Boys Basketball: Potomac Falls Returns the Favor and Ends Osbourn's Unbeaten Run

Potomac Falls junior on the big win Saturday over Osbourn

By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun Editor

Sterling (Jan. 16, 2011) - A week after Osbourn High School ended Potomac Falls dream of an undefeated season, the Panthers returned the favor by ending the Eagles unbeaten run with a 67-57 non-district boys basketball win at home Saturday night.

Potomac Falls senior Lukas Mihailovich, held to a season-low nine points in the 80-67 loss in Manassas on Jan. 8, scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the third quarter as the Panthers protected their three-point halftime lead.

"After last week it was just a bitter taste and we kep that with us all week," said Mihailovich. "We definitely didn't want to play a team twice and lose to them both times ... I didn't want them to lose to anybody else. I wanted us to be the team to give them their first loss, just like they did to us."

Potomac Falls seniors Brendon Chesson and Lukas Mihailovich postgame


Potomac Falls (14-1) pulled away gradually in the final quarter with senior Brendon Chesson scoring 10 of his 14 points and junior Greg Graves chipping in for six points on the way to 14 as well.

"We have been a little bit in third gear (most of the season) but tonight we shifted it into fifth gear," said Potomac Falls coach Jeff Hawes.

The 6-foot-7 Graves scored eight points in the first half as he kept the Eagles 6-foot-11 junior Isaac Freeman at bay and the scrappy Panther guards used a rebounding-by-committee approach to out-rebound Osbourn. The Panthers made several adjustments since the first loss to the Eagles, including playing most of the night in an aggressive 2-3 zone defense as Potomac Falls looked like a high school version of Syracuse's patent zone defense under Jim Boeheim.

"I must have been channelling my inner Jim Boheim," said Hawes. "That is the most 2-3 zone I have ever played in 23 years of coaching. The kids worked their tails off in it."

Freeman, in foul trouble early, finished with 10 while Robert Carter led the Eagles with 19 and Jay Carter scored 10 as well for Osbourn.

"The Potomac Falls kids played hard, it was a good battle and for the second time in a week it was a playoff envirnoment," said Osbourn coach Mike Dufrene.

Backed by a hyped-up student section, the Panthers led from the start and trailed only briefly, just before half by a point, before a 4-0 run in the final minute before the break gave the Panthers a 30-27 cushion.

Potomac Falls student section was in playoff mode Saturday


Mihailovich, who led Potomac Falls to the VHSL Division 4 state title last season, set the tone in the opening seconds of the second half with a steal and breakaway layin. Osbourn, horrible from the foul line on the night as they missed 13 of 18 attempts, missed two free throws seconds later and when the rebound kicked to Mihailovich, he again took it the length of the court for a driving layin.

Osbourn closed to within two points late in the third quarter at 44-42 on a rainbow 3-pointer by Carter from the baseline but Mickey Waggenhoffer hit a jumper for the Panthers and Mihailovich scored another transition basket. A buzzer beater by Osbourn's Cedric Delaney made it 48-44 going into the final quarter.

The Eagles bottled up Mihailovich in the final quarter but that left Chesson free to do his thing and sliced his way to the basket for two early scores and his pull-up kiss off the glass with 3:55 to go gave the Panthers a 56-47 lead.

Osburn was forced to foul down the stretch and Potomac Falls was good enough from the line to hand the Eagles their first loss of the year.

Potomac Falls 67, Osbourn 57
O - 9 18 17 13 - 57
PF - 11 19 18 19 - 67
Osbourn (13-1): Robert Carter 8 0-3 19, Jay Lane 4 0-2 10, Isaac Freeman 4 2-6 10, Lucky Whitehead 3 1-1 8, Corey Bedford 2 0-0 4, Landon Dufrene 1 1-2 3, Cedric Delaney 1 0-0 2, Jahaan Roberson 0 1-4. Totals 23 5-18 57.
Potomac Falls (14-1): Lukas Mihailovich 5 8-11 1, Brendon Chesson 5 4-4 14, Greg Graves 6 2-4 14, Alex Kress 3 0-1 6, Matt Hoover 1 2-2 4, Zack Curran 1 2-2 4, Pete Simoneau 1 1-3 4, Mickey Wagenhoffer 1 0-0 2, Zach Hobby 0 0-1 0. Totals 23 19-28 67
3-Pointers: Osbourn 6 (Carter 3, Lane 2, Whitehead 1), Potomac Falls 2 (Milhailovich, Simoneau).