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O'Meara's coaching helps in upset
It won’t show up on any stat sheet but, with his team clinging to a late lead against undefeated James Monroe, Highland girls basketball coach Donald O’Meara made two of the game’s biggest “plays” — with a little help from North Carolina’s Roy Williams.
O’Meara used two timeouts in the final minute to prevent a pair of potentially disastrous Highland turnovers. Thanks to their coach’s quick thinking, the Hawks held on for a 50-47 shocker over Group AA's No. 6-ranked team.
“I’m laying in bed (Sunday) watching the Carolina game and the announcer said ‘Dean Smith would have been proud of Roy (Williams) because he saved timeouts at the end,’” recalled O’Meara, who is, ironically, a self-proclaimed Duke diehard. “So early in the game, I hesitated on taking timeouts because I wanted them at the end. I felt like this game would come down to the end.”
James Monroe forward Connie Harrison-Lewis hit two free throws with 1:45 left, making the score 48-47 Highland. The Hawks (18-7 overall) then proceeded to kill the remaining seconds with some impressive ball control.
The first of O’Meara’s game savers came at the 56-second mark. With point guard Hannah Safren about to be whistled for a five-second violation near midcourt, O’Meara jumped in with the T.O.
Thirty seconds later, a scramble after a Highland free throw miss left Hawk junior Shendi Josephs with the ball. Just a split millisecond before she threw a desperation pass into a crowd of players, O’Meara leapt the rescue again.
“I told the girls before, ‘Not only do you have to play well, I’ve got to coach my butt off,’” O’Meara said.
Following that last timeout, Monroe (17-1) fouled junior Ella Miller, who calmly drained two free throws.
The visiting Yellow Jackets had a chance to tie in the final second, but a long 3-point attempt by Bilnita Armstead banged off the rim, securing a huge statement victory for the Hawks.
“This game, we wanted it so much,” junior Denae Davis said. “I think we deserved it.”
Davis played a crucial role in Highland’s 10th consecutive win. Monroe held Davis to nine points in a 54-48 win over the Hawks back in early December.
The Highland star got the best of the battle this time, though. Davis had 22 points — all in the first three quarters — and eight rebounds to pace the Hawks. “The team rallies around her,” O’Meara said.
She received some help late from Safren, who had two crucial driving layups down the stretch. Culpeper transfer Shendi Josephs helped as well.
When Hawk forward Erin Whitney fell into foul trouble, O’Meara turned to Josephs and she responded with eight points, six rebounds and several hustle plays. “(Whitney) had a lot of big rebounds, so somebody had to take some of that,” Josephs said. “We wanted it bad.”
The win should open some eyes around the state. Monroe, a Group AA public school team, entered Monday at 17-0 and ranked in the top ten. But Highland did what teams like North Stafford, Colonial Forge, Culpeper and Spotsylvania could not: Handed the Yellow Jackets a defeat.
“They’re a good basketball team, a special basketball team, I expect them to go far,” Monroe coach Julian Bumbrey said after consoling his distraught team. “They’re well coached and very disciplined, they move the ball and make shots.”
Highland made just enough shots — and kept just enough timeouts in the bag — to pull out an exciting victory on Monday.
“I wouldn’t say that I won it coaching,” said O’Meara, whose team remained unbeaten at home this year, “but those timeouts really saved us.”
Thanks, Roy.
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