Marshall, ranked No.3 in the state, to claim the Colonial District title. Then they swamped Armstrong in the first round of the region playoffs.

But Wednesday night at William W. Lawson Jr. Gymnasium, the Vikings’ momentum was halted by the Crimson Wave. Frank Mason scored 29 points, Marcus Hoosier added 20, and Petersburg easily dispatched TJ 78-46.

“We heard all that,” Petersburg coach Rick Hite said. “We know the time of the year. We know what’s at stake.”

Rashawn Alexander, who had scored 27 points against John Marshall, was held to only two Wednesday night. Against John Marshall, the Vikings racked up 85 points. But Wednesday night, they managed only two field goals in the fourth quarter.

“We were just playing good team defense,” Hoosier said.

Thomas Jefferson finishes its season with a record of 19-7. The Vikings have plenty to look forward to, with all five of their starters returning next year.

Petersburg (25-1), ranked No.1 in the T-D Top 10 and in the state, moves on to the Siegel Center today for the region semifinals and will play L.C. Bird, last year’s underdog that advanced to the state title game.

TJ stayed in the game for much of the first half thanks to its rebounding ability. The Vikings outrebounded Petersburg 27-18 in the first half. But they couldn’t keep that pace up. By the end of the game, Petersburg had won the rebounding battle 44-41.

Trailing 32-21 at halftime, Thomas Jefferson scored the first six points of the second half and cut Petersburg’s lead to seven. Hite told his crew to stop settling for jump shots and to wait for the right shot to come open.

About a minute later, Trey Hicks hit a 3-pointer and Petersburg finished the third quarter on a 22-9 run.

With about a minute left in the quarter, Hoosier stole the ball from a TJ player, sprinted downcourt and dunked the ball with one hand over a defender. Hoosier said it was probably the most exciting dunk he’s ever had.

While Mason was named the Central Region player of the year, Hoosier has proven the ability to carry his team for long stretches, just as Mason can.

“(Hoosier) is one of the best players in the state,” Hite said. “I’ve said it time and time again.”

Despite the lopsided win, Mason tried to keep the hype surrounding the team at a minimum. In previous years, he said, there’s been outside pressure for Petersburg to win a state championship. That’s something’s he wants to prevent this year.

“We don’t want anyone to boost our heads,” he said. “We want to work for everything.”

Still, Petersburg figures to be the favorite among the final teams left in the region, all of which were the top seeds from their respective districts. John Marshall and Henrico play in the other semifinal Friday.

“We’d rather people underestimate us,” Hoosier said.