Strasburg takes out Dragons

View larger image Matt Clutter View larger image Jalen Doman

By Robert Edmonds - sports@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- Defense was the theme of the night, but a gritty offensive play was the difference when Strasburg hosted William Monroe in Bull Run district boys basketball Wednesday night.

Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm throughout the evening as they battled into overtime. The extra period was no different, leaving both teams with an open opportunity to finish their opponent.

Just when it appeared the Dragons may have found the final piece of the puzzle, the Rams' Matthew Clutter found one more by hitting a difficult shot at the top of the lane to give Strasburg a thrilling 51-50 victory against the district leader.

"This was a nail-biter," Rams coach Millson French said. "It was a nip-and-tuck game all night and we had a lot of guys step up for us. I think we played very well on defense, and the shot by Clutter was big.

"It was a tough shot, but he's the type of player that wants the ball and wants to make plays."

Five points was the largest lead for either team the entire night, coming at the beginning of the second period when William Monroe led 14-9. Strasburg battled back to take the lead into intermission, but the game continued to be a chess match after the break.

Tied at 44 entering overtime, the Dragons took the first lead when Markel Williams connected on a pair of shots from the foul line. After each team was held scoreless for the next two minutes, Rams senior Jalen Doman broke the drought when he connected on a huge 3-point basket to give his team a 47-46 lead.

"We had the lead at halftime, but we seemed to stall in the second half," Clutter said. "They were able to tie it up, but our defensive play was big for us. We were able to stay in it until we started hitting some shots."

Each team traded foul shots before Doman extended Strasburg's lead to two points when he hit his foul shot with just less than a minute remaining. Following the made free throw, the Dragons worked the ball on the perimeter, needing to score.

An open Austin Batten took a 3-point shot, but he missed while being fouled on the attempt. That sent him to the free-throw line with a chance to take the lead. Batten converted on all three free-throw attempts, giving William Monroe the lead at 50-49 with just 16 seconds remaining.

"Foul trouble was an issue for us all night," French said. "The foul on the 3-point shot was big, but it was an aggressive foul. He was trying to play good defense and was just a little too aggressive.

"I thought that foul may have cooked our goose."

Strasburg did not buckle under pressure as the Rams quickly worked into their half-court offense. Clutter received a pass on the right side, then dribbled to his left while swarmed with two defenders. The sophomore, who had been hot from the field when he had his opportunities, stroked a shot as he fell to his left while near the foul line. That gave Strasburg the lead and ignited an eruption from the Rams faithful in the gymnasium.

"I didn't feel like I took a good shot," Clutter said. "But when I pulled the trigger, I felt like it was going to go in. It felt great to make it and help our team finish a great win."

Still with four ticks left, the Dragons had one final shot. Gary Morris took a good shot from the 3-point line that clanked off the rim and sealed an impressive victory for the Rams.

"This is a good win for our confidence," French said. "We have pretty solid team here, but it's been tough for them. We have been in every game this year except for two, but we haven't had the best of luck. Tonight, the guys persevered and we came out with the win."