Hermitage Takes Title

by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond

Hermitage’s one-point loss to Mills Godwin to begin the season sent the Panthers into an 0-4 tailspin.

Now at full strength with their football players in basketball mode and completely healthy, Hermitage avenged that defeat Friday night with a 58-45 victory in the championship of the Henrico Holiday Hoops Tournament, sponsored by DigitalSports.

“I wouldn’t call it revenge,” Hermitage coach Joe Coulter said. “We wanted to play better. We wanted to improve on how we played in the first game. These kids have been through a lot of adversity after starting 0-4.”

The Panthers have won five of their past six to get to .500 for the first time all season. Gabe McNeal led Hermitage with 16 points, Manny Winston had 13 and tournament MVP Wesley Simmons added 12 against the Eagles.

Hermitage’s offense may have been productive but it was their defense that could be credited with giving the team the advantage. The Panthers held Mills Godwin’s two main offensive threats, Fletcher Lumpkin and Kefentse Budd, to 11 and 10 points, respectively.

In the first two games of the tournament the 6-6 center Budd scored 27 and 22 points. Against Hermitage he was held to two points in the first half and only had five entering the fourth quarter.

“It was team defense,” Coulter said. “It started with Duan [Perez-Means] and everyone else collapsed around him.”

Mills Godwin coach Hunter Thomas agreed with that assessment.

“You gotta give credit to Hermitage,” Thomas said. “They took Budd out of the game. We weren’t looking for him as much as we have been but we had opportunities to get him the ball and we didn’t.”

The first quarter was played at a ferocious pace as both teams ran up and down the floor choosing to try and score on fast breaks rather than set up a half court offense.

Lumpkin looked unstoppable early as he scored eight quick points in the opening period and Patrick Oley (13 points) had six. McNeal countered with eight points of his own, including two 3-pointers, and Hermitage had a three-point cushion after one.

Hermitage pulled away in the second quarter by opening with a 13-0 run and holding the Eagles to only four points for the entire period. Winston came off the bench to score eight in the quarter.

The Panthers’ full-court pressure flustered Mills Godwin’s guards, forcing them into numerous turnovers and not allowing them to set-up their offense. When they did get open looks the Eagles couldn’t knock down their shots.

“Our guards couldn’t hit from the outside tonight,” Thomas said. “They [Hermitage] hit their shots tonight and we knew they would have to hit their shots to beat us. Hermitage played much better then the last time we played them.”

In the third and fourth quarters the Panthers’ lead would balloon to as much as 18 points. Mills Godwin tried to make a run as Budd began to find a little rhythm on offense but Lumpkin was held to only one point in the second half and the closest the Eagles would get would be 11.

Simmons, who scored 27 and 21 in the previous two games, and McNeal were both named to the all-tournament team. Coulter was quick praise them for their play in the tournament.

“We got great leadership from our seniors McNeal and Simmons,” Coulter said.

Hermitage 17 18 11 12 – 58
Mills Godwin 14 4 11 16 – 45
Hermitage (5-5): McNeal 16, Winston 13, Reid 0, Clark 0, Blount 2, Simmons 12, Lewis 0, Norman 4, Clayton 0, Parker 2, Perez-Means 9, Kinard 0. Totals: 15 10-13 58. 3-point goals: Winston 3, McNeal 2, Simmons.
Mills Godwin (7-5): Caine 0, Mattioli 0, Crouch 3, Parker 0, Van Arsdale 0, Lumpkin 11, McColley 2, Reynolds 4, Oley 13, Parsons 2, Budd 10, Wood 0. Totals: 14 14-23 45. 3-point goals: Crouch.

All-Tournament Team
Wesley Simmons, Hermitage, MVP
Gabe McNeal, Hermitage
Fletcher Lumpkin, Mills Godwin
Kefentse Budd, Mills Godwin
Jarrett Wansley, Henrico