Late 3 breaks stalemate for Tallwood boys

VIRGINIA BEACH

With about four minutes left in his team's Eastern Region first-round game against Great Bridge on Monday night, Tallwood's Aaron Clark hadn't made a field goal.

But Lions coach Tom Gunsalus still had complete confidence in his standout guard. So with the score tied at 50, Gunsalus set up a play to spring Clark.

The plan worked perfectly. Clark got free near the top of the arc and drilled a 3-pointer that sparked the Lions to a 63-54 victory at Princess Anne High School.

Tallwood (20-5 ) will play Phoebus in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Thursday at Scope. Great Bridge finished 20-5.

"I knew it was clutch time," Clark said. "It was time to step up."

Clark finished with only eight points. But his 3, which came after Great Bridge had erased a 49-45 deficit, put the Wildcats on their heels.

"Once he hit that 3, I saw their heads go down," said Tallwood's Darren Creary, who scored 12 points and added 10 rebounds.

The game was a back-and-forth battle in which neither team led by more than four until Tallwood took control in the final minutes. The score was tied at 13 after one quarter and at 41 after three.

"I just wanted some momentum," Great Bridge coach Gary Obenour said. "Anything to reach out.... We were just a play away."

Unfortunately for Obenour's senior-laden team, Tallwood made big plays at critical times all night. Tyrice Thomas made two second-quarter 3-pointers that tied the score.

After Great Bridge started the second half on a 4-0 run to go up 28-27, Creary scored off a rebound.

And then Clark's three started a 13-4 run that closed the game.

"After that shot, we knew we could pull it out," Clark said.

Mike Connors, (757) 222-5434, michael.connors@pilotonline.com