Boys Hoops: Potomac Falls 70, Park View 61

 

Sterling (Jan. 31, 2009) – Figuring out the new Region II divisional basketball playoff structure is a bit like solving a Rubik’s Cube, but one thing for sure is that with the season heading into its final twists and turns, every game is vitally important for those teams trying to solve their postseason puzzle.

Potomac Falls (7-3 in district, 12-5 overall) not only firmed up their postseason resume with a 70-61 win over Park View (5-5, 7-10) Friday night, but the Panthers kept their AA Dulles District title hopes alive as they remained 1.5 games back of leader Dominion (8-1, 12-5), a 57-42 winner over Loudoun County (5-5, 11-6) on Friday. Potomac Falls is a half game ahed of third place Broad Run (6-3, 14-3) which defeated Heritage (3-7, 3-15), 69-56. In the other Dulles match-up, Freedom avenged an earlier loss against rival Briar Woods with a 51-37 win. Both teams are now 2-7 in district.

Kevin Bartnick and Lukas Mihailovich combined for 40 points in the victory for Potomac Falls with Gregory Graves (11 points) and Greg Woodlief (10 points) also hitting double figures. Marcus Freeman led Park View with 19 points but 10 of that came in the first quarter. Donnie Royer had a career night for the Patriots, for the second straight night, matching a career-best 16 points he had scored the night before in a win at Heritage.

The Panthers, after a lengthy layoff, struggled Thursday night in a loss in Leesburg to Loudoun County, on Friday Potomac Falls came out and took the lead from the start as Woodlief, a target of the Park View Nation fan section, quieted the visitors by getting fouled on a 3-point attempt just 10 seconds into the contest. Woodlief calmly sank all three free throws and Park View would never lead in the contest.

On the next trip down the floor, Graves, a lanky freshman, went strong to the offensive boards and was fouled. He made the free throw for the three-point play to make it 6-0. The Panthers had a huge advantage at the foul line in the conteset, making 21 of 22 free throws at one point and finishing the game 22 of 28. Park View, on the other hand, went to the line just nine times and was a cringe-inducing 2 of 9 from the line.

While Freeman and Royer, along with Jordan Owens and Josh Jones, did their best to keep Park View close, the Patriots did not have the depth of the Panthers which got quality minutes from their bench.

Despite slipping behind by 10 points at 18-8 in the first quarter, Park View was able to slice the lead to two points several times in the second quarter but every time it was Bartnick or Mihailovich or Woodlief with a big play on the other end to keep PF ahead. One time it was Bartnick on the layin after a steal in the fullcourt pressure and another time it was Mihailovich slicing to the basket and getting a friendly roll and another time it was Woodlief getting to the foul line by beating the PV defense off the dribble.

It appeared the game would be tight at the half but PV let down in the final minute of the half and Tarrell Owens hit a pull-up jumper and Bartnick made back-to-back layins, one with 15 seconds to go and another with 2.8 seconds, to give PF a 38-29 halftime margin.

Park View’s best chance to take the lead came early in the second half as the Pats went on a 8-0 run with Jones the catalyst, finishing a steal with a layin, feeding Kenny Smith after another steal and then Jordan Owens drove to the basket for two points and Freeman, on a nice pass from Jones, made it 38-37 PF. Woodlief had the answer with an off-balanced effort in the paint that found net and then Bartnick hit one of his three 3-pointers to make it 43-37.

Smith cut it back to four points with a short jumper but Graves went to the line for two points and Milhailovich fed Bartnick to make it 47-38. Park View wouldn’t get closer than five points the rest of the way.