Raiders' Surge Continues

Loudoun County Wins Sixth Straight Game

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Friday, January 30, 2009

Loudoun County senior forward Rick Cottom toed the free throw line for the second of two attempts. With 6.6 seconds left in the Thursday night game and the Raiders leading visiting Potomac Falls but three points, a made shot would make it a two possession game and effectively ice the game for the home team.

But after making all eight of his free throw attempts in a 36-point eruption Friday night against Park View, Cottom was struggling. He’d made just 7 of 14 on the night, including 4 of 9 in the fourth quarter.

"I was just praying to God that I was going to make the second one," Cottom said. "Joe [Bushrod] was talking to me from the bench and made me laugh and that kind of calmed me down a little bit."

Cottom's second shot was true and the Raiders held on for a 74-70 win -– their sixth in a row.

After trailing early in the game and behind 34-33 at the half, Loudoun County (11-5, 5-4 Virginia AA Dulles) took the lead early in third quarter. They led by as many as seven following Mahir MrKonjic's three-pointer late in the period, but the Panthers closed the quarter on a 5-0 run and reclaimed the lead, 53-52, on Kevin Bartnick’s trey to start the fourth quarter.

The Raiders took control from that point with aggressive play on both ends that led to numerous trips to the free throw line and never trailed the rest of the way. In the fourth quarter alone, Loudoun County was 15 of 23 from the stripe.

"We made a boatload of free throws against Park View the other night," Loudoun County Coach Brian Blubaugh said. "We had some misses tonight and we had trouble putting it away at the end. But that one was enough. Rick made that one and it was ballgame from there."

Joe Bushrod, the Dulles District's leading scorer, was right on his average with 21 points to lead the Raiders despite being saddled with foul trouble all game. He was on the bench for crucial stretches of the second and third quarters and eventually fouled out with 1:14 left in the game.

But in his stead, the rest of the Raiders picked up the slack. Cottom had another strong night with 18 points and 10 rebounds and senior forward Tyler Larson followed up his 16-rebound performance against Park View with another 10 to go along with six important points. With Potomac Falls frantically trying to close the gap in the final minute, the backcourt duo of senior Tim McLister (18 points) and junior reserve Austin Campbell were sure-handed and made smart decisions with the basketball that helped secure the win.

"Every single team needs a supporting cast," Bushrod said. "Just look at the highest level – the Boston Celtics. They have defenders that come in and guys that just come in to rebound. I think we have people like that who really make our team stronger. We’ve got a stronger core than just me and Rick who everybody likes to point at."

Lukas Mihailovich led all scorers with 23 points, including a three-pointer that pulled the Panthers (11-5, 6-3) within 73-70 with 8 seconds left. Bartnick was the only other Potomac Falls player in double-figures with 17. The Panthers, who usually rely heavily on their outside shooting, were just 6 for 24 from long range and were outrebounded 30-26. After making 13 of 25 shots from the field in the first half, they were only 8 for 29 the rest of the way.

"As a group, we weren't sharp," Potomac Falls Coach Jeff Hawes said. "We were on and off all night. Against a good team that's starting to play better, you can't do that."

Both teams have a quick turnaround with critical home district matchups Friday night. The Panthers host Park View (7-10, 5-4) while first place Dominion (11-5, 7-1) pays a visit to Loudoun County. After starting off the district regular season 0-4, the Raiders have won five straight in the league and the Titans present yet another opportunity to claw back into the race.

"We could go on another five-game losing streak or we could win a couple more," Blubaugh said. "It's that tight. I said celebrate tonight, but we've got another big one tomorrow."

Tagged: basketball, Heritage High School, high school sports, Langley High School , Loudoun County High School, Park View High School, Potomac Falls High School, Stone Bridge High School

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