Celebrating 40 years serving the greater Springfield community.

The Fairfax Journal                                     Wednesday, February 24, 1999

Boys Basketball
Lee continued region run
By John Keim, Journal Staff Writer
    They packed the Lee gym 30 minutes early, leaving no room for latecomers. Or even those on time. Then they never stopped cheering. The players made sure of that.
    Lee beat visiting Herndon, 67 – 54, in a Northern Region quarterfinal game last night.
    The Lancers (19-5), winners of 16 straight, advance to Thursday's semifinals to take on Hayfield. It's their third trip to the Final Four in the past four years.
    Lee senior forward Roger Jackson scored a game-high 24 points, including 122 in the fourth quarter, and grabbed 14 rebounds. He snagged 11 boards in the second half, including six offensive boards.
    "Roger was hugs," said Lee senior guard Val Brown, who added 21 points.
    Herndon (22-3) was led by junior Jason Thomas' 16 points. Senior Hunter Smith added 14, including nine in the third quarter, and senior Chuka Eze chipped in 10.
    Senior Tim Gardiner, who entered as Herndon's leading scorer, was led to five points by rotating defenders led by senior Bobby Sapp.
    Herndon made just eight of 37 field goals in the second half and never got closer than seven in the fourth quarter. Every time the Lancers needed a big basket, they got it.
    After Herndon cut a seven-point halftime lead to 36-34, Andy Jewell swished a three in transition and, 47 seconds later, Jackson scored inside off a Jewell dish for a 41-34 lead.
    Lee maintained that edge into the fourth quarter and stretched it to 11 when Jackson canned a 15-footed with 6:19 left. C.J. Vick (eight points) scored inside for a 55-42 lead with 5:19 remaining.
    Herndon flirted with a rally when Eze stuck a three-pointer that was followed by a Gardner three 34 seconds later, making the score, 55-48, with 3:58 to go. But the Lancers, whose press hurt Herndon, pulled away.
    "When you play a good team on the road," Herndon coach Gary Hall said, "you have to establish a presence early and we were never able to do that."
    "We were never able to get a handle on the game and play the way we wanted. We were always chasing, always playing catch-up. You get behind and then you get tentative.
    Even when Lee struggled, making five of 18 field goals in the thid, Herndon couldn't take a large bite out of the deficit. The Hornets trailed by seven at halftime and after three quarters.
    Lee opened an 8-2 lead, igniting the crowd of 1,200 (with at least 200 turned away) before Herndon recovered. Brown scored 14 first-half points, with nine coming on three-pointers. Thomas scored 12 first-half points, helping the Hornets stay within seven at halftime.

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