Redskins fade late against top-seeded Belvidere

A pair of treys by senior guard Jason Matteson midway through the third quarter stunned the Bucs before a 1-2 combination of treys by senior guard Sam Hogan and reserve sophomore guard Austin Patterson rocked defending champ Belvidere as Morris slugged its way out to a 33-26 lead.

But the Bucs countered, utilizing their quickness to climb up off the mat and knock the Redskins out of the championship bracket via a 56-46 decision.

"Their athleticism took over," pointed out Redskins coach Joe Blumberg. "I felt we controlled the tempo in the first half and they controlled the tempo in the second half."

Morris, thanks to gunning in the four treys, punched its way out to a 33-26 advantage with 2:42 remaining in the third period with its biggest lead (and just third of the game). Belvidere then scored 14 points on its final five possessions to assume a 40-35 lead as action died down.

Aside from the initial basket of the last quarter (a 12-foot jumper by junior forward Tanner Sampson) that got the Redskins within a trio, Morris could not come closer than five points the rest of the way. The Bucs, now 8-2, pulled away in the final two minutes as junior guard Maurice Jackson connected on a driving attempt before Belvidere cashed in on 6-of-10 from the charity stripe.

"I thought we played pretty well," said Matteson. "We played a lot better defensively than what we did yesterday (in a 61-60 comeback against eighth-seed Indian Creek). "We just need to play our own game a lot more."

Blumberg echoed Matteson's comments.

"I thought the effort was there," said Blumberg. "At times, we got sloppy (the Redskins had 19 turnovers while causing a half dozen)."

What kept Morris in the game was the sinking of seven treys, although the Redskins fired up 27 shots from beyond the arc. Matteson had a trio of treys and Hogan a pair. Senior center Ben Ortiz and Patterson chipped in with one each.