It was deja vu all over again in the semifinals of this season’s Concorde District girls basketball tournament.
For the second straight year, the lower-seeded Oakton Cougars upset the higher-seed Madison Warhawks in a final-four high-school contest to move on to the championship game.
Third-seeded Oakton (19-5) won this year’s physical neighborhood clash over host and No. 2 seed Madison (11-12) by a 32-24 final, thanks to scoring the last nine points of the game and holding the Warhawks to just five second-half points (one three-pointer and two free throws).
Madison, which built a 10-0 first-quarter lead and was in front 19-14 at halftime, was an ice cold 1 of 20 shooting from the floor in the second half and 8 of 39 for the game (21 percent). Oakton shot a little better (11 of 45, 24 percent).
A year ago, Madison was the top seed when it lost to visiting Oakton, 38-27, in the district-tourney semifinals, then the Cougars went on to win the championship. Madison at one point led Oakton, 17-0, in that 2023 semifinal.
In this season’s semis, Oakton took the lead for good at 26-24 with 44 seconds to play on a driving opposite-hand (left) running three-foot floater in the middle of the lane by Finley Tarr (12 points, six rebounds). After Madison’s Stella Gougoufkas missed a three-pointer, Oakton closed the victory by making four foul shots (three by Tarr), a layup by Brooke Chang (six points) and with the help of two Madison turnovers.
Gougoufkas is Madison’s leading scorer but had just two points (two free throws) and took only seven shots from the floor. She had six rebounds and two blocks.
Avery Griepentrog had six points (two three-pointers), 13 rebounds and three blocks for Madison, Sara Becker had four points and five rebounds, Ava Wu and Bella Lozier each made three-pointers, and Lillian Perkins had two points and three rebounds.
For Oakton, Sophie Toole had 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Jocelynn Kinlaw had two points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, Bailey Zimmerman had two steals and Melissa Ally had a steal and two points.
Oakton coach Fred Priester said Kinlaw’s play has been strong of late by focusing on rebounding and defense.
Oakton also defeated Madison in regular-season action a few days earlier, when Kinlaw had eight points and 12 boards.
Oakton is scheduled to face the No. 4 seed Chantilly Chargers in the tournament-championship game on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. at South Lakes High School. The teams split two regular-season meetings.
Chantilly upset top seed Centreville in the other semifinal.
Oakton has won 19 Concorde District tournaments in program history, all under Priester, who has 801 career victories.
