Miller coach Danny Manuel lost sleep over his squad’s last state playoff game, when the Mavericks fell in overtime after initially appearing to win the contest in regulation over St. Anne’s-Belfield. So when Miller was up by just a few points in the third to a Walsingham team that upset those same Saints just the day before, you can’t blame him or his young team for being just a little bit nervous.
But after a bit of a struggle going into the third quarter, the Mavericks, despite their youth, showed the poise of a veteran squad by getting their house in order and playing to their full potential to transform a close game into a lopsided 80-43 win in the VISAA Division 2 state quarterfinals.
“(Our last state tournament game) was like literally 364 days ago and I had so many sleepless nights afterwards, gained 17 pounds,” Manuel said. “So it feels good to not leave (this game) in anybody else’s hands and take care of business on our own.”
For perspective into just how strange things were, it was 33-30 in the third quarter before the Mavericks raced out to a 47-13 finish — making this almost a game within a game. Miller rained fire from the arc as they knocked down 13 shots from outside, with Brent Rice, Aundre Hyatt, Jaylen Reed and Teemu Tumanoff each hitting at least a pair of threes. That allowed the Mavericks to quickly take a 34-27 before heading into the fourth up 47-30.
“I think once we started to get up, they had to play us with and that’s where things got out of hand,” Manuel said.
With Rice and Reed sniping from outside and then DaeDae Heard — who seprated his shoulder on Saturday but still played against the Trojans — getting things done in the key, Miller just flew by Walsingham. The Mavericks went up 50-30 early in the final frame and lead 65-38 shortly thereafter. With the game out of reach, Miller was able to finish the game with its bench.
“We just had to play to our strengths, sharing the ball and making open shots,” Heard said. “When Aundre starts hitting, I start hitting, everyone else starts hitting, we all just wind up having a good game.”
On the night, Heard led with 16 points. Hyatt had 15 points on four three pointers. Rice had 15 points and hit a trio of trey’s. Reed finished with 11 points. Tumanoff had 10 points. Leak chipped in eight points.
Miller advances to the state final four for the first time since 2010, and will play Virginia Academy at Virginia State University on Friday at 5:15 p.m. The Mavericks last won a state title in 2009.
“We’re just trying to get a ring this year to pave the way for the years coming up,” Heard said. “We just have to keep sharing the ball and play as a team.”
