TIMES-DISPATCH INVITAITONAL TOURNAMENT: L. C. Bird and Benedictine Claim Championships

The Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament
wrapped up on Saturday with several great games that weren�??t decided
until the closing seconds. Benedictine claimed the boys championship in
a hard fought battle with Highland Springs. In the girls championship
game, L. C. Bird defeated Atlee.

Boys Championship Game �?? Benedictine 56, Highland Springs 54 �?? Springers�?? Rally Falls Just Short

          Down
19-10 after the first quarter of the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament boys championship game Saturday night, the Highland Spring
Springers�?? fought all the way back, only to see Benedictine�??s Bradford Burgess win the game, 56-54, on free throws in the final seconds.

          Kevin Estes
paced Benedictine in the first quarter as the Cadets jumped out to a
19-10 lead. Highland Springs responded in the second quarter by holding
Benedictine to just 6 points and by cutting the deficit to 3. The teams
went into halftime with Benedictine ahead, 25-22.

          Benedictine
kept its lead in the third quarter with the score standing at 40-36 as
the teams went into the final period. In the final period, Highland
Springs finally tied up the game, 54-54, with less than a minute left.
But on Benedictine�??s ensuing possession, Burgess was fouled near the
three point line with 6 seconds remaining. After Burgess made both of
his free throws, Springer Jay Threatt�??s last chance three point attempt fell just short.

          Benedictine was led by Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament MVP Estes, who had 18 points. Benedictine�??s Ed Davis also scored in double figures (12 points). Also scoring for the Cadets were Joey Cantafio (9), Burgess (5), Daniel Heppert (5), Liki Turner (4), Jeff Gill (2), and Wayne Whiting (1).

          The Springers were led by Threatt, who had 16 points. Also in double figures were Jamar Abrams and Brandon Rozzell, each with 14 points. Also scoring were Tony Purnell (5), Harvey Mills (3), and Omar Briggs (2).

Boys Third Place Game �?? Collegiate 50, L. C. Bird 49 �?? Hawthorne�??s Fourth Quarter Heroics Bring Cougars Back Against Skyhawks

          Cole Hawthorne
scored 11 fourth quarter points to bring Collegiate came back from a 12
point halftime deficit against L. C. Bird to win the third place game
in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on Saturday, 50-49.

          L.
C. Bird was dominant early and built a 14-8 first quarter lead. The
Skyhawks continued their dominance in the second quarter and were up
27-15 at halftime.

          After
the half, the tables were turned. The Cougars were determined as they
cut the deficit in half, to six, going into the fourth quarter,
trailing 39-33. In the fourth, Collegiate kept up the pressure. Hawthorne�??s
heroics were especially important as he hit two 3-pointers in the final
30 seconds �?? the second one was the game winner with 2.6 seconds left
on the clock.

          Hawthorne led the Cougars with 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Teammate Jimmy Wiltshire also was in double digits with 11. Other Collegiate scorers were Zach Jung (9 points), Russell Wilson (6), Scott Pickett (5), Gray Fain (3), and Jake McGee (2).

          The Skyhawks were led by Travis Keeis, who had a game high 16 points. Other L. C. Bird players to score were Jordan Brown (9 points), Kendrick McClary (9), Rico Fugerson (6), Marvin Woodley (6), and K. J. Trent (2).

Boys Fifth Place Game �?? Douglas Freeman 54, Varina 40 �?? 16-0 Run Pushes Rebels Past Blue Devils

          A
16-0 run in the second quarter gave the Douglas Freeman Rebels all the
lead they needed against the Varina Blue Devils in the fifth place game
of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament Saturday. Freeman won,
54-40.

          The Blue Devils kept the game close in the first quarter, and trailed only 12-8 at the end of the period. Peyton Martin
hit a three-pointer for the Blue Devils near the beginning of the
second quarter to bring the score to 14-11. Unfortunately for Varina,
Martin�??s trey provided Varina�??s only points for the period. Freeman, in
the meantime, scored the next 16 points, unanswered. Freeman led at the
half, 30-11.

          In
the third, the Blue Devils cut the deficit down to 15, at 39-24. But
Varina was unable to make much additional headway in the fourth and
Freeman held on for the win.

          Freeman had another balanced scoring night. Omari Vaughan-Nelson led the Rebels with 12 points. Other Freeman players to score were Jake Eastman (8 points), Ahyaro Phillips (8), Kip Robson (7), Tommy Barila (4), Chapin George (3), Rob Love (3), Garrett Harvey (3), and Chris Moore (2).

          The Blue Devils were led by Norris Gaskins, who had a game high 15 points. Other players to score were Chevon Davenport (5 points), Martin (5), Dallas Dowling (5), Marell Evans (2), DeAntre Rhoades (2), JaTon Carter (2), Andre Branch (2), and Tyler Smith (2).

Boys Seventh Place Game �?? Meadowbrook 65, Trinity Episcopal 48 �?? Monarchs Put Away Titans

          The
Meadowbrook Monarchs outscored the Trinity Episcopal Titans in the
third quarter, 20-12, and took an easy 65-48 win in the seventh place
game of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament Saturday.

          Meadowbrook
established its game early, allowing Trinity only 5 points in the first
quarter which ended with the Monarchs ahead 12-5. Trinity looked alive
in the second quarter, but was unable to narrow the gap. Meadowbrook
went into halftime with a 31-24 lead.

          The
Monarchs applied their dominance in the third quarter to extend the
lead to 15, with the Monarchs ahead at the end of the quarter, 51-36.
Trinity mounted a brief rally, but the Monarchs soon were able to relax
the rest of the way to their victory.

          Meadowbrook was led by Justin Harper who had 21 points. Paul Finn, Jr. was also in double figures, as he put in 19. Other Monarchs who scored were Ahmad Bizzell (9 points), Michael Williams (7), Doug Harrison (7), and Tirahn Thorpe (2).

          Trinity�??s leading scorer was Drew Lawson, who poured in 19. Other scoring Titans were Jabez Wallace (9 points), Corey Pegram (6), Paul Franklin (5), Alex Eschenroeder (5), Austin Chillemi (3), and Gummi Kristjannson (2).

Boys Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament All-Tournament Team

          Benedictine�??s 6�??7�?� forward/center senior, Kevin Estes, was named the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament MVP.

Girls Championship Game �?? L. C. Bird 60, Atlee 30 �?? L.C. Bird Doubles Up Atlee in Championship Game

          In
a championship game that was supposed to go down to the wire, only one
team came to play �?? L. C. Bird. With a balanced scoring attack and a
tough defense, the Skyhawks dominated their opponent, the Atlee
Raiders, in all aspects of the game and won easily, 60-30, in the girls
championship game of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament
Saturday night.

          Using
a 12-0 run in the first quarter, the Skyhawks jumped out to a 20-6
lead. The teams traded scores in the second period and Bird took a
31-17 lead into halftime.

          In
the third quarter, Bird stressed defense again, held the Raiders to 8
points, and pushed the score to 46-25 by the end of the period. The
Skyhawks�?? dominance continued through the final period when they
outscored the Raiders 14-5 and cruised on to the championship.

          L. C. Bird was led by senior standout Ebony Patterson, who scored 14 points. Also in double figures were Jalissa Taylor, Ruthanne Doherty, and Barbara Sitton, who each scored 12 points. Also scoring for the Skyhawks were Sarah Hill (6 points) and Chynna Burwell (4).

          The Raiders were led by Richelle Price, who had 8 points. Also scoring for the Raiders were Brittany Hill (7 points), Michelle Gordon (5), Sydney Henderson (5), and Lindsey Martin (5).

Girls Third Place Game �?? Midlothian 46, Manchester 34 �?? Midlothian Takes Care of Business

          The Midlothian girls basketball team took care of business Saturday when it came to winning on the court, as they beat Manchester, 46-34, in the third place game of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament.

          After
getting out to a slow start, the Trojans began rolling and held the
lead after one quarter, 14-9. Only allowing the Lancers 4 points in the
second period, Midlothian extended its lead to 12 by halftime, 25-13.

          After the break, Manchester worked to close the gap, bringing it down 9 after three quarters. Midlothian, however, controlled the rest of the game and secured the win.

          Midlothian was led by Temperance Brantley, who had a game high 14 points. Rachel Mathews also scored in double digits (12 points) for the Trojans and Jermile Batten had 9. Brittany Harris (5), Brooke Leonard (4), and Meg Durcan (2) also scored for the Trojans.

          The Lancers were led by Porche Bentley�??s 13 points. Also scoring for the Lancers were Abbey Hendricks (9 points), Julie Remmers (8), and Lauren Barnett (4).

Girls Fifth Place Game �?? Deep Run 45, John Marshall 36 �?? Deep Run Outlasts John Marshall

          In
the fourth quarter of Saturday�??s fifth place game in the Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament, the Deep Run Wildcats opened up what had been
a close game with the John Marshall Lady Justices and won, 45-36.

          The
Wildcats were hot early and jumped out front, 12-8, in the first
period. The Lady Justices stayed in the game, though, and were down by
just 3 at the half, 23-20.

          John
Marshall cut the lead a little more in the third quarter and found
themselves down just by 2, at 28-26. However, in the last frame, the
Wildcats outscored the Justices, 17-10, to nail the win.

          Brittney Grove led the way for the Wildcats with 14 points. Also in double figures were Amy Turner and Natalie Fergusson, each with 10 points. Others who scored for Deep Run were Pamela Champ (7 points) and Sarah Price (4).

          The Lady Justices were led by Deja Middleton with 13 points. Sabrina Treakle also contributed in double figures, scoring 12. Other John Marshall players who scored were Shaneka Robichaux (6 points), Valentina Toogood (3), and Sierra Seaborne (2).

Girls Seventh Place Game �?? St. Catherine 45, Hanover 44 �?? Starnes�?? 3 at Buzzer Lifts Saints Past Hawks

          Despite
(or maybe because of) being the game to determine the last two places
in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament, Saturday�??s St.
Catherine�??s-Hanover contest turned out to be a nail-biter. St.
Catherine�??s Emma Starnes hit a three pointer as time expired, and the Saints beat the Hanover Hawks in the seventh place game, 45-44.

          The
first quarter showed what was to come as the Saints took a slight edge,
11-10. In the second quarter, the Hawks evened up the score and the
teams went into their locker rooms at halftime, 21-21.

          In
the second half, the scoring picked up for both teams, but the score
remained close. The Saints regained the lead going into the fourth
quarter, 37-35, but in the fourth, the Hawks captured the lead and
built it to 4 at 43-39. Starnes then hit a 3-pointer to bring the
Saints within 1. After Deep Run�??s Tiquana Hill made 1
of 2 free throws, the Saints called a timeout to set up their last
play. Starnes rolled to the top of the key and easily made the buzzer
beater.

          St. Catherine�??s Maggie Anderson led all scorers with 17 points before she fouled out. Starnes finished with 11. Other Saints to score included Eliza Blackwell (9 points), Liz Dunivan (4), McKenzie Jump (2), and Kate English (2).

          Amanda Woolard led the Hawks with 14 points. Also scoring for Hanover were Chelsea Coward (7 points), Hill (7), Carolyn Mack (6), Kimberly Browning (4), Courtney Long (3), and Leigh Ledbetter (3).

Girls Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament All-Tournament Team

          Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament champion L. C. Bird dominated the
All-Tournament Team designations with three Skyhawks getting the call,
including Tournament MVP, senior guard Ebony Patterson.

TIMES-DISPATCH INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT: Day Two Action

By Evan Kearney

          Friday�??s second round Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament action at the Siegel Center provided another day of exciting basketball and set up two good finals for Saturday�??s final round.

          In
the boys bracket, the tournament favorites �?? Benedictine and Highland
Springs �?? both qualified for Saturday�??s championship game. In
advancing, Highland Springs downed Collegiate pretty handily, but
Benedictine had a time putting away upstart L. C. Bird. The boys
championship game is set to start at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and will match
two teams that met on December 2, with the Cadets prevailing over the
Springers in that one, 70-68.

          On the girls side, Atlee and L. C. Bird won their semifinal games to qualify for the championship game. Atlee smothered Manchester to advance, but Bird�??s victory came through a tough win over Dominion rival Midlothian.
The Skyhawks�?? sole loss of the season had come against the Trojans two
weeks ago in district play. The girls championship game is set to start
at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Girls Consolation Bracket

John Marshall 49, St. Catherine�??s 37: Marshall Handles St. Catherine�??s

          Led behind Sabrina Treakle�??s
23 points, the John Marshall Lady Justices topped the St. Catherine
Saints, 49-37, in the second round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament on Friday.

          Marshall
set the tone from the start, scoring the first 5 points of the game.
Treakle scored 9 of her points in the first quarter, helping Marshall to a 15-9 lead. In the second quarter, John Marshall held the Saints to just 6 points to push the lead to 9, 27-18.

          The
Justices continued their dominance after the break, allowing the Saints
just 5 points while scoring 14 in the process of building a 41-23 lead
by the end of the third quarter. After a short St. Catherine�??s rally, Marshall closed out the game.

          Following Treakle in scoring for the Lady Justices were Valentina Toogood (7 points), Deja Middleton (7), Shaneka Robichaux (6), Vanity Toogood (4), and Sierra Seaborne (2).

          Maggie Anderson led the way for the Saints with 13 points. Emma Starnes also scored in double figures for the Saints with 11 points. Rounding out the scoring were Eliza Blackwell (6 points), McKenzie Jump (4), and Alison Outland (3).

          John Marshall will face Deep Run on Saturday in the tournament�??s fifth place game. St. Catherine�??s will face Hanover in the seventh place game.

Deep Run 53, Hanover 37: Run in Third Boosts Deep Run Past Hanover

          The
Deep Run Wildcats used an 11-0 run in the third quarter to help them
open up their lead, and take a 53-37 win, against the Hanover Hawks in
the second round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on
Friday.

          The first quarter was a quarter of runs, as Hanover went on an 11-0 run followed by Deep Run answering with a 7-0 run. Deep Run led 15-13 when Brittney Grove
hit a three-pointer at the end of the quarter. The second quarter was
also close as Deep Run could only extend their lead by 2 by halftime,
when they led 26-22.

          Following
the break, Deep Run showed they had come to play and extended their
lead to 11, 39-28. Deep Run continued its streak in the fourth and put
the game away.

          Deep Run was led by the tandem of Amy Turner and Natalie Fergusson, who each had 12 points. Grove also was in double figures with 10. Also scoring for the Wildcats were Pamela Champ (7 points), Sarah Price (5), Lauren Kornacki (5), and Claire Brooks (2).

          Hanover�??s scoring leader was Chelsea Cower, who put in 8 points. Also contributing to the Hawks�?? scoring were Amanda Woolard (7 points), Courtney Long (6), Tyler Brace (6), Tiquanna Hill (5), Carolyn Mack (2), Kimberly Browning (2), and Leigh Ledbetter (1).

          Deep Run will meet Colonial District rival John Marshall in the fifth place game on Saturday. Hanover will play against St. Catherine�??s in the seventh place game.

Boys Consolation Bracket

Douglas Freeman 71, Meadowbrook 68: Exciting Game Ends Well for Rebels

          Jake Eastman hit two key three pointers in the last 64 seconds and Kip Robson
nailed 2 free throws with 4 seconds left as Douglas Freeman beat
Meadowbrook, 71-68, in second round action at the Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament.

          In one of the day�??s most exciting games, Meadowbrook took the early lead at 18-16, largely due to Doug Harrison�??s sharp shooting from behind the arc. Douglas Freeman was able to tie up the game at 31 going into the half, however.

          Meadowbrook
regained the lead in the third quarter and took a three point lead
going into the last segment, 46-43. In the fourth, though, Freeman took
the lead. The two teams then went back and forth with the lead. After
Eastman�??s three pointer at 64 seconds tied up the score at 66, Justin Harper
made a short jumper to give the lead back to Meadowbrook, 68-66.
Eastman then calmly made another three pointer in the left corner
putting the Rebels up by 1. After a Monarch foul, Robson made his free
throws. Harper�??s last second attempt to tie the game and send it into
overtime fell just short.

          Eastman led the Rebel�??s with 29 points. Also in double figures were Ahyaro Phillips (14 points) and Robson (12). Contributing for the Rebels�?? were Omari Vaughan-Nelson (8), Tommy Barila (5), and Rob Love (3).

          Harper led the Monarchs with 21 points. Paul Finn, Jr. was one point behind with 20. Also scoring for Meadowbrook were Harrison (15 points), Tirahn Thorpe (5), Michael Williams (4), Andrew Simmons (2), and Ahmad Bizzell (1).

          Douglas
Freeman will play Varina in the T-DIT fifth place game on Saturday
while Meadowbrook will face Trinity for seventh place.

Varina 55, Trinity Episcopal 38: Blue Devils�?? Offense Comes Alive in Second Half

          The Varina High School
basketball team came out firing in the second half of their game with
Trinity Episcopal in the second round of the Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament. The Blue Devils scored 35 points and were
rewarded with a 55-38 victory.

          Varina
took control early, but Trinity stayed close. Varina led 13-8 after one
quarter, but Trinity trailed by only 2 at halftime, 20-18.

          Varina
took over in the second half, outscoring the Titans 19-11 in the third
to take a 39-29 lead, and then outpacing their opponents 16-9 in the
final period and extending their lead to 17 by the end of the game.

          Varina was led by Marell Evans who scored 17 points. DeAntre Rhoades (13 points) and Andre Branch (10) also scored in double figures for the Blue Devils. Also helping out were Norris Gaskins (6), JaTon Carter (4), Rocky Patterson (3), and Tony West (2).

          Trinity was led by Drew Lawson who had 17 points. Corey Pegram was also in double figures with 11. The Titans also had Jabez Wallace (4 points), Jack Fletcher (2), Paul Franklin (2), and Alex Eschenroeder (2).

          Varina
will meet up with Douglas Freeman for the fifth place game on Saturday,
while Trinity will play Meadowbrook in the seventh place game.

Girls Championship Bracket

Atlee 35, Manchester 21: Raiders Suffocate Lancers on Defense

          The Atlee Raiders held defending champion Manchester to just 21 points en route to a 35-21 victory in the second round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on Friday.

          The Raiders slowed the tempo at the beginning by taking a 7-3 lead after one quarter. By halftime, the score was only 15-8.

          The
third quarter was the most productive for the Lancers offense, as they
scored 8, but they still trailed 23-16 at the end of the quarter. Atlee
finally put it away, outscoring Manchester 12-5 in the last frame.

          The Raiders were led by Richelle Price, who had a game high 11 points. Other Raiders who scored included Sydney Henderson (8 points), Brittany Hill (6), Kristen Lescalleet (4), Michelle Gordon (3), and Lindsey Martin (3).

          The Lancers were led by Jennifer O�??Briant and Ja�??Nell Jones, each with 8 points. Manchester�??s Porche Bentley scored 5 points.

          The Raiders will play L. C. Bird in the T-DIT championship game on Saturday. The Lancers will go up against Midlothian in the third place game.

L. C. Bird 49, Midlothian 41: Skyhawks Hold Off Comeback-Minded Trojans

          Previously
unbeaten Midlothian got as close as 4 points in the fourth quarter, but
L. C. Bird held on for a 49-41 victory in the second round of the
Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament Friday. In winning, Bird gained
some good redemption for a 56-45 Dominion District loss to Midlothian in early December �?? Bird�??s sole loss of the season to date.

          Friday�??s
game scoring started off slow, although the pace of the game was faster
than the 10-8 first period score indicated. L. C. Bird then switched to
its defensive mind and only allowed the Trojans 2 more points in the
half. Bird carried a 22-10 lead into halftime.

          In the third quarter, Midlothian tried to close the gap, but the Skyhawks made it back to a 12 point difference at 35-23. L. C. Bird then dealt with Midlothian�??s fourth quarter charge and held on until the end.

          VCU bound Ebony Patterson led the Skyhawks with 21 points. Also in double figures was Ruthanne Doherty with 12. Other Skyhawks with scores included Chynna Burwell (8 points), Jalissa Taylor (3 points), Barbara Sitton (3), and Sarah Hill (2).

          The Trojans were led by the duo of Temperance Brantley and Jermile Batten, who each scored 9 points. Five other Midlo players scored, including Brooke Leonard (7 points), Rachel Mathews (7), Brittany Harris (5), Jessi Ross (2), and Rebecca Nunn (2).

          L.
C. Bird will face Atlee in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament
championship game on Saturday, while Midlothian meets another Dominion
District foe in Manchester in the third place game.

Boys Championship Bracket

Highland Springs 64, Collegiate 44: Springers Overwhelm Cougars

          Highland Springs�?? Jamar Abrams and Brandon Rozzell
propelled the Springers to an easy semifinal game against the
Collegiate Cougars on Friday night in the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament.

          Collegiate
started out strong and took the early lead at 17-14. However, the
Cougars soon fell cold and managed only one field goal and two free
throw shots in the second period. Highland Springs went into halftime
leading 28-21.

          In
the third period, the Springers kept running and they built the lead up
to 17, 47-30, at the end of the third quarter. Highland Springs
continued the pressure in the fourth and had taken a 20 point lead by
the end of the game.

          Abrams scored a game high 25 points, with Rozzell at 15 points. Tony Purnell also scored in double figures by putting in 12 points. Also scoring for Highland Springs were Ketron Anderson (5 points), Omar Briggs (4), and Jay Threatt (3).

          Collegiate�??s leading scorer was Gray Fain, who put in 11 points. Cole Hawthorne was close with 10. Also scoring for the Cougars were Scott Pickett (5 points), Jake McGee (5), Zach Jung (4), Jimmy Wiltshire (4), Russell Wilson (3), and Kevin Gottschalk (2).

          Highland
Springs will meet Benedictine in the tournament championship game on
Saturday. Collegiate will face L. C. Bird in the third place game.

Benedictine 54, L. C. Bird 51: Cadets Outlast Skyhawks

          A
fourth quarter push helped spur the Benedictine Cadets past the L. C.
Bird Skyhawks in the semifinals of the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament on Friday night.

          The
first quarter started out slowly compared to the torrid paces set by
both teams yesterday. Benedictine led 12-8 after the first quarter. The
Cadets�?? continued cold shooting benefited Bird in the second quarter,
and the Skyhawks took a surprising 22-20 lead into halftime.

          The
tension continued after the break. Benedictine was able to tie up the
game going into the fourth quarter, 32-32. The Cadets then finally took
control of the game in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks found the
chance of knocking off the Cadets just too much, too late to overcome,
and they fell short of their upset bid by just three points.

          The Cadets were led by Ed Davis, who scored 18 points. Also helping out were Kevin Estes (8 points), Bradford Burgess (7), Daniel Heppert (7), Jeff Gill (6), Joey Cantafio (4), and Liki Turner (4).

          The Skyhawks were led by Jordan Brown and Travis Keeis, who each had 11 points. Rico Fugerson also was in double digits with 10. Others Bird scorers included Kendrick McClary (9 points), Everett Jasper (8), and Scott Palimore (2).

          Benedictine
will go up against Highland Springs in the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament championship game on Saturday. L. C. Bird will meet
Collegiate in the third place game.

TIMES-DISPATCH INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT: Day One Action

By Evan Kearney

          The three-day Richmond Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament
got off to a great start Thursday at VCU�??s Siegel Center with all
sixteen teams �?? eight girls teams and eight boys teams �?? including
several of the region�??s top teams, seeing action. The top-ranked teams
tended to prevail in the first round, but the day still provided some
close games and tense moments, and plenty of good play.

GIRLS BRACKETS

Manchester 43, John Marshall 42: Trailing Throughout, Game Ends Well for Lancers

          The
opening game of the 2006 Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament was one
of the day�??s most thrilling games. After trailing John Marshall for
much of the game, Manchester�??s Jennifer O�??Briant
put the Lancers ahead with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter. Her basket
turned out to be the last score of the game and the Lancers had won the
opening game of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament, 43-42.

          Both
teams seemed to struggle with the early, 9:00 a.m. tip-off. At the end
of the first quarter, John Marshall led 7-5. In the second quarter,
both teams started waking up. The Lady Justices also opened up the game
a bit and took a 6 point lead into the half at 23-17.

          When it opened the second half with a 7-0 run, Marshall looked like it would run away with the game, but Manchester came back to close the gap down to six by the end of the period, at 38-32.

          In the fourth quarter, Manchester kept closing on John Marshall giving O�??Briant the opportunity for the go-ahead and winning shot.

          Manchester was led by Porche Bentley (15 points) and O�??Briant (14). Also scoring for the Lancers were Ja�??Nell Jones (8), Abbey Hendricks (3), and Julie Remmers (3).

          John Marshall was led by Sabrina Treakle with a game high 16 points. Deja Middleton added 10 points, while Valentina Toogood put in 8 points, and Shaneka Robichaux and Vanity Toogood had 4 points each.

          Manchester will meet Atlee in the second round of the tournament on Friday, and John Marshall will meet St. Catherine�??s.

Atlee 46, St. Catherine�??s 28: Lady Raiders Dominate Saints

          Sydney Henderson
scored 10 of her 12 points in the second quarter to help the Atlee
Raiders open up a comfortable lead on the St. Catherine�??s Saints in
first round action in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on
Thursday. The tournament-favorite Raiders went on to overpower the
Saints, 46-28.

          The Lady Raiders took an early lead of 11-6 to begin the game. With Henderson�??s help, Atlee really opened up in the second quarter, outscoring the Saints 19-6 in the period to make it 30-12 at the half.

          St. Catherine�??s cut the deficit only slightly in the third quarter, and Atlee headed into the final period in charge, 37-21.

          In the fourth quarter, many of the reserves on both sides saw playing time as Atlee coasted to victory.

          In addition to Henderson�??s 12 points, Richelle Price also was in double figures for Atlee, contributing 10 points. Kristen Lescalleet scored 8 for the Lady Raiders, and Brittany Hill and Lindsay Martin each scored 6. Michelle Gordon added 3 points and Sydney Jenkins was able to get a free throw in for 1 point.

          St. Catherine�??s was led by Maggie Anderson�??s 15 points. Emma Starnes scored 5, McKenzie Jump added 4, and Alison Outland and Stephanie Stinson each scored 2.

          Atlee next will play Manchester in the second round on Friday, while St. Catherine�??s will play John Marshall.

L. C. Bird 48, Hanover 23: Strong Defense Leads Skyhawks to Victory

          L.
C. Bird�??s defense proved to be too strong for the Hanover Hawks and
Bird cruised to victory in the first round of the Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament on Thursday, 48-23.

          The Skyhawks, one of the top girls teams in the tournament, limited Hanover to 6 or fewer points in each of the first three quarters. Hanover made it close in the first quarter, which ended with Bird up, 8-5. However, Bird�??s defense held Hanover to just 2 points in the second quarter, and Bird took an 18-7 lead into the half.

          In the third quarter, Bird extended its lead to 32-13 and continued to control the game in the fourth quarter.

          Bianca Vaughan led the Skyhawks scoring with 15 points. Ruthanne Doherty added 8 points. Jalissa Taylor and Barbara Sitton each scored 7 points. Ebony Patterson contributed 6 points and Sarah Hill rounded out the scoring with 5 points.

          Kimberly Browning led Hanover with 8 points. Chelsea Coward added 6 points, Tiquana Hill had 5 points, and Courtney Long had 4 points.

          L. C. Bird will meet Midlothian on Friday in the TDIT second round, and Hanover will play Deep Run.

Midlothian 51, Deep Run 46: Deep Run�??s Comeback Bid Against Midlothian Falls Short

          Deep Run erased a 10 point halftime deficit against Midlothian,
but the Trojans had just enough to retake the lead and hold on for a
51-46 win in the first round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational
Tournament on Thursday.

          Deep Run took the lead 40-39 with 4:45 left in the game, its first lead since leading early at 3-2, but Midlothian then went on a 12-6 run to end the game.

          Both
teams started the game shooting and looking like the quality teams they
are. Midlo led 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Trojans then
extended their lead in the second quarter and went into halftime with a
29-19 advantage.

          Deep
Run closed the gap some in the third quarter, cutting the lead down to
6 going into the fourth quarter, 36-30. The Wildcats then quickly
erased the deficit at the start of the final quarter, and captured the
lead. But the Trojans responded by bearing down, retook the lead, and
squeaked out the win.

          The Trojans were led by Rachel Matthews, who had 15 points. Following her closely were Temperance Brantley (14 points) and Brooke Leonard (13). Jermile Batten (4), Brittany Harris (3), and Jennifer Abbott (2) also contributed to the scoring.

.

          Deep Run�??s Brittney Grove led all scorers with 18 points. The Wildcats�?? Natalie Fergusson also was in double digits with 10 points. Pamela Champ (9 points), Amy Turner (7), and Lauren Kornacki (2) also scored for the Wildcats.

          Midlothian will meet Dominion District foe L. C. Bird in the second round on Friday and Deep Run will meet up with Hanover.

BOYS BRACKETS

Collegiate 60, Meadowbrook 56: Cougars Hold Off Pesky Monarchs

          Collegiate
held off Meadowbrook in the second half to secure a hard-gained, 60-56
first round win in the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on
Thursday. Meadowbrook had been the tournament�??s two-time defending
champion coming into the game.

          Both
sides came out shooting to start the game, but Collegiate�??s three point
shooting produced an early lead, 14-11. Both teams�?? shooting got even
hotter in the second quarter, with Collegiate taking a 33-26 lead into
the half.

          In
the third quarter, Meadowbrook started to close the gap, shrinking the
lead to 5 (43-38) going into the fourth period. The Monarchs came out
firing in the fourth and grabbed the lead, but Collegiate came back and
retook the lead. The flow seesawed back and forth, but Collegiate
prevailed and ended Meadowbrook�??s dreams of a tournament championship
three-peat.

          Cole Hawthorne led the Cougars with 18 points. Also scoring for Collegiate were Zach Jung (9 points), Jimmy Wiltshire (8), Russell Wilson (7), Jake McGee (7), Scott Pickett (4), and Rob Gorrell (3).

          Justin Harper led the Monarchs and all players with 20 points. Paul Finn, Jr. was right behind with 18 points. Also scoring for the Monarchs were Michael Williams (8 points), Ahmad Bizzell (4), Kwame Davis (4), and Brandian Ross (2).

          The Cougars will meet Highland Springs in the second round, while Meadowbrook will go up against Douglas Freeman.

Highland Springs 62, Douglas Freeman 54: Springers Take Care of Rebels

          The
highly regarded Highland Springs Springers took care of the Douglas
Freeman Rebels in first round Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament
action on Thursday thanks, in part, to the Springers�?? three point
shooting in the first half. Douglas Freeman came back to challenge the
Springers in the final period, but just ran out of gas.

          Both
teams shot a barrage of early three pointers, with Highland Springs
taking the early lead, 22-16. The Springers opened up the game a little
in the second quarter, building a 10 point lead by halftime, 36-26.

          Highland
Springs looked to have put the game away in the third quarter and
headed into the final period with a 51-36 lead. However, Freeman was
not done. The Rebels staged an 11-0 run to close to 51-47. But,
Freeman�??s shooters then went cold and Highland Springs held on for the
win.

          Highland Springs�?? Jamar Abrams was the game�??s top scorer, finishing with 23 points. Jay Threatt (14 points) and Brandon Rozzell (11) also were in double digits for the Springers. Tony Purnell (9), Harvey Mills (3), and Chris Hilliard (2) contributed scoring to the win.

          Jake Eastman led the Rebels with 20 points. Freeman received balanced scoring from six other Rebels, including Omari Vaughan-Nelson (9 points), Tommy Barila (6), Ahyaro Phillips (6 points), Kip Robson (6 points), Garrett Harvey (5 points), and Rob Love (2 points).

          Highland Springs will meet up with Collegiate in second round action on Friday, while Freeman will face Meadowbrook.

L. C. Bird 65, Trinity Episcopal 47: Skyhawks Coast After First Quarter

          Rico Ferguson and Jordan Brown each scored 11 points in the first quarter to pace L. C. Bird past Trinity in the first round of the Times-Dispatch Invitational Tournament on Thursday on the way to a 65-47 win.

          The
Skyhawks flew through the first quarter, taking a 26-8 lead. They then
proceeded to coast the rest of the game, leading 41-24 at halftime, and
53-34 after three quarters.

          Brown led all scorers with 24 points and Ferguson followed with 17 points. K. J. Trent (9 points), Travis Keeis (7), Kendrick McClary (5), and Everett Jasper (3) also helped L. C. Bird in the scoring.

          Corey Pegram led scoring for Trinity with 14 points. Also in double figures for the Titans were Jabez Wallace with 13 points until he fouled out in the fourth quarter, and Drew Lawson who had 11 points. Austin Chillemi (4 points), Gummi Kristjannson (3), and Alex Eschenroeder (2) also scored for Trinity.

          Tournament favorite Benedictine is up next for L. C. Bird in the second round on Friday, and Trinity will face Varina.

Benedictine 88, Varina 34: Cadets Trounce Blue Devils

          Benedictine
showed on Thursday why it is favored to win the 2006 Times-Dispatch
Invitational Tournament by destroying the Varina Blue Devils, 88-34, in
the tournament�??s opening round.

          The
Cadets made clear in the first period that they mean business,
controlling both ends of the court and taking a 24-4 lead. The second
quarter saw more of the same. Varina�??s frustration showed up in the
period when an intentional foul was called on Andre Branch. Benedictine went into the half up 46-17.

          The third quarter was even wilder as Blue Devil DeMarcus King
was ejected after a double technical foul. Benedictine continued to
open its lead, and was ahead 73-28 at the end of the quarter.

          Even when substituting freely in the fourth quarter, Benedictine continued to dominate and won the game going away.

          Benedictine scoring was led by Ed Davis, with 19 points. Daniel Heppert (13 points), Bradford Burgess (11), Liki Turner (11), and Kevin Estes (10) also scored in double figures for the Cadets.

          King led Varina with 11 points. Several other Blue Devils contributed to the scoring including DeAntre Rhoades (9 points), Marell Evans (8), Andre Branch (5), Norris Gaskins (3), Peyton Martin (2), Rocky Patterson (2), Tony West (2), and Kevin Martin (1).

          Benedictine will continue to the second round on Friday against L. C. Bird while Varina will take on Trinity.