10 Best: Conference 12 Championship: LC Bird vs. Varina
In a rematch of last year’s conference championship, in which Varina pulled an upset on a neutral floor over the #1 seeded Skyhawks, these two teams played to an instant classic in front of a sell out crowd. With Varina…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIn a rematch of last year’s conference championship, in which Varina pulled an upset on a neutral floor over the #1 seeded Skyhawks, these two teams played to an instant classic in front of a sell out crowd. With Varina being designated as the location for the entire Conference 12 Tournament, the number one Skyhawks were playing as the home team in an unusual circumstance at Varina’s gym. The game was one of runs, with Bird jumping out to a quick 8-2 lead before Varina fought back to take a two point lead 11-9. The Skyhawks then ran off a 17-0 run between the end of the first and the beginning of the second, but Varina got some big buckets late and went into halftime trailing 37-26.
The Blue Devils came out aggressive in the third quarter, making an exerted effort to get First Team All Conference big man Kenneth Southerland involved more. They continually chipped at the lead, and a few defensive stops and Bird mishaps had the game down to five with just over two minutes left.
The next two minutes were insane on both ends. Bird was up two with less than 20 seconds left when they missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Blue Devils went to their leader Southerland who attacked and the ball was knocked away. Southerland and two Skyhawks pursued the basketball out of bounds, with neither referee knowing who hit it last. The Blue Devils retained position, and 2017 Zion Ross made a spinning finish with 4.5 seconds left to tie the game at 58-58.
The Skyhawks took a timeout and called up a play. Point guard Pinky Wiley was trapped in the backcourt and threw it ahead to fellow senior Mario Haskett who caught it, pump faked and let it go. He made it, but confusion whether or not he let it go in time ensued. The refs eventually called the bucket good, and the Skyhawks avenged their loss last year winning 61-58, and were named Conference 12 Champions.
Here’s some more details on the thriller.
MVP | Johquin “Pinky” Wiley | LC Bird ’17
Wiley’s 10 points and 8 assists on the game were impressive, but his poise and ability to control the tempo of the game was the single biggest reason the Skyhawks were able to win it late. He consistently made plays on both ends of the floor to help his teammates, and it’s even better when your team leader and floor general is also the first one to get on the floor for every loose ball or makes a heads up play to keep a possession alive. The Conference 12 Player of the Year proved his worth in this one.
Play of the Game
Whether it should have counted or not, Haskett’s shot has to be the play of the game. Although LC Bird blew a double digit lead, Haskett showed again that he has no problem when it comes to taking big shots in big games. Not to be forgotten, the pass by Pinky Wiley was a great play as well. Here’s a look at the shot, and the pandemonium afterwards that I got caught up in!
Best Offensive Performer | Kenneth Southerland | Varina ‘17
The Skyhawks did a good job limiting Southerland’s touches in the first half, holding him to just four points. However, Varina made adjustments, and at the same time Southerland decided to go get it himself. He scored a game high 18 points and pulled in 8 rebounds on the night, and was the main reason Varina was able to cut such a big deficit.
Best Defensive Performer | Mario Haskett | LC Bird ’17
Haskett not only guards the best perimeter player on the other team for most of the game, he’s able to switch based on the lineup Bird puts out there whether they go big or small. He’s also a playmaker defensively, making big plays in big situations on the defensive end too. Throughout Varina’s comeback, he made deflections, pressured the ball and got big steals to keep Bird moving in a positive direction.
Best Guy off the Bench | Jyles Webster | LC Bird ’17
Every time we’ve done a Top 10 on a Bird game he has won this award, and it’s probably because he’s one of the most important bench players in the state. The Concord commit brings experience and a blue collar mentality to the Skyhawks off the bench, and is often an immediate impact when he comes in the game. He also finishes most games. He finished with 12 points and six rebounds in the win.
Best Intangibles | Cam Henry | LC Bird ’17
We talked about Haskett being able to guard multiple positions, Henry also does that while playing almost every position offensively. When they go small he plays the four in a four guard set, but he also will bring the ball up and they’ll put the ball in his hands to make plays for himself and for others. He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Zion Ross | Varina ‘17
It’s easy to forget about him because Varina has a lot of talent, but the 5’10” senior made some big contributions throughout the game, including hitting the tying layup with less than five seconds left. Ross made good decisions throughout the game, and was important as the secondary ball handler as Bird seemed determined to get it out of senior point guard Andre Watkins hands. Ross finished with eight points and seven assists.
Best Underclassman | Tyrese Jenkins | Varina ’19
Jenkins looks like a completely different player now than he did at the beginning of his sophomore year. He’s an impressive prospect because of his big 6’6” frame and his ability to knock down shots from deep. However, as the season has gone on he’s stopped settling for just roaming around the three point line, and he’s been much more aggressive and confident within the offense. He finished with 13 points and six rebounds.
Best Celebration
I think I can confidently say that was a journalistic first for me, getting caught up inadvertently in the celebration of a game winning shot. Haskett claimed that he “blacked out for a minute,” but I’m just thankful they let me get out before they tackled me to the ground! Can’t blame them though, it’s one of those feelings you can’t control.
Best Story to Watch Moving Forward
What’s crazy about this is that both teams could meet just two games from now in the second round of Regionals if they both win. Bird will play Conference 11 runner up Mills Godwin, while Varina will face Conference 11 Champion Hermitage. It will be interesting to see how these teams will match up after such a classic when there’s much more at stake this time.