Basketball: Middleburg Academy Survives Briar Woods Boys Upset Bid, 58-56

Middleburg Academy's Nik Brown after Thursday's Win vs. Briar Woods

Please check back for a highlight package of 15 video clips from this game

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (Dec. 30, 2010) - In a rare Loudoun match-up of private vs. public Thursday night, Briar Woods High School nearly shocked talent-rich and leg-tired Middleburg Academy, with the Falcons missing two attempts to win it in the final seconds of a 58-56 loss in the finals of the Briar Woods Winter Classic.

"We have a target on our back, we are the Evil Empire, everybody wants to beat us," said Middleburg first-year coach Gary Hall, who is rebuilding the Middleburg program, formerly a region and national power when known as Notre Dame Academy, with players drawn from Loudoun and surrounding areas including a pair of transfer starters from Stone Bridge in Nik Brown and Jimmy Paige.

Historically public schools in Loudoun do not schedule Middleburg Academy, but the veteran Hall worked as an assistant in the Briar Woods girls and boys programs after leaving a long-tenure at Herndon.

"I know all these guys and love them to death but I certainly don't love them enough to lose to them," said Hall after his team -- playing its sixth game in just four days and fifth game in 55 hours -- fought back from a 45-38 fourth quarter deficit.

Briar Woods (5-6) coach Mike Benson said after the contest that his team played about as well as they could as they executed a nearly flawless gameplan, showing patience on offense and draining eight 3-pointers when left open and applying a scrappy defense to keep the taller Dragons at bay.

Junior Myles Tate led the Falcons with 17 and junior Corey Faciane and senior Curtis Calder each scored 15 for Briar Woods.

"We have to learn to close out," said a soft-spoken Tate after the contest.

Middleburg Academy (11-2) committed to the Briar Woods tournament and then agreed to step in for a team in a tournament in Fairfax this week and to take a slot in a one-day showcase tournament.

Hall admitted it would be the first and last time that his team would get overbooked -- the Dragons even pulled their starters in the second half of their win over Handley at the Briar Woods tournament Wednesday and had them leave for the other tournament while the contest was still going on -- as he called it "insane and too much."

Middleburg ended up losing to Osbourn, 60-57, in the finals of the other tournament Wednesday.

"Nobody knows about us. We want to play as many games as we can," said Hall.

Brown, who started out at Paul VI before two strong seasons at Stone Bridge, is certainly known locally and he earned the tournament MVP Thursday with a 24-point performance, including a transition basket that broke a 52-52 tie with 2:45 left and then two free throws to win the game with 54 seconds remaining after Tate had dropped a sick fallaway 3-pointer on the baseline to tie the game with a minute to go.

Tate and teammate Calder were named to the all-tournament team along with Adam Knickely of Kettle Run, Robbie Lawler of Handley and Mo Ali of Middleburg, a 6-foot-6 former South County High School player, who had 13 in the finals.

Handley defeated Kettle Run, 63-42, in the consolation game.

Middleburg's long week started with a 77-58 win over Robinson Monday followed by beating Washington Public Latin, 75-31, in the Hoop Magic Holiday Tournament and then beating previously unbeaten Hylton, 82-53, in the Glory Days Grill Tournament.

In Thursday's win, Middleburg's biggest baskets came from 6-foot-2 sophomore Drew Henry and 6-foot-2 freshman Greg Malinowski. Henry had six of his nine points in the final quarter including a key tip-in and a big 3-pointer and Malinowski's only two field goals of the contest were 3-pointers in the fourth quarter when the Dragons needed it most, bookends around a 11-2 run that put Middleburg back in the lead, 49-47 with five minutes to go.

"I found out we have a little resolve," said Hall, who was full of praise also for the Falcons and their chances in the Dulles District in the new year. ""We are the best team on their schedule. If they can beat us, they can beat anybody on their schedule."

Calder and Faciane combined for five 3-pointers in the first half as the sharp-shooting Falcons kept pace with Middleburg. While the rest of their teammates struggled, Brown and Ali kept the Dragons in the contest, combining for 21 of Middleburg's 27 points in the first half.

The Falcons looked to tie the game after Brown's free throws but after the offense went stagnant, Benson called time out just prior to a Briar Woods shot that went in but was waived off. Out of the time out, Briar Woods had a 3-pointer by Tate that just missed and then another trey blocked just before the buzzer.

In celebration, a Middleburg player was called for travelling after catching the block and 0.4 seconds was put back on the clock and BW's was given a desperation chance to win it but couldn't get a clean look.

Middleburg 58, Briar Woods 56
MA 15 12 11 20 - 58
BW 12 15 16 13 - 56

MA (11-2): Brown 9 6-8 24, Sheppard 1 0-0 2, Paige 2 0-0 4, Malinowski 2 0-0 6, Ali 6 1-1 13, Henry 3 1-2 9. Totals 23 8-11 58.
BW (5-6): Faciane 5 1-2 15, Tate 6 4-4 17, Kouame 2 2-2 6, Rolin 3 1-2 7, Calder 4 0-2 15. Totals 20 8-12 56.

3-Pointers: MA 4 (Malinowski 2, Henry 2), BW 8 (Faciane 4, Calder 3, Tate 1).

Girls Tournament
Defending VHSL Division 3 state champion Millbrook coasted past host Briar Woods, 78-40, to win the title game of the Briar Woods Winter Classic. Fauquier defeated Battlefield, 52-45, in the consolation game.

All Tournament Team:
Bri Brizzi, Fauquier
Amber Lewis, Battlefield
Brittany Gilbert, Briar Woods
Logan Ballard, Briar Woods
Aleisha Mobley, Millbrook
Tournament M.V.P. - Courtney Green, Millbrook

Millbrook advanced to the finals with an 82-18 win over Fauquier 18 and Briar Woods beat AAA Battlefield, 52-43. For the Falcons, the tournament came on the heels of a huge upset over defending Division 4 state champion Freedom prior to the break.

Briar Woods' Brittany Gilbert and Ashley Adams talk about the big win over Freedom as well as the holiday tournament after the win over Battlefield


Briar Woods girls basketball coach Dave Morris after the win over Battlefield