By Liz Keller/Scrimmageplay.com correspondent
FORK UNION – The last time Fork Union and St. Anne’s-Belfield met, the Saints rallied for an overtime win over their Prep League rival.
On Friday night, the Blue Devils made sure they didn’t let another one slip away.
Behind a strong inside game from Kion Brown and clutch free throws down the stretch from Xavier Holland, Fork Union prevailed for the 71-61 victory.
“Going into the game, we said, let’s get to that point, where we can have a chance to win and try to finish the game,” FUMA coach Matt Donohue said. “When we played STAB the last time that was our downfall. So that was a focus going in — getting to that point and once we get there, being tough and finishing it out.”
Fork Union (8-5, 6-4 Prep League) held a three-point lead at halftime but used a third-quarter surge to extend its advantage to double digits.
Brown paved the way with a pair of baskets underneath early, before Joey Alba got the hot hand. Alba (15 points, two blocks) drained a 3-pointer, then made a pair of free throws to give FUMA a 40-31 lead. The junior hit two more threes before the end of the quarter, helping to push the lead to 51-36.
On the defensive end, the Blue Devils forced the Saints to shoot from the outside and limited the visitors’ second-chance opportunities. Christian Hackenberg and Brown were also dominant on the boards.
FUMA started the fourth quarter off strong, as Brown took a nice pass from Alba up for the nifty two-hand dunk, sending the corps of cadets into a roar. Brown, a left-hander, finished with a team-high 20 points and had five rebounds and a pair of blocks.
“As the game went on, he’s so physical and strong in there, it gets hard to deny him the entire game. He’s just really effective when he gets the ball,” Donohue said of Brown. “He’s doing a better job of catching the ball and passing it out when he’s getting double teamed and pressured, and that’s really helping our offensive flow.”
Despite trailing by as many as 16 in the fourth, the Saints did not go quietly.
With 2:39 remaining, Kodie Critzer took control for STAB, scoring seven straight points to cut the lead to nine. Critzer paced the team with 20 points, while big man Jordan Davis added 16.
The Saints applied their full-court press, and it paid off. Charlie Murray got a pair of steals in the final minute and converted a couple of easy baskets as STAB continued to hang around. Murray, who scored 10 points in the final minute, then hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to seven. But FUMA got two critical defensive rebounds and hit their free throws to seal the win. The Blue Devils went 9 of 12 from the free-throw line in the final 1:11, including Holland’s 8-for-10 performance. Holland filled the stat sheet with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds.
“We got down the first time and we pressed them. And our press was much more effective [then],” STAB coach Brian Kent said. “Xavier did a much better job getting the ball down the middle of the floor. They came down and got a couple of threes in transition, a couple of dunks. You play catch up, you play catch up, and they get a big shot or a dunk and it really just takes the life out of you.”
Both teams are back in action today. STAB plays host to Cape Henry at 4 p.m., while Fork Union entertains Christchurch, who is unbeaten in the league, at 3:30 p.m.
