The George Mason High School boys basketball team defeated Clarke County High School, 43-30, in the regional semifinal.
The George Mason High School boys basketball team defeated Clarke County High School, 43-30, in the regional semifinal.
“We did really well,” said Assistant Coach Chris Madison. “We had three players in double figures,” he added, referring to the 14 points Jeremy Stewart and Nate Ogle scored, as well as the 10 points Brandon Alexander netted.
It was the fifth time the teams played each other this season, with two victories for each team before tonight’s win. The last time the two teams faced each other was at the district championship. Mason won the game, 53-44, even though Clarke had home court advantage.
For Madison, the key to this win was a strong defense from the Mustangs.
“The story of the game was defense,” Madison said. “The score was 27-19 at the half, and we came out and held Clarke County to two points in the third quarter.”
With the win, Mason advances to the regional final, which they will play in a double-header along with the Mustang girls team. They will face Dan River High School in the match at 8 p.m. The Mustangs also guaranteed their spot in the state tournament tonight, as the region A champion and runner-up play in the state quarterfinals.
The Mustangs are feeling good about the upcoming match against Dan River.
“We feel very loose, because all the pressure has been taken off,” Madison said. “Our goal all along was to get to the state tournament, and by winning tonight, it guarantees our spot. We are fairly familiar with their style of play, and we feel good about our chances, but we are just going to go out and have fun and see what happens, knowing we’ve got another game next week in the state quarters.”
If the Mustangs win the regional final, they will play the region B runner-up in the state quarterfinals. If they lose, they will play region B champions. The game will be on Friday or Saturday, March 4 or 5.
The state final four will be playing at VCU Siegel Center on Thursday, March 10, for the semifinals, and on Saturday, March 12, for the final.
