Skyhawks Get Revenge

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond

It was deja vu, in reverse.

During Christmas break, Deep Run defeated L.C. Bird 72-56 at the Fort Lee tournament.

Two months later, the Skyhawks returned the favor with the same score, beating the Wildcats 72-56 in the first round of the Central Region tournament Tuesday night.

“We just wanted to play better tonight,” Bird’s Travis Keels said. “Last time they played us they embarassed us. We just wanted to play better and move on to the region quarterfinals.”

Bird (23-3), the top seed from the Dominion District, will do just that as it will take on Central District No. 2 Dinwiddie Wednesday at 7 p.m., as the Generals took down Varina.

After a first half with scoring at a torrid pace for both teams, the question was which team would hit an ice patch first?

It ended up being Deep Run (17-8), the fourth seed from the Colonial District, who trailed 37-33 at halftime.

The Wildcats took a one-point lead twice early in the third quarter, the last a 40-39 advantage with 5:44 left in the third on Jordan Ward‘s bucket.

DR would only score two more points the entire quarter as Rico Ferguson and Kendrick McClary took control of the contest.

The duo scored 21 straight points to put the Skyhawks ahead 60-49 at the 3:08 mark of the fourth period.

Ferguson continued his brilliant play with a game-high 29 points, 16 in the second half.

McClary, the football tight end headed to Norfolk State, registered 15 points and helped wear down a much smaller Deep Run team.

Once 6-4 forward Tommy Folliard went to the bench with his fourth foul with 3:33 left in the third period, Bird flexed their muscles in the paint.

“We thought we might go small and come out to the perimeter,” Deep Run coach Jeremiah O’Brien said. “Tommy getting in foul trouble was the biggest thing. I think we got a little tired.”

You had to be tired just watching Marvin Woodley chase first-team all-Colonial District pick Antone Exum around Chuck Tester Gymnasium.

He only scored six points on two 3-pointers, but Woodley’s harassment of Exum helped the junior to a tough shooting contest. Exum still pumped in 18 points – 12 in the first half – but earned every drop of it.

After Exum scored on a fadeaway over Woodley for a 38-37 lead, he wouldn’t score again until under a minute left in the contest.

“To be honest with you, during the whole time in practice, I didn’t even plan on guarding him,” Woodley said. “Then they made a decision before the game. I had to man up and play that defense.”

Keels put in nine points for Bird, all in the first half. He also blocked five shots.

Jordan Ward had 13 points for Deep Run, and Jay Johnson and Derek Jackson put in nine points each as Deep Run ends their best season in school history.

“It’s all about the kids,” O’Brien said. “We have a good amount of them coming back with Jay, [Michael Dosh], Antone and Tommy.”

Deep Run 18 15 9 14 – 56
L.C. Bird 20 17 11 24 – 72
Deep Run (17-8): Johnson 9, Ward 13, Jackson 9, Milligan 0, Buehler 0, Folliard 3, Exum 18, Dosh 4. Totals: 22 6-14 56. 3-point goals: Ward 3, Johnson 2, Folliard.
L.C. Bird (23-3): Ferguson 29, Woodley 6, Harris 0, Johnston 0, Martin 0, Palimore 7, Jasper 6, McClary 15, Keels 9. Totals: 26 14-22 72. 3-point goals: Ferguson 3, Woodley 2, Palimore.