Boys Basketball: C.D. Hylton 71, Gar-Field 63

It was a game that nearly ended the Bulldogs’ season, but instead propelled them to a district crown. After a two-point loss to Gar-Field on Tuesday night to determine the top seed in the Cardinal District tournament, the C.D. Hylton boys basketball team trailed Woodbridge in the district tournament semifinals by three points with only seconds left. The Bulldogs’ Keith Mitchell hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the game into overtime and Hylton finished the game on top, 55-50, thanks to seven overtime points by guard Darrell Patterson.

“Coming back and winning on Wednesday the way that we did, they believed in each other,” said Hylton head coach Barry Smith. “The kids, they believed. The kids kept their composure.”

It was that belief that helped the Bulldogs pull out a 71-63 win over Gar-Field in the Cardinal District Tournament finals on Friday night at Forest Park High School.

“After that overtime win, we just believed that we could do it,” said Patterson. “We just wanted it more.”

The Bulldogs, losers of two straight to the Indians heading into the game, ended the first quarter down six. That deficit was erased by halftime, thanks to a combined 13 second-quarter points by Patterson and Mitchell. By the end of the third, the Bulldogs held a seven point advantage and never looked back.

“We just played harder. We got after it. We got loose balls,” said Smith. “Last game, we didn’t play as hard. We played harder [tonight].”

Mitchell finished with 19 points. Patterson led all scorers with 27.

“He is phenomenal. He’s a competitor,” said Smith of Patterson. “When the lights come on, he’s ready to
shine.”

The Indians were paced by senior Kwasi Amponsah with 17 points, followed by Jeremiah Johnson with 16 and Richard Attipoe with 12.

The Bulldogs will move on to the Northwest Region tournament on the road against Cedar Run top seed Fauquier on Tuesday night. The Indians will take on Battlefield at home. Games start at 7 p.m.

C.D. Hylton 7 19 21 24 71

Gar-Field 13 13 14 23 63

C.D. Hylton 71, Gar-Field 63
C.D. HYLTON (71) — Patterson 8 10-11 27; Mitchell 6 4-7 19; Major 2 4-5 6; Hagmann 2 2-7 6; Hylton 1 1-2 3; C. Johnson 0 3-4 3; Brayboy 1 0-0 2; Hargrove 1 0-0 2; Parker 0 0-1 1. GAR-FIELD (63) — Amponsah 2 11-14 17; J. Johnson 5 6-8 16; Attipoe 4 4-5 12; L. Johnson 2 0-0 6; Pearson 4 0-0 4; Pittman 1 0-0 3; Einsmann 1 0-0 2; Blakeney 1 0-0 2; Patterson 1 0-0 2. Three Point — C.D. Hylton 4 (Mitchell 3, Patterson 1); Gar-Field 3 (Amponsah 2, Pittman 1).