Blazers can't handle Campbell, Springbrook

JAN. 30, NELSON H. KOBREN MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM-

In front of what was easily the largest crowd it has played for all year, Blair lost its second game in two days by double digits. After dropping by 18 to Magruder last night, Blair was unable to contain the explosive, fast-paced offense of the rival Springbrook Blue Devils en route to a 86-67 loss.

Blair played unevenly, as it has for much of the season, getting great input from a few players and creating some spectacular plays on both ends of the court but proving itself once again unable to put on a full basketball game. The Blazer defense wilted in front of Springbrook's scoring machine, allowing the Devils, who were ranked number one in the Metro area by the Washington Post earlier this season, to go 9-of-18 from three point range in the first half alone.

"[Springbrook] came out and the played intense," said Assistant Coach Wendell Hall. "We had two guys who came out and wanted to play, but we need our whole team to want that, we need to put five guys on the floor at a time who want to play."

Those two were junior guard Makonnen Brown and senior forward Charles Atakora, who combined for nearly two-thirds of the Blazers' points. They scored 22 and 21, respectively. Brown was an ace from outside, posting two four-point plays on three pointers he made while getting fouled and playing scrappy perimeter defense.

Atakora was more aggressive than he has been for much of the season, slashing to the basket for layups and short jumpers (and a monstrous two-handed windmill jam in the second half that brought the crowd to its feet in a frenzy). "We both want to beat the better teams, to prove we can do it and go farther," said Atakora of Brown and himself. "I wanted to beat [the Blue Devils] and Makonnen wanted to, but it takes the whole team." Junior Doojy Pierre-Louis also had a good game despite foul trouble. He registered ten points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

But the Devils had an answer for everything Blair could put up. "You can't run with a team like this," said Hall. "Every time we made a shot, they made one back, and every time we missed they made one. And we missed more than they did." Standout guard-forward Folarin Campbell, who has committed to play for George Mason University in the fall, scored 21 including a 7-for-7 effort from the free throw line.

After winning the tip-off to start the game, the Blazers promptly lost the ball out of bounds, a turnover that led to the first points of the game on a three pointer from the right corner by Campbell. Blair led only once in the whole game, at 4-3. Springbrook was up 51-32 at the half and had scored 75 points by the end of the third quarter. It took the Blazers until early in the fourth just to match the Devils' halftime score.

Blair next plays at Blake, Feb. 4 at 5:15 p.m.