Boys Basketball: Spartans Secure Early Lead Against Pride and Never Look Back in Opener

By Owen Gotimer
Heritage High School student journalist

Leesburg (Dec. 3, 2010) - The Broad Run High School boys basketball team opened its 2010-11 season on a 21-0 run and went on to beat Heritage, 74-63, in the opener of the Loudoun County Boys Tipoff Tournament.

Not only did Broad Run outscore the Pride in the first quarter, 30-10, but Spartan sophomore Nigel Johnson dropped 13 of his 31 in the first, single-handedly beating Heritage in the opening period. Most of the Spartan points came off of Pride turnovers, which allowed Broad Run to go on a 21-0 run to start the game.

Midway through the first quarter Heritage pulled all five of its starters, and the Pride bench came in and held Broad Run to only four points to end the quarter.

The second quarter started with both Heritage and Broad Run primarily fielding bench players. In a more evenly contested quarter, with both the Pride and Spartans scoring 17, Heritage juniors Junaid Karim and Corey Gray, off the bench, controlled the offensive flow for Heritage.

Still, Heritage had no cure for the sharp shooting Johnson -- who played at Paul VI last season, who put up an additional nine points in the second, leading Broad Run into the locker room up 47-27.

As the third quarter began, there was no surprise that Heritage once again started largely bench players, who had proven to be better organized against the Spartans. The quarter was once again evenly played, and the Pride got support from junior starter Austin Nelson, who had reentered halfway through the 3rd, and junior Eric Counts who racked up multiple steals, points, and rebounds to keep the Pride somewhat in the game, going into the 4th, 63-41.

The show in the fourth quarter was a change of tempo, as Heritage’s sophomore twin brothers, Erik and Bryan Launi, took over. Both Launi brother’s shot over 50 percent from the field and combined for 21 points. Erik scored the Pride’s final 10 and grabbed six rebounds in the fourth, drawing the Pride back into a game they once trailed 21-0. Yet, Johnson and his fellow Spartans continued to poor on the points and defeated the Pride 74-63.

Broad Run Scoring
Nigel Johnson – 31 points
Taylor Johnson – 16 points
Zach Rawson – 8 points
Eric Hiatt – 7 points
Michael Ellington – 5 points
Ryan McNamee – 4 points
Tyler Jasper – 2 points
Markas Anderson – 1 point

Heritage Stats
Bryan Launi – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 for 6 from the field
Erik Launi – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 6 for 11 from the field, 3 of 4 from the line
Courtland Arbogast – 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist
Corey Gray – 2 points, 1 steal, 1 assist
Owen Patterson – 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 assist
Austin Nelson – 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 4 assists
Eric Counts – 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 for 6 from the field, 1 assist
Joe Cavan – 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Dion Swanson – 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist
Junaid Karim – 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 assist
Aaron Summers – 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 assist
Totals – 63 points, 33 rebounds, 14 steals, 7 blocks, 43% FG, 73% FT, 11 assists