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Eagles' regular-season title dreams go up in flames
The Liberty boys basketball team's shot at a regular season district title ended emphatically on Friday night with an 81-46 loss to Osbourn Park at Fauquier.LHS, OP and Culpeper all completed the Cedar Run schedule tied at 10-4, so a two-game playoff was added to decide a champion. OP followed up its Friday flailing with a 67-60 win over Culpeper on Saturday to take the Cedar Run and an automatic regional playoff berth.
Liberty knocked off Battlefield last Thursday to force Friday's contest. But, playing without injured center Stefawn Ross, the Eagles had no gas left in the tank.
“They feel bad, competitors are going to feel bad,” LHS coach Pat Frazer said after Friday's defeat. “When you don't lose a lot, the losses really hurt.”
Minus Ross, Frazer slid junior Johnny Nettles into the starting lineup, leaving the Eagles undersized. Even so, Liberty stayed within 17-14 after one quarter and 36-26 at the half.
Eventually, though, OP's size advantage took total control. The Yellow Jackets hauled down 16 offensive rebounds and completely eliminated Liberty's low post offense.
“This was a game that we had to have,” OP coach Bob Lake said. “We knew we were going to go inside regardless.”
While Liberty tried to stop the bleeding down low, the Yellow Jackets guards excelled in transition.
Marcus Brooks and Wynton Ola' Dehinbo combined for 26 points while beefy 6'0” Calvin Croskey tossed in 17 points and grabbed seven boards.
Maybe of those fast break buckets came late, when OP turned a 53-41 lead following the third quarter into the 35-point rout.
“It obviously got out of hand,” said Frazer, whose team managed just five fourth-quarter points. “We've got to score.”
OP led the Cedar Run race for much of the regular season. The Yellow Jackets slipped into the three-way tie with Culpeper and Liberty only after a loss at Culpeper on Thursday night.
Liberty, meanwhile, forged into the tiebreaker with its frantic come-from-behind win over Battlefield.
Whether Ross's injury was to blame or not, it was clear which of the two teams had more energy on Friday night.
“I think that they took the attitude that we have to...not go through the motions,” Lake said. “The attitude was that we've got to take it.”
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