:quality(70)/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YQWK62ZHGVGKBJNE4LOAQZZ4AY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/424WBVK2ARFV3FKDFBIQ5XNICM.jpg)
NORFOLK — It was apparent from the start, one team was ready to play for a region championship and the other wasn’t.
Woodside (20-5) blitzed Maury from the very beginning and cruised to a 56-41 victory in the Class 5 Region B boys basketball championship game Tuesday at Scope.
The Wolverines opened the game with a 13-2 run, while controlling the tempo and forcing turnovers on defense.
“We pride ourselves on playing good, solid defense and playing every possession,” Woodside coach Stefan Welsh said. “Our standard assignment is not beating ourselves, and tonight we did that for long stretches.
“There were a couple of breakdowns here and there, but for the most part I thought we played a complete game defensively.”
The Commodores (19-5) trailed 15-4 after the first quarter. Their struggles continued as Woodside closed the first half with an 8-0 run and stretched the lead to 30-12.
Today's Top Stories
Maury coach Brandon Plummer said his team lacked the intensity the Commodores had shown during the postseason.
“They didn’t come in with the same mindset we’ve been having for the last couple games — win or go home,” Plummer said. “They came in with the attitude that if we lose, we go to the next game, and I don’t play that mindset. We’re not losers and we’re not going to think like losers either.”
The Commodores rallied at the start of the second half, coming out with greater intensity and urgency. Maury attacked the basket and it paid off with an 8-0 run, cutting the deficit to 32-20. Woodside’s Jermaine Detrick hit a 3-pointer to stop the run and Travis Hamilton added two more 3-pointers as the Wolverines started hitting from the outside, pushing the lead to 45-26 and taking control.
Trevor Smith and Silas Barksdale both had 12 points to lead Woodside.
“The good thing about this team is that we have so much balance,” Welsh said. “This year we’ve had seven or eight guys go for 25 points. Any given night, it could be any guy.”
Casey Jones led Maury with 13 points.
In the state quarterfinals, Woodside will play Region A runner-up Princess Anne, while Maury will face Region A champion Green Run.