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The Washington Post                                              Friday, February 26, 1999; Page D8

In the End, Brown Lifts Lee Boys Past Hayfield
     Lee senior Val Brown took over in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of his 21 points to help the No. 18 Lancers defeat No. 6 Hayfield, 63-58, in the Virginia AAA semifinals at the Patriot Center Thursday.

by Mitch Rubin , Special to The Washington Post
     It was deja vu for the Lee boys basketball team in last night's Virginia AAA Northern Region semifinals at Patriot Center. But this time the ending was much sweeter.
     Trailing through the first three quarters, with a berth in the state tournament on the line, senior guard Val Brown refused to let what happened two years ago happen again. He played a quarter to remember for the 4,000 spectators and led the No. 18 Lancers to a 63-58 victory over No. 6 Hayfield.
     Lee will play South Lakes, a 58-53 winner over T.C. Williams, in Saturday night's Northern Region championship game.
     With thoughts of a Hayfield shot at the buzzer for a 77-75 win two years ago, Brown scored eight of his 21 points and had three steals in the final quarter.
     "I wasn't going to let them do that to me twice in one lifetime," Brown said. "Even if we were down 50 we were going to come back."
     With Brown making just 2 of 8 field goal attempts and one free throw in the first half, and Hayfield executing perfectly on both ends of the floor, the Hawks took a 10-point lead.
     But after a halftime speech by Lee Coach Michael Harris and team captain Omar Philmore's conference with the starting five in a separate room, Brown, who finished with six rebounds, five steals and four assists, and his teammates responded.
     "I told them that we had taken their best shots and were only down 10 and that we were still in great shape," Harris said. "Once we got our legs back I knew we would be just fine."
     Lee erased the 10-point deficit in the third quarter.
     After consecutive baskets from Hayfield's Mark Stafford put his team up 56-53, Hawks point guard
     Carlos Poindexter (10 points) stole the ball from Brown. But with 2 minutes 34 seconds remaining, Brown stole the ball back and had a clear path to the basket. Poindexter grabbed Brown's ankle as he went up for the shot and was called for the intentional foul.
     Brown made the free throws, then missed a layup but Roger Jackson (10 points) rebounded and put back the shot for a 57-56 Lee lead.
     In the first game, South Lakes earned its first trip to the state tournament in six years, with its victory over T.C. Williams.
     Dustin Hellenga led the Seahawks with 17 points, seven of which came in the first quarter, as South Lakes jumped out to a 23-8 lead.
     Rick Nesbitt (19 points) led the charge as the Titans battled back from a 15-point deficit to take a 51-49 lead on a Nesbitt layup with 5:30 remaining.
     South Lakes regrouped, tying the game at 51 on a Hellenga jump shot, and took the lead for good on a Hellenga layup. Jason Burston made all three of his free throws to provide the winning margin.

© Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company

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No. 18 Lee 63, No. 7 Hayfield 58
 

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