By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manger, Washington D.C. Metro Area
*Click the links above for videos and photos from Tuesday’s championship game.
*All-Tournament team listed below.
Ahead by nine points with 2 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the Pohanka Chantilly Basketball Tournament final, the Spartan players — and its coach, Bill Gibson — were under more duress than would be expected.
But West Springfield, who led by 20 points less than two minutes prior, had watched Mills Godwin senior Michelle Foley (game-high 23 points) connect on three three-pointers in just over a minute.
Two of the three were second-chance baskets, and the Spartans called a time-out.
Whatever Gibson said to his team in the huddle worked, as West Springfield scored eight of the game’s final 10 points en route to a 60-47 win and the tournament championship.
“We wanted to be in control of the game and not rush things,” said Gibson, whose team played in a local Christmas tournament for the first time in 15 years. “They hit a couple threes in a row. I said, ‘Hey, no drama. It’s our game to win.’
“We didn’t want to play not to lose. We wanted to play to win.”
Added Spartan freshman forward Logan Battle, who had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds: “We just stuck together like we always have.”
It was not the first time West Springfield turned the momentum on a dime on Tuesday.
The Eagles led by as many as nine points, 16-7, in the first quarter, visibly dominating the Spartans. But West Springfield went on a 24-2 run over the next 13:58 to lead, 31-18 midway through the third quarter.
“We just kept telling ourselves that if the ball doesn’t fall for us, we just had to keep getting the boards and taking it up,” said junior forward Mel Todd, who had 10 of her game-high 13 rebounds in the first half. “The shots would sooner-or-later fall for us.”
With so many options, that poise comes as no surprise.
Senior Sam Landers scored a team-high 15 points en route to Tournament MVP honors.
Freshman April Robinson had six assists and three steals and also made the All-Tournament team.
Senior Pui Sham connected on four three-point attempts in the second half.
Sophomore forward Muffin Brassfield scored all eight of her points during the Spartans’ pivotal second-quarter run.
And that is in addition to Battle and Todd, who collectively had 24 rebounds. The Eagles, as a team, had 26.
“We have a nice mix of everything,” Gibson said. “This got our kids some confidence, as far as our younger kids, the freshman that we have that played really well … We’re pretty deep and that’s what we need.”
“I’ve still got Sam and Pui, who are seniors who I want to see do real well. It’s all about this year.”
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
West Springfield 10 16 15 19 — 60
Mills Godwin 16 2 9 20 — 47
West Springfield — Landers 4 6-6 15; Battle 6 2-8 14; Sham 4 0-0 12; Brassfield 3 0-0
8; Todd 3 1-7 7; Robinson 1 0-0 3; Gaston 0 1-2 1. Team
totals: 21 10-23 60.
Mills Godwin– Foley 8 2-2 23; Sisson 2 4-4 10; Watkins 1 2-4 4; Foster 1 1-2 3; Henshaw 1 1-4 3; Cole 1 0-2 2; Teague 1 0-0 2. Team totals: 15 10-18 47.
Three pointers — West Springfield 8 (Sham 4, Brassfield 2, Landers, Robinson); Mills Godwin 7 (Foley 5, Sisson 2).
All-Tournament Team
Sam Landers, West Springfield, Sr. (MVP)
Michelle Foley, Mills Godwin, Sr.
Jenna Marlette, Chantilly, Jr.
Lena Negri, Yorktown, So.
April Robinson, West Springfield, Fr.
Andrea Sission, Mills Godwin, Jr.
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