VES wins tournament, rolls past LCA, 68-54

Virginia Episcopal School ripped Lynchburg Christian Academy, 68-54 Friday night to win the second annual Holiday Basketball Tournament at the LCA gymnasium.

Timberlake Christian School won the consolation game, trouncing Holy Cross, 84-53.

The difference in the VES-LCA game was Stewart Langley, who scored 20 points to pace the Bishops. However, his value to the team ranged beyond his scoring ability, according to VES coach Bob Leake.

“Stewart Langley was our steadying force,” said Leake. “He got us settled down.”

Langley's play in VES' two wins in the tournament was recognized by the committee selecting the all-tournament team. Langley, a 6-foot senior, was voted the tournament's most valuable player. He scored 16 points in VES' win over Timberlake Christian Thursday night.

Others named to the all-tournament team were Joe Guill and Greg Pulliam of Timberlake, Jason Rhyne of VES, and LCA's Mike Schultz and Troy Hartless.

Guill put on a display of long distance shooting in the consolation game by hitting on 7 of 10 from 3-point range. He had 42 points for the game to go with 11 he scored in Thursday night's loss to VES.

Pulliam had 17 points for the Tornadoes. Rodney deGuzman had 18 points for Holy Cross, 0-6, while Mike Bell had 12. Most of deGuzman's points came late in the game, and the 5-8 junior said after the game “I guess I'm a late starter.”

VES broke open its game with LCA in the third period by holding the Bulldogs to just six points in the quarter. That gave the Bishops a 58-29 advantage going into the final period.

VES, 3-2, held a comfortable lead going into the last two minutes and LCA was forced to foul in hopes of catching up.

LCA's Rodney Ebbs scored the game's first goal, but Hunt Whitehead, who had scored twice earlier, gave VES a 14-12 lead just before the first period ended. The Bulldogs, now 5-3, never recovered although they did stay within five points of the Bishops until the third period. Hartless led LCA with 18 points while Schultz had 13.

The championship game followed a pattern that was set in the consolation matchup. Timberlake, 3-5, led just 19-15 after the first quarter, but with Shane McNamara setting the pace, the Tornadoes blew out the Gaels in the second quarter for a 50-25 halftime lead.

Holy Cross had 17 turnovers during the first three quarters.

By Calvin Porter, Staff writer
The News & Advance