Streaks Score 101
Kardos, Harrisonburg Down Amherst 101-93
Posted: January 25, 2013
HARRISONBURG — After Thursday night, the Harrisonburg High School boys’ basketball team agreed: Its feels really good to hit triple digits.
The Blue Streaks topped Amherst 101-93 in non-district game played at a break-neck pace, and it was marked by a handful of momentum shifts and fast-break points.
“That might be my first time scoring over 100 points in 19 years,” joked HHS coach Scott Joyner (a self-proclaimed defensive coach), who admitted to hitting the century-mark a few times as a coach in the 2000 season.
Seth Kardos led HHS (7-10) with 31 points, and Brian Rodriguez added 23. Damien Sampson scored 20. Rodriguez helped the Streaks preserve the lead late, going 6-for-6 at the foul line in the final minutes (perfect on all eight free throws for the game).
“Yesterday, we had a free-throw competition, and actually I lost to Seth, but I’ve always had confidence in my free-throw shooting and my teammates do, too,” Rodriguez said. “It was my first game playing point guard this season, so it was a lot of fun to put up that many points.”
HHS jumped out to a quick 15-point lead after the first quarter, with Rodriguez hitting a 3-pointer in the last five seconds and then coming up with a steal and layup right before the buzzer to make it 28-13.
Harrisonburg got sloppy in the second quarter, turning the ball over nine times (to just three in the first) and, after an 11-2 Lancers late run, led by just three at the half.
“The guys played so hard, and we were down big after the first quarter and could have easily folded, but I loved how we’ve begun to overcome adversity and not get so down about it during the course of the game,” said Amherst coach Segar Jordan, a former Bridgewater College player.
From there, the Streaks turned to Kardos to do what he does best: get to the rim.
“We’ve never scored that many points before, but it definitely felt good to get a win and get things turned around since we haven’t been playing so good lately,” Kardos said. “We just wanted to keep attacking them because we knew they weren’t that deep.”
Said Joyner: “Seth stepped up defensively with some big-steals and he’s just money getting to the rim. He’s such a quiet kid, where, with the guards getting pressured, they don’t see him as much. You just have to know where your bread’s buttered.”
Amherst cut the lead to 64-63 in the third quarter, but HHS reeled off nine straight points, including a four-point play from Sampson to lead by 10 after three quarters.
“It was just a good shot,” Sampson said. “Basically, I take the same approach with my shots, and if they foul me, they foul me.”
Said Joyner: “Damien is one of those clutch players. Some kids have it, some kids don’t.”
Amherst’s interior tandem of Mike Bond and Kahlil McCoy combined for 51 points. The bulky forwards forced Joyner to play faster than usual. Will Keesee added 24, including five 3-pointers, for ACHS.
“I’ve always been undersized my whole career as a coach, and I tried to create a tempo to take their bigs out of positions where they could dominate us,” Joyner said. “Those guys down low they had were athletic as well as big.”
AMHERST COUNTY
Christian 5 0-0 10, Keesee 8 3-4 24, Bond 13 5-6 31, McCoy 8 2-3 20, Franklin 1 2-3 4, Goldman 1 0-0 2, Kyle 0 2-2 2. Totals 36 14-18 93.
HARRISONBURG
Rodriguez 7 8-8 23, Kardos 12 6-8 31, Alford 3 2-2 8, Sampson 7 2-4 20, Whitelow 4 0-0 8, Phillips 1 0-0 2, Shifflett 3 2-2 9. Totals 37 20-24 101.
Amherst County 13 28 24 28 — 93
Harrisonburg 28 16 31 26 — 101
3-Point Goals—Amherst 7 (Keesee 5, McCoy 2), HHS 7 (Sampson 4, Rodriguez, Kardos, Shifflett). Total Fouls—Amherst 19, HHS 18. Fouled Out-Alford. Rebounds-Amherst 19 (McCoy 8), HHS 23 (Whitelow 7).
The Blue Streaks topped Amherst 101-93 in non-district game played at a break-neck pace, and it was marked by a handful of momentum shifts and fast-break points.
“That might be my first time scoring over 100 points in 19 years,” joked HHS coach Scott Joyner (a self-proclaimed defensive coach), who admitted to hitting the century-mark a few times as a coach in the 2000 season.
Seth Kardos led HHS (7-10) with 31 points, and Brian Rodriguez added 23. Damien Sampson scored 20. Rodriguez helped the Streaks preserve the lead late, going 6-for-6 at the foul line in the final minutes (perfect on all eight free throws for the game).
“Yesterday, we had a free-throw competition, and actually I lost to Seth, but I’ve always had confidence in my free-throw shooting and my teammates do, too,” Rodriguez said. “It was my first game playing point guard this season, so it was a lot of fun to put up that many points.”
HHS jumped out to a quick 15-point lead after the first quarter, with Rodriguez hitting a 3-pointer in the last five seconds and then coming up with a steal and layup right before the buzzer to make it 28-13.
Harrisonburg got sloppy in the second quarter, turning the ball over nine times (to just three in the first) and, after an 11-2 Lancers late run, led by just three at the half.
“The guys played so hard, and we were down big after the first quarter and could have easily folded, but I loved how we’ve begun to overcome adversity and not get so down about it during the course of the game,” said Amherst coach Segar Jordan, a former Bridgewater College player.
From there, the Streaks turned to Kardos to do what he does best: get to the rim.
“We’ve never scored that many points before, but it definitely felt good to get a win and get things turned around since we haven’t been playing so good lately,” Kardos said. “We just wanted to keep attacking them because we knew they weren’t that deep.”
Said Joyner: “Seth stepped up defensively with some big-steals and he’s just money getting to the rim. He’s such a quiet kid, where, with the guards getting pressured, they don’t see him as much. You just have to know where your bread’s buttered.”
Amherst cut the lead to 64-63 in the third quarter, but HHS reeled off nine straight points, including a four-point play from Sampson to lead by 10 after three quarters.
“It was just a good shot,” Sampson said. “Basically, I take the same approach with my shots, and if they foul me, they foul me.”
Said Joyner: “Damien is one of those clutch players. Some kids have it, some kids don’t.”
Amherst’s interior tandem of Mike Bond and Kahlil McCoy combined for 51 points. The bulky forwards forced Joyner to play faster than usual. Will Keesee added 24, including five 3-pointers, for ACHS.
“I’ve always been undersized my whole career as a coach, and I tried to create a tempo to take their bigs out of positions where they could dominate us,” Joyner said. “Those guys down low they had were athletic as well as big.”
AMHERST COUNTY
Christian 5 0-0 10, Keesee 8 3-4 24, Bond 13 5-6 31, McCoy 8 2-3 20, Franklin 1 2-3 4, Goldman 1 0-0 2, Kyle 0 2-2 2. Totals 36 14-18 93.
HARRISONBURG
Rodriguez 7 8-8 23, Kardos 12 6-8 31, Alford 3 2-2 8, Sampson 7 2-4 20, Whitelow 4 0-0 8, Phillips 1 0-0 2, Shifflett 3 2-2 9. Totals 37 20-24 101.
Amherst County 13 28 24 28 — 93
Harrisonburg 28 16 31 26 — 101
3-Point Goals—Amherst 7 (Keesee 5, McCoy 2), HHS 7 (Sampson 4, Rodriguez, Kardos, Shifflett). Total Fouls—Amherst 19, HHS 18. Fouled Out-Alford. Rebounds-Amherst 19 (McCoy 8), HHS 23 (Whitelow 7).