Boys Basketball: Christmas Cracker! Broad Run Explodes Past Park View

By Carl Lukat
Loudoun Times-Mirror Sports Editor

Ashburn (Dec. 23, 2010) - An explosive 46-8 surge over an 11-minute span of the second and third quarters was more than enough to lift Broad Run High School to an 83-43 victory over Park View in an AA Dulles District boys' basketball contest Wednesday night.

The Spartans outscored the Patriots 14-0 during the final three-plus minutes of the first half to turn a 29-29 tie into a 43-29 advantage. Sophomore Nigel Johnson took over from there, scoring 17 of his game-high 30 points in the third quarter to help extend Broad Run's lead to 38.

"We were almost unstoppable for a four-minute stretch," Spartans coach John Costello said. "I think we had 17 straight points. That's too tough to overcome. That's the best four-minute stretch we've played all year."

Broad Run (3-1 in district play, 6-1 overall) concluded a challenging three-game stretch that included a road win at Briar Woods and a home loss to defending AA state champion Potomac Falls. The Spartans moved into sole possession of second place in the Dulles following Wednesday's win.

"I'm pleased," Costello responded about how he felt his team performed during those three games. "I would have loved to have beaten Potomac Falls. We had the lead and didn't finish. But we'll get back. We'll see them again."

Nigel Johnson drained five 3-pointers in the win, including four in the third quarter. Johnson sat out the fourth quarter with the Spartans in command.

"He's dynamic. He's a young sophomore who can just fill it," Costello said of his 5-foot-11 guard. "There are shooters and scorers, and he's a scorer."

Senior Taylor Johnson scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half, and pulled down 12 rebounds. Overall, 11 different Spartans scored in the game.

Park View (3-2, 6-2) saw its five-game winning streak come to an end. Sophomore Cody Horvath led the Patriots with 14 points, and junior Dante Absher added 13.


Broad Run 83, Park View 43
PV: Horvath 14, Absher 13, McCarter 8, Grapes 4, Jackson 4
BR: N. Johnson 30, T. Johnson 17, Rawson 8, DeWitt 7, Hiatt 5, Diaz 4, McNamee 4, Anderson 2, Giltner 2, Gooch 2, Jasper 2
Halftime: Broad Run 43-29
3-pointers: PV 3 (Absher 3); BR 5 (N. Johnson 5)
Free throws: PV (0 of 3); BR (16 of 20)

Carl Lukat is the Loudoun Times-Mirror Sports editor where he has been covering local sports since 1938 (OK, maybe not that long ... but you get the point!) ... Visit their website to get more of his great coverage and tell him VivaLoudoun sent ya!