After winning four games over five days the previous week, the
Norcom (Portsmouth, Va.) players must have felt like they were on somewhat of a vacation this past week having to play just two games over eight days.
The Greyhounds responded by playing with the energy of a well-rested vacationer, downing league rivals Churchland (68-40) and Wilson (62-47).
Against Churchland, guard
Jeremy Canty scored a game-high 17 points while Virginia Tech commit
Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in with 16. Finney-Smith then had a game-high 26 points in Friday night's win over Wilson.
Norcom (14-0) is ranked No. 7 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 sponsored by the Army National Guard and has won 25 consecutive games dating back to last season during its state championship run.
The Greyhounds continue league play this week when they host Maury (9-4, 5-2) on Tuesday at 7:30 and then travel to Washington High School (8-2, 6-1) on Friday for a 7:15 tip-off.
SMYRNA GIRLS TAKE FIRST LOSS
Smyrna High, Delaware's top-ranked team and fresh off a dominating 73-50 win over nonconference foe Padua, took its unblemished record across state lines to the Scholastic Girls Basketball Classic in Philadelphia on Saturday.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the City of Brotherly Love proved to be anything but that, as Smyrna fell behind early and was eventually humbled by
Cardinal O'Hara (Springfield, Pa.), 55-47.
O'Hara (9-2) limited James Madison-bound
Crystal Ross to just four points on six shots, well below her 13.2 points-per-game average.
"We just buried ourselves in the first quarter being down 19-2," Smyrna coach James Kiger said in an e-mail the morning after the loss. "Cardinal O'Hara was an excellent team, probably the best we've played this year. I am proud of the girls for battling back. We almost pulled it out. We got it down to four points but couldn't get over the hump.
"We played really hard, which is all you can ask for. I knew [it would be tough] coming off of a very physical game Friday night (a 73-50 win over Padua). We had several players with bumps and bruises, and then add a 90-minute bus ride, and I thought we would be dragging a bit. Unfortunately I was right. We'll be fine and ready to go next week."
Ross grabbed six rebounds and had four blocks, while highly-recruited
Betnijah Laney, Smyrna's leading scorer averaging 19 points, had a game-high 16.
Shanice Johnson's 11 points led a balanced O'Hara attack.
Smyrna (10-1) returns to the comforts of home this week and will host conference foes Seaford (7-1) on Tuesday at 6 and Lake Forest Friday at 7:15.
JOHNNIES WIN BATTLE OF TOP D.C. TEAMS
St. John's (Washington, D.C.) sophomore point guard
Lindsay Allen nailed a 14-foot jumper as time expired to lift the Cadets to a 71-70 victory over Good Counsel in a key Western Catholic Athletic Conference game Friday night.
What made the stunning win even more remarkable is that St. John's trailed early on by as many as nine points on their opponent's home court after back-to-back 3-pointers by Counsel's
Faith Randolph (17 points). But the Cadets maintained their poise and forced seven second-half turnovers to set the stage for Allen's heroics and launch the Cadets into sole possession of first place in the WCAC. Allen finished with a game-high 29 points and
Mooriah Rowser chipped in with 19 for St. John's.
St. John's (16-0, 8-0) will host Good Counsel (16-1, 7-1) on Feb. 15 in a rematch that might very well determine the conference champion.
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