Woodson's unparalleled student section erupts after the final buzzer against Madison. The win is the Cavaliers' 10th in a row with the Liberty District playoffs beginning Tuesday.
Madison Coach Chris Kuhblank outmaneuvered Woodson for three quarters but was unable to contain Max Lenox and Greg Whitaker enough to preserve the would-be pivotal road win.
By Phil Murphy
DigitalSports.com**Check below the story for updated video highlights from Friday's game. Re-live it in 15 min. Interviews to be added tonight.**With the top seed in the Liberty District Tournament already clinched for No. 4
W.T. Woodson, a letdown against visiting No. 8
Madison may have been expected.
But on senior night for the Cavaliers, sophomore
Max Lenox was not ready to watch his team's nine-game winning streak come to an abrupt end.
The do-everything guard scored 15 points, had a handful of assists and held Warhawk junior
Omi Omogo (nine points) without a field goal in the second half. As a result, Woodson came from behind to upend Madison, 53-50, in the final regular-season game for both teams.
"The seniors have worked hard all year and they deserve this night," said Lenox, among the Cavaliers who practice in silence to prepare for the deafening environment created by the home student section. "We always expect a big game from [Madison] ... they're our rivals."
Madison (17-5, 10-4 Liberty) led for the entirety of the second half until a 9-0 run by Woodson gave them a 51-47 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the final quarter.
A three-pointer by Warhawk senior
Keith Moyer ended the Cavs' scoring spree and cut the margin to a single point. But, after Woodson (17-5, 13-1) missed the front end of a one-and-one to cushion its advantage, junior
Dylan Robeson made good on both of his free-throw attempts with :6.5 seconds remaining to secure the win.
"I have a routine," said Robinson, whose two points in those final seconds were his only of the game. "I tell myself to have confidence every time. Every time I go to the line, I go through the same routine.
"Two dribbles. I say 'Confidence' in my mind. 'Hold your follow-through until the very end.' "
The Warhawks had originally grabbed the lead thanks to the second-quarter heroics of senior
Collin Flaherty, who did not play in their 62-47 loss to Woodson on Jan. 22, their only home loss of the season. Flaherty scored eight of his game-high 19 points in the period.
"When we played them the first time, they blew us out," said Madison coach
Chris Kuhblank. "We didn't have Flaherty -- our leading scorer and rebounder. I knew it would be different game."
In Woodson's 10th consecutive win -- number 13 in the last 14 games -- only 22 of the 53 its points scored were by seniors. The rest came by way of underclassmen that will suit up for Coach
Doug Craig next season.
One of the soon-to-be graduating seniors, captain
Greg Whitaker, had a line of eight points and five rebounds that was both visibly below his season average. His contributions, though, were not lost on Kuhblank.
"Whitaker is the MVP of the district, for sure," he said. "He's getting my vote. Make sure you print that."
Got it, Coach Kuhblank.
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
No. 8 Madison 11 19 11 9 -- 50No. 4 Woodson 17 11 10 15 -- 53
Madison -- Flaherty 8 1-2 19; Ogolo 2 4-4 9; LeDuc 4 0-2 8; Moyer 2 0-0 5; Crissey 2 1-2 5; Smerdinski 1 0-0 2; Clarkson 1 0-0 2; Team Totals: 20 6-10 50. Woodson -- Lenux
5 4-10 15; Whitaker 4 0-0 8; Noe 2 2-2 8; Bacon 3 0-0 7; Moretti 2 3-3 7; Stepka 3 0-2 6; Robeson 0 2-2 2; Team Totals: 19 11-19 53. Three-pointers -- Madison 4 (Flaherty 2, Ogolo, Moyer); Woodson 4 (Noe 2, Lenox, Bacon).