By Angela Watts
Senior Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
(Look for the video player below the article to re-live Monday night’s thrilling fourth quarter between Annandale and Chantilly and then dozens more plays from the first three quarters of action.)
Three minutes into in the third quarter of Monday night’s Northern Region first-round game between 10th-ranked Annandale and fourth-ranked Chantilly, the host Chargers had pushed their lead to 14 points. The generous margin prompted Chantilly’s spirited student-section to serenade their visitors with a chant of: “Ga-me O-ver.”
It wasn’t.
A few moments later, the often-used chant of “over-rated” was directed toward Atoms’ senior standout Erik Etherly as he approached the free throw line.
Wrong again.
Annandale, behind a blistering fourth-quarter performance by Etherly, senior Jay Washington and junior Allen Stalp, scorched Chantilly for 28 fourth-quarter points en route to a 83-79 come-from-behind victory.
It marks the first time in school history that Annandale (14-10) has advanced
to the quarterfinal round of the regional tournament, where it will
host Madison (19-6) at 7:30 p.m tonight. The Atoms finished just 6-16 a year ago.
“I really don’t even remember it,” Etherly said of the last few minutes of the game, “There was just so much emotion going on and so much screaming. It’s all a blur now.”
Etherly, who will play next season at Northeastern University, scored 16 of his game-high 28 points in the final period, including banking in an alley-oop pass from junior Jordan Anderson with
:10.6 seconds remaining to give the Atoms an 82-79 lead. He bounced
around the court, pumping his fists and exploding in excitement.
And while he did throw down one of his trademark, spectacular dunks to start the fourth-quarter scoring, it was his defense that shined most. Annandale used a full-court press against Chantilly the entire game, using Etherly’s 6-feet, 5-inch wingspan to harass the Chargers as they tried to inbound the ball.
Such pressure not only forced Chantilly to prematurely use its time outs, but also resulted in 15 second-half turnovers.
“That’s just what we try to do,” Etherly said of the fierce defensive
pressure. “We tried to force them to get out of control … and then we
started getting steals and getting easy buckets and easy layups and
everything. Then it was just, game over.”
Annandale took its first lead of the second half with just 49 seconds to play when Etherly calmly sank two free throws for a 78-76 advantage. But Chantilly promptly regained the lead at 79-78 when junior guard Justin May was fouled while converting a layup on the other end of the floor and finished the three-point play with 40.5 to go.
Etherly sank two-of-four attempts on subsequent trips to foul line, and after forcing yet another Charger turnover Anderson took the ball out of bounds for the Atoms to set up the game-sealing, alley-oop to Etherly.
May actually got a good look at a three-pointer that would have knotted the score with about three seconds to play, but the ball rattled in — and out — of the rim, drawing a huge groan from the Chantilly faithful and bringing a disappointing end to what was a wonderful Charger season.
“We told them that nothing we can say can make them feel better right now because they’ve invested so much,” said Chantilly Coach Jim Smith, whose team was led by senior Robbie Athearn (25 points), senior Jake Nolan (17) and May (17). “The only thing that’s going to make them feel a little better is time. At that point I think they’ll be able to reflect about the great year they’ve had. They won 19 games in the regular-season and finished 21-4 overall. They did a lot of really great things.
“But right now, the pain is just too fresh.”
At the opposite side of the spectrum, the Atoms’ joy was infectious.
“I can’t even explain right now,” said Annandale Coach Anthony Harper, whose hands were still trembling with excitement several minutes after the game had ended. “It’s a big deal for the school. It’s a bigger deal for the kids. This has been their goal all season, to get to George Mason [for the Northern Region semifinals].
“Now we’re one game away from making it happen. All we have to do is just keep it going.”
NOTE: The Chargers and Atoms combined for 12 three-pointers in the game, seven by Annandale and five by Chantilly. Stalp, who injured his ankle on the first play of the game and had to leave for several minutes, returned to lead all of the sharp-shooters with a game-best three triples.
“After that first play my ankle looked like a tennis ball,” said Stalp, who finished with 18 points. “It just swelled up real bad. But I got it taped up as fast as I could, came back and started shooting. I think it gave me more motivation.”
Email: awatts@digitalsports.com
No. 10 Annandale 22 13 20 28 — 83
No. 4 Chantilly 19 28 11 21 — 79
Annandale — Boyce 0 2-2 2; Washington 4 0-0 10; Ma 3 2-4 9; Robinson 1 0-0 2; Anderson 3 0-0 6; Etherly 9 9-15 28; Stalp 6 3-4 18; Booker 4 0-0 8. Team totals: 30 16-25 83. Chantilly — Nolan 5 6-7 17; May 7 1-3 17; Athearn 12 1-4 25; Decker 1 0-1 2; Fridy 3 0-0 8; Ballam 1 0-0 2; Tureaud 1 0-0 2; Manning 3 0-0 6. Team totals: 33 8-15 79. Three-pointers — Annandale 7 (Stalp 3, Washington 2, Etherly, Ma); Chantilly 5 (Fridy 2, May 2, Nolan).
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