T.C. Williams got a revenge victory over Hayfield after losing to the Hawks in the District Tournament by coming out of the blocks from the first whistle and galloping to a 52-41 victory. Their pressing 1-2-2 full-court defense had Hayfield out of sync as the Titans raced to a 13-3 lead in the first 4 minutes of the 1st quarter.

Darian Townes rejected 3 shots in the initial quarter but Hayfield clawed back to make it 15-10 with 6 minutes gone in the period. Hayfield's center Adrian Ackles picked up two quick fouls as T.C. closed the 1st quarter with a 19-12 advantage. The 2nd quarter was a carbon copy of the 1st as the Titans scored the first 7 points, the Hawks fought their way back to score the next six and the half ended with T.C. leading by a score of 34-23. Marcus Lynn was nothing short of spectacular for the half, closing with 19 points on 8-for-8 shooting and 5 boards. All-World Jason Ingram closed the half with 3 assists and 8 points. Hayfield's scoring tandem of Russell Lee and Darren Stackhouse were held to a combined 10 points, with the Stack hauling in 5 boards and Craig Battle chipping in with 7 points.

The 3rd quarter was a low-scoring affair with defense picking it up a notch as the Titans outscored the Hawks 8-6 for the period to lead 42-29. The 4th quarter began with T.C. dumping in the first 8 points and the game appeared out of reach. Russell Lee began to take charge for Hayfield as he hit on two consecutive 3-pointers but it was too late. Alton Fortner iced the game with 2 clutch free throws down the stretch and Jason Ingram put the icing on the cake with a monster dunk just before the buzzer. Hayfield shot a dismal 12-for-49 from the field with Russell Lee finishing with 16 and Stackhouse adding 11 points along with his 11 boards.

The Titans were led defensively by Darian Townes (shown here with the jumper) who had 8 blocks and ended the 4-game Regional Tourney with 31 rejections. Marcus Lynn led all scorers with 23 points and added 9 boards and Jason Ingram also had a big night for T.C. with 16 points on 8-for-14 shooting. All three of these players will contribute significantly as the Titans seek the state title. T.C. will meet the winner of the Northwestern District at Robinson H.S. next Saturday night.

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Cougars Victorious over Hawks

Tonight, in the girls Northern Region championship game at George Mason University, the Oakton Cougars defeated Hayfield 45-32. Both teams automatically advance to the Virginia State Quaterfinals next Saturday, with Oakton playing at Robinson High School.

Hayfield was plagued by poor shooting and could only muster nine points in the entire first half. Oakton controlled the tempo with outstanding ball movement and a solid defense. As a result, Hayfield’s All-Northern Region guard Anesia Smith managed only one 3-pointer in the first 16 minutes.

In the first half, Oakton continued its dominance by routinely crashing the boards; Tournament MVP Amaka Agugua and Megan Scott combined for 10 rebounds before halftime. Scott also led all scorers with eight points before the break. Hayfield shot a disappointing 3-22 from the field.

Oakton began the second half much like the first – by pounding the ball inside. Agugua and Scott benefited from Oakton's headstrong guard play, as they spent most of the second half on the foul line. Unfortunately, Hayfield’s Iyan Napier picked up her 4th foul in the middle of the third quarter and could not be effective.

Overall, the Oakton Cougars gave a balanced effort on both sides of the ball to which Hayfield could not respond.