Senior Travis Berry (5) scored nine of his game-high 16 points in the first half. He was the only player to connect on a 3-pointer during the game.
The Titans are introduced as a team prior to their Regional Quarterfinal game against the Cavaliers.
By Phil Murphy
Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
**Re-live this Northern Region Quarterfinal -- with post-game and half time interviews -- in less than 11 minutes with the video player below.**
It wasn't pretty, but the defending Northern Region champions march on.
T.C. Williams held off the regular-season Liberty District champion W.T. Woodson, 48-32, in Tuesday's regional quarterfinal at the Garden.
"We knew it was going to be a battle, a grind," said T.C. Williams Coach
Ivan Thomas, who has lost only one home game in his three-year tenure. "[Woodson] played pretty good defense, but we played better defense tonight. They were averaging 60 points; we held them to 32."
Top-ranked T.C. Williams (24-3) and W.T. Woodson (19-7) limped to a first-half score of just 22-13, with the Titans claiming the advantage. Shooting woes hobbled both offenses in the opening two quarters.
"We have somebody just as strong as them," Thomas said. "
Tomas Camara goes unnoted, but he really is a horse on the boards ... He's pretty strong. He was able to front and have success. He did really well with that."
Added Cavalier Coach
Doug Craig: "We played physically. We did all the things we needed to pull the upset. We just didn't bring our shooting with us."
The sole participant not shooting at a lidded rim was Titans' guard
Travis Berry. The 6-foot, 2-inch senior scored nine of his game-high 16 points before the break, including two three-pointers and an old-fashioned three-point play with a layup-and-one late in the second quarter.
"That's why I come off the bench, to provide a spark," Berry said. "Once I come off, I know I have to come in and put points on the board."
The Cavaliers cut the Titana' lead to eight on three separate occasions in the second half, but got no closer. A concerted T.C. Williams effort to take Woodson senior
Greg Whitaker (seven points) out of the offense, coupled with continued Cavalier cold streaks, debilitated any chance of a comeback.
"They played great defense; they were all over us," said Craig, employing an unheralded group of seniors to revive the Woodson program. "They did a great job on Greg Whitaker tonight. They fronted him and played behind him, 6'-7" and 6'-7". We had a hard time getting him the ball. They made a point to get him.
"If they take away your inside game and you're not making jump shots, it's tough. They're an outstanding team. They looked like the number-one team in the Region tonight."
With the 16-point home win, T.C. Williams advances to the Northern Region semifinal for the third consecutive season. The Titans will play Lake Braddock at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University at 9 p.m. Friday, the fourth meeting between the teams this season.
The Titans have won eight consecutive games over the Bruins -- dating back to the 2005 Patriot District championship -- and three of their last four games at the Patriot Center. The lone loss came to Herndon, featuring
Scottie Reynolds, in the 2006 Regional semifinals.
The winner of Friday's game automatically qualifies for the Virginia High School League AAA state tournament.
"We just have to play the way we've been playing," said Thomas, whose team is 51-0 against Patriot District competition since taking over as the Titans' coach. "We have to capitalize on scoring opportunities when we have them."
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
No. 3 W.T. Woodson 4 9 9 10 -- 32
No. 1 T.C. Williams 7 14 15 11 -- 48 W.T. Woodson -- Lenox 6 2-6 14; Stepka 3 3-3 9; Whitaker 3 1-2 7; Noe 1 0-0 2. Team totals: 13 6-11 32.
T.C. Williams -- Berry 5 3-3 16; Winbush 4 4-6 12; Jenkins 4 1-1 9; Lewis 1 1-2 3; Jordan 1 0-0 2; Peterson
1 0-0 2; Yates 1 0-0 2; Camara 0 1-2 1; Campbell 0 1-2 1. Team totals: 17 11-16 48.
Three-pointers -- W.T. Woodson 0; T.C. Williams 3 (Berry 3).