The Madison Warhawks ended the week with a three-game victory streak on three different courts – one in Florida – to give the squad its first winning record (7-6) this season.
The boys high-school basketball team’s most recent win came on the Warhawks’ home floor Jan. 4 when they defeated the Centreville Wildcats, 54-31, in their first Concorde District contest this season. The win was Madison’s fifth in six games.
The Warhawks have had a full lineup of players in recent games, after starting the season without guard Steven Cruz (injured) and forwards Darren Knicely and Noah Baker, who were still playing for Madison’s playoff football team when the hoop season began. All three are key players for the team, each starting against Centreville.
“Everybody is back now and we are still adjusting to that,” Madison coach Kevin Roller said. “We are understanding if we don’t turn the ball over we do better.”
Knicely was a force inside, having a double-double against Centreville with 16 points and 13 rebounds with one block. Cruz scored nine with four steals. Baker had six points and three rebounds.
Also for Madison, guard Sumay Frueh had seven points, seven rebounds and three assists; Ryan Furlong had seven points, five assists, two steals and two blocks; and Hobbes Fiel made a three-pointer and added three assists.
Sparked by a tight zone defense at times, Centreville struggled to score as Madison led from start to finish, having a comfortable 27-13 halftime lead.
“Ryan had a fantastic first half and Darren was strong in the second half,” Roller said.
The night before playing Centreville, Madison rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat the host Independence Tigers of Ashburn, 56-50. A 12-foot turnaround jumper by Cruz gave Madison the lead for good at 47-46 with 5:10 left to play. Two straight layups by Frueh upped the advantage to 51-45.
Later, two foul shots by Cruz with a second left iced the victory.
Prior to the consecutive games Jan. 3 and 4, Madison finished with a 2-1 record and second in its bracket in a holiday tournament in Pensacola Beach, Fla. The Warhawks won their first game, 67-57, over Rogers Heritage High of Arkansas; lost their second to Moon Area High of Pennsylvania, 54-51, in a seesaw contest when Madison had late leads; then routed Roswell High of Pittsburgh, 50-33, after trailing in the first half.
Fiel made five three-pointers and scored 22 points in one of those games in Florida.
“It was a good trip and the players said they enjoyed being there,” Roller said.
• The Flint Hill Huskies (8-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 63-39 home loss to the Sidwell Friends Quakers in Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference boys basketball action the night of Jan. 3.
Flint Hill led 2-0, then fell behind 16-2 and never led again. The Huskies trailed 34-13 at halftime.
Everett Jones scored eight points and had four rebounds for Flint Hill, Quinlan Corman had six points and four boards and Kendall Jones scored six.
