Sports
Second Quarter Dooms South County in 56-39 Loss to Lake Braddock
Coach says Stallions have to go on the road for playoffs
South County is one of the hardest teams to figure out in the highly congested Patriot District. The Stallions began the early season like a team on a mission after a seven-game winning streak. That winning was later offset by a six-game losing streak.
Before last Friday’s 25-point loss to T.C. Williams, the Stallions had a four-game win streak and were looking to host a Patriot District playoff game.
That likelihood is all gone after South County was easily handled by Lake Braddock 56-39. After the up-and-down season, the Stallions are a middle-of-the-pack team in the district, giving them the No. 5 seed in the tournament.
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With the score tied at 11 after the first quarter, the Bruins (12-8, 10-3 Patriot) took control over South County (12-8, 7-6 Patriot) in the second quarter, outscoring South County 19-5 to take a convincing 32-18 lead at halftime. The Stallions could never get back in the game.
“I think they played a little bit harder during that stretch,” South County coach Wendell Johnson said. “We lost some close balls, and they came up with it. Anytime there was a loose ball, they were walking away with it.”
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With 25 seconds left in the first half, Lake Braddock guard Corey Bonds (12 points) was in a situation where he shouldn’t have come out as a winner. Battling against a pair of bigger South County players for a loose ball, the determined Bonds ripped the ball away for possession and sent an outlet pass to a streaking Bob Freedman (game-high 20 points) for a wide-open layup. The play signified the entire game for South County.
Most important for the Bruins was the way they stopped South County’s top two scorers, Nik Biberaj and Marqueice Johnson. Biberaj and Johnson were held to just 15 combined points on the night, which is half their normal average as a duo.
“They been leading us in scoring all year,” South County coach Wendell Johnson said. “If they only have 15 points between them, we have to have someone else step up and we didn’t have that tonight.”
South County’s third leading scorer on the season, Nnamdi Enechionyia, was injured on a fast-break play early in the third quarter and missed the remainder of the game after scoring five points.
The Bruins pestered the Stallions into early foul trouble, as Lake Braddock was into the first-half bonus early in the second quarter. Biberaj received his third foul of the game with 4:06 in the second quarter, which allowed the paint to widen and Lake Braddock took advantage of the Stallions’ big man being out to end the first half on an 11-2 run.
“The main thing I think what happened is Bobby Freedman, Matt Zanellato, Chris Williams and Abe Wehelie just blasted it in there and got him in foul trouble,” Lake Braddock coach Metress said. “Those guys had to defend.”
South County plays one more regular season game on Friday at home against Lee. The Stallions beat the Lancers 67-41 on Jan. 24. Johnson said he expects South County to play at W.T. Woodson on Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the Patriot District quarterfinals. The loser would miss out on the Northern Region tournament.
