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No. 1 H.D. Woodson rallies past Gonzaga in a DCSAA double overtime thriller No. 1 H.D. Woodson rallies past Gonzaga in a DCSAA double overtime thriller
(about 1 hour later)
As the H.D. Woodson boys’ basketball players bounded off the floor and down the hallways of Verizon Center after playing the game of their collective lives, all they could think to do was scream.As the H.D. Woodson boys’ basketball players bounded off the floor and down the hallways of Verizon Center after playing the game of their collective lives, all they could think to do was scream.
For months now, while the Warriors got closer and closer to becoming the first city public school to finish a season undefeated since 1985, the list of doubters who thought this run was largely the result of inferior competition kept growing. H.D. Woodson finally put that debate to rest in a double-overtime game Thursday night that will long be remembered .For months now, while the Warriors got closer and closer to becoming the first city public school to finish a season undefeated since 1985, the list of doubters who thought this run was largely the result of inferior competition kept growing. H.D. Woodson finally put that debate to rest in a double-overtime game Thursday night that will long be remembered .
The No. 1-ranked Warriors showed they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the Washington area this year, overcoming a 12-point halftime deficit and eight-point deficit with two minutes to go for a 108-105 win against No. 14 Gonzaga in the D.C. State Athletic Association semifinals. The No. 1-ranked Warriors showed they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the Washington area this year, coming from behind in the second half and erasing an eight-point deficit with two minutes to go to pull out a 105-102 win against No. 14 Gonzaga in the D.C. State Athletic Association semifinals.
Woodson (32-0) went up 2-0 after the opening basket of the game, but didn’t take its next lead until double overtime when sophomore Derquan Washington hit his fifth three-pointer. The Eagles answered initially, re-taking the lead two more times before Woodson senior Antwan Walker’s lay-in with under two minutes left put the Warriors up for good. Sophomore Kiyon Boyd, who finished with a season-high 37 points and forced the second overtime on a put-back with eight seconds to go, then iced the contest at the free throw line. Woodson (32-0) went up 2-0 after the opening basket of the game, but didn’t take its next lead until double overtime when sophomore Derquan Washington hit his fifth three-pointer. The Eagles answered, re-taking the lead two more times before Woodson senior Antwan Walker’s lay-in with under two minutes left put the Warriors up for good. Sophomore Kiyon Boyd, who finished with a season-high 37 points and forced the second overtime on a put-back with eight seconds to go, then iced the contest at the free throw line.
“It’s a big shock to the world that we just beat them, but it wasn’t a shock for us,” Boyd said. “We been telling ourselves that from the beginning of the season.”“It’s a big shock to the world that we just beat them, but it wasn’t a shock for us,” Boyd said. “We been telling ourselves that from the beginning of the season.”
[Late bloomer Antwan Walker has H.D. Woodson on the cusp of history][Late bloomer Antwan Walker has H.D. Woodson on the cusp of history]
For a while, though, it appeared Gonzaga (23-8) might be too much for Woodson. Junior point guard Chris Lykes (31 points) got into the lane, at will and senior Nigel Stewart (25 points) was just as effective. But the Eagles never had an answer for Boyd, who did enough to keep the score competitive early before his teammates got their bearings. For a while, though, it appeared Gonzaga (23-8) might be too much. Junior point guard Chris Lykes (31 points) got into the lane, at will and senior Nigel Stewart (25 points) was just as effective. But the Eagles had no answer for Boyd, who did enough to keep the score competitive early before his teammates got their bearings.
Washington provided a boost from outside after halftime, scoring all but two of his 26 points after the break as Woodson began to chip away at Gonzaga’s lead. Lykes had four straight buckets to push the Eagles’ advantage to 73-65 late in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors nonetheless pressed on. Washington provided a boost from outside after halftime, scoring all but two of his 26 points after the break as Woodson began to chip away at the deficit. Lykes had four straight buckets to push the Eagles’ advantage to 73-65 late in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors pressed on.
Missed free throws opened the door for Woodson in the closing moments, and Washington came through. Boyd found him curling around the perimeter with four seconds remaining in regulation and Washington nailed a deep, high-arcing three-pointer to send the contest into its first overtime.Missed free throws opened the door for Woodson in the closing moments, and Washington came through. Boyd found him curling around the perimeter with four seconds remaining in regulation and Washington nailed a deep, high-arcing three-pointer to send the contest into its first overtime.
From that point, it seemed nothing was going to stop these Warriors, who will face either Friendship Collegiate or IDEA in Sunday’s DCSAA championship game at George Washington’s Smith Center. From that point, it seemed nothing was going to stop these Warriors, who will face Friendship Collegiate in Sunday’s DCSAA championship game at George Washington’s Smith Center.
“We weren’t going to give up,” Washington said. “I didn’t want to see my team go down and mess up an undefeated season. We worked too hard to just let it go. We came here to win everything.”“We weren’t going to give up,” Washington said. “I didn’t want to see my team go down and mess up an undefeated season. We worked too hard to just let it go. We came here to win everything.”
Last year at this time, when St. John’s point guard Niya Beverley stepped onto the Verizon Center floor for the D.C. State Athletic Association semifinals, she didn’t play like herself. Beverly had only recently returned from a knee injury, one of several injuries that hurt the Cadets that season, and her comeback was only in its infancy. ● FRIENDSHIP COLLEGIATE 62, IDEA 58: Two days after shocking No. 2 St. John’s, the Knights came back from 15 points down to beat IDEA, 62-58, in the second DCSAA boys’ basketball semifinal. Senior All-Met guard Alani Moore scored all 24 of his points after halftime and spearheaded a 12-0 run to start the fourth quarter. When IDEA tied the score at 55 late, Friendship’s Emmanuel Johnson answered by nailing a three-pointer that gave the Knights the lead for good with one minute left in regulation.
The junior got some redemption Thursday in another DCSAA semifinal. No. 10 St. John’s cruised to a 66-38 win over Anacostia and advanced to Sunday’s championship game, where it will face either No. 7 Georgetown Visitation or Friendship Collegiate. The Cadets lost to Visitation in last year’s final. Last year at this time, when St. John’s point guard Niya Beverley stepped onto the Verizon Center floor for the D.C. State Athletic Association semifinals, she didn’t play like herself. Beverley had only recently returned from a knee injury, one of several injuries that hurt the Cadets that season, and her comeback was in its infancy.
Beverley led a balanced effort offensively for the Cadets with 15 points and played hounding defense against the Indians as well. The junior got some redemption Thursday in another DCSAA semifinal. No. 10 St. John’s cruised to a 66-38 win over Anacostia and advanced to Sunday’s championship game, where it will face No. 7 Georgetown Visitation, which beat Friendship Collegiate, 65-43. The Cadets lost to Visitation in last year’s final.
“What we went through last year has a lot to do with it. We grew so much last year,” Beverley said. “I just think we’re a team now and we look good. We want to finish on a good note.” “What we went through last year has a lot to do with it. We grew so much last year,” Beverley (15 points) said. “I just think we’re a team now and we look good. We want to finish on a good note.”
● Georgetown Visitation 65, Friendship Collegiate 43: The Cubs broke open the other DCSAA girls’ basketball semifinal game with a dominant third-quarter run en route to a 65-53 win over Friendship Collegiate. Senior Alexis Gray led Visitation with 14 points, and junior Maeve Carroll added 13.