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Dragons Keep Roaring, Improve to 9-1

Matthew Hatfield
VirginiaPreps.com Basketball Analyst

Two wins by a combined 73 points in one day. Not a bad Tuesday for Gary Hall's Middleburg Academy Dragons, who in their first year are 9-1 overall and playing about as well as any Private School program in the state of Virginia.

Their latest victory, an 82-53 rout of previously undefeated C.D. Hylton (6-1) in the Glory Days Grill Tournament of Champions at Lake Braddock High School, came hours after they defeated Washington Public Latin 75-31 in the Hoop Magic Holiday Tournament. Middleburg originally wasn't scheduled to play in the Holiday Classic at Lake Braddock until they got called to be a replacement for Thomas Edison. Every opportunity they get, Middleburg is looking to seize it and do so in a big way.

Middleburg will battle undefeated Osbourn (7-0), ranked #4 in the VirginiaPreps.com Group AAA State Top 25, in the Glory Days Grill Tournament Final on Wednesday night. Osbourn held South Lakes to just two points in the fourth quarter in a 69-49 victory on Monday, and then followed that up with a 73-50 win over Lake Braddock. The Eagles are averaging 78.7 points per game on the season, tops in the Northwest Region.

Class of 2012 prospects Nik Brown, a 6-foot-2 guard that transferred in from Stone Bridge, and 6-foot-6 forward Mo Alie-Cox, a transfer from South County, each nearly recorded triple-doubles for Middleburg.

Brown finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists, showing great patience, poise and decision making from the point guard position. Alie-Cox was a beast inside with 18 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks.

"We have five people on the court when we start the game that can any night go for 20 points. My job is to be the man that sets everything up, be a leader on the court and we've developed a lot of chemistry already in this young season," said Brown, one of five players that scored eight or more points for the Dragons. "If I can make them better, it frees me up and helps my offensive game."

But the best stat of the night for Middleburg came in the assist category. They dished out 24 assists compared to only nine turnovers, something that Hall is glad to see with so many new faces having to learn to play with one another.

In addition, Middleburg's half-court trap and defensive intensity gave a pretty talented and experienced Hylton squad - - which boasts eight seniors on its roster - - fits. Middleburg opened up a 22-point lead by half-time, and did so with shot blocking by Alie-Cox inside and Brown pestering Bulldogs star guard Kendall Hargrove, who came in averaging around 24 points per game.

"The nice thing is that Nik is such a great leader, and defensively the tone is set by your point guard. That was a huge one-on-one battle within the team concept because Hargrove gets a lot of publicity, scores a lot of points, so Nik took it a little personal, but also our team took it that way. Nik did a great job on him, but Middleburg as a whole we played great team defense against him," remarked Hall afterwards.

Middleburg Academy boys' basketball team wins again during busy stretch

Washington Post Staff Writer

With Wednesday's Briar Woods Holiday Classic opener against Handley well in hand early in the fourth quarter, Middleburg Academy Coach Gary Hall pulled his starting five and emptied his bench. But rather than take a seat to watch the final four minutes tick away in a 76-46 victory, the Dragons' starters grabbed their gear, walked straight out of the building and boarded a bus bound for Lake Braddock High School.

They needed to beat the traffic to their second game of the day, a title game matchup with Osbourn at the Glory Days Grill Tournament of Champions.

"Coach Hall asked me if we could make it through six games in four days and I told him, 'It's just like AAU season but a little more intense and a little more demanding,' " Middleburg junior guard Nik Brown said.

Thursday night the Dragons needed every ounce of remaining energy to pull out a 58-56 victory over tournament host Briar Woods, capping a stretch of six games in three tournaments in 79 hours.

"Sometimes you have to do some out-of-the-ordinary things to get exposure for your kids," said Hall, who coached at Herndon and was the junior varsity coach at Briar Woods last season. "No one knows about us really and so we want to play as many games as we can closer to D.C."

One night after succumbing to tired legs and a stong defensive effort from Osbourn in a 60-57 defeat, the Dragons (11-2) once again found themselves trailing late as the Falcons opened a seven-point lead to start the fourth quarter.

But Middleburg - formerly known as Notre Dame Academy - chipped away with Greg Malinowski's three-pointer followed by a dominant end-to-end sequence for Drew Henry, who tapped in a rebound and blocked a shot that led to Brown's layup to give the Dragons a 46-45 lead. Malinowski and Henry each hit three-pointers down the stretch as the teams went back and forth until Brown's two free throws gave Middleburg a 58-56 lead with just less than one minute remaining.

Yves Kouame appeared to have the tying basket, but Briar Woods Coach Mike Benson called a timeout seconds earlier that nullified the shot. The Falcons (5-6) had two more chances in the final two seconds but came up empty in their upset bid.

Brown finished with a game-high 24 points to earn tournament most valuable player honors and center Mo Ali-Cox added 13 points for the Dragons, who have played just once on their home floor all season as they try to quickly reestablish themselves as an elite program in the region.

"We're really trying to put Middleburg basketball on the map," Brown said. "Whoever wants to play up, we'll play. We want to show that we are good and we're not just little soft guys from Middleburg out in the middle of nowhere."

Middleburg survives Briar Woods’ upset bid to win tournament

In a rare Loudoun matchup of private versus public Dec. 30, Briar Woods High School nearly shocked talent-rich and leg-tired Middleburg Academy in the boys’ championship game of the Briar Woods Winter Classic. The Falcons missed two attempts to win in the final seconds as the Dragons held on for a 58-56 victory.

“We have a target on our back, we are the Evil Empire, everybody wants to beat us,” said Middleburg first-year coach Gary Hall, who is rebuilding the program that was formerly a region and national power when known as Notre Dame Academy with players drawn from Loudoun and surrounding areas, including a pair of transfer starters from Stone Bridge in Nik Brown and Jimmy Paige.

Historically, public schools in Loudoun do not schedule Middleburg Academy. But the veteran Hall worked as an assistant coach in the Briar Woods’ girls and boys programs after a long and successful tenure at Herndon.

“I know all these guys and love them to death, but I certainly don’t love them enough to lose to them,” Hall said after his team—playing its sixth game in just four days and five games in 55 hours—fought back from a 45-38 fourth-quarter deficit to win.

Briar Woods coach Mike Benson said after the contest that his team played about as well as they could. The Falcons (5-6) executed a nearly flawless game plan, showing patience on offense and draining eight 3-pointers when left open and applying a scrappy defense to keep the taller Dragons at bay.

Middleburg Academy (11-2) committed to play in the Briar Woods tournament, and then agreed to step in for a team in a tournament in Fairfax this week and to take a slot in a one-day showcase tournament.

Hall admitted it would be the first and last time that his team would get overbooked—the Dragons even pulled their starters in the second half of their first-round win over Handley Dec. 29 at the Briar Woods tournament and had them leave for the other tournament while the contest was still going on. Hall called it “insane and too much.”

Middleburg ended up losing to Osbourn, 60-57, in the final of the other tournament Dec. 29.

“Nobody knows about us,” Hall said. “We want to play as many games as we can.”

Brown, who started out at Paul VI before two strong seasons at Stone Bridge, is certainly well known locally. Brown earned tournament MVP honors following his 24-point performance in Thursday’s final, including a transition basket that broke a 52-52 tie with 2:45 left and then two free throws to win the game with 54 seconds remaining after Tate had dropped a sick fall-away 3-pointer on the baseline to tie the game with a minute to go.

Middleburg’s long week started with a 77-58 win over Robinson Dec. 27, followed by defeating Washington Public Latin, 75-31, in the Hoop Magic Holiday Tournament and then beating previously unbeaten Hylton, 82-53, in the Glory Days Grill Tournament.

In Thursday’s win, Middleburg’s biggest baskets came from 6-foot-2 sophomore Drew Henry and 6-foot-2 freshman Greg Malinowski. Henry had six of his nine points in the final quarter, including a key tip-in and a big 3-pointer. Malinowski’s only two field goals of the contest were 3-pointers in the fourth quarter when the Dragons needed it most, bookends around a 11-2 run that put Middleburg back in the lead, 49-47 with five minutes to go.

“I found out we have a little resolve,” said Hall, who was full of praise also for the Falcons and their chances in the Dulles District in the new year. ““We are the best team on their schedule. If they can beat us, they can beat anybody on their schedule.”

Calder and Faciane combined for five 3-pointers in the first half as the sharp-shooting Falcons kept pace with Middleburg. While the rest of their teammates struggled, Brown and Ali kept the Dragons in the contest, combining for 21 of Middleburg’s 27 points in the first half.

The Falcons looked to tie the game after Brown’s free throws but after the offense went stagnant, Benson called time out just prior to a Briar Woods shot that went in but was waived off. Following the time out, Briar Woods had a 3-pointer by Tate that just missed and then another trey blocked just before the buzzer.

In celebration, a Middleburg player was called for traveling after catching the block and 0.4 seconds was put back on the clock. Briar Woods was given a desperation chance to win but couldn’t get a clean look.

Boys Basketball: Middleburg's Nik Brown Reaches 1,000-Point Milestone

Middleburg (Feb. 4, 2011) - Middleburg Academy guard Nik Brown reached a milestone earlier this week as he hit the 1,000-point career scoring mark as the Dragons improved to 16-3 in their first season under coach Gary Hall with an 88-39 runaway win over St. John's Catholic Prep.

"We are blessed at Middleburg Academy to have a young man with the character, integrity and work ethic of Nik Brown to be the face of our basketball program," said Hall.

Brown, who played the last two years at Stone Bridge, is averaging 18.2 points per game along with 6.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game.

"I have been very fortunate in my coaching career to have had the opportunity to coach some of the finest players in Northern Virginia and Nik ranks among the all-time best," said Hall. " His leadership qualities and dedication to the game are unparallel. It is an honor for me to be a part of his development both on and off the court."

The Dragons are ranked No. 2 the state among Division II private schools. Their only losses this year have been by a combined seven points to Blue Ridge School (No. in state Division 1 privates), Osbourn (No. 5 in state AAA) and Booker T Washington (No. 2 in state AAA).

VIS all-state boys basketball

DIVISION II
First team

James McAdoo, Norfolk Christian; Mo Alie, Middleburg Academy; Seth Allen, Fredericksburg Christian; Adjehi Baru, Steward; Corey Brown, Walsingham Academy; Nik Brown, Middleburg Academy; James Ford, Christchurch; Mario Nixon, Norfolk Christian; Teddy Okereafor, Christchurch; Justin Watson, Atlantic Shores.

Boys' basketball

Third Team

F Darian Atkins Landon Sr.

G Nik Brown Middleburg Jr.

F David Gallman Theodore Roosevelt Sr.

G Enerio Jones Springbrook Sr.

G Kethan Savage Jr.

Basketball Leaders

DEC. 28, 2009- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA

DEC. 28, 2009- DULLES DISTRICT.COM

DEC. 29, 2009- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA

DEC. 29, 2009- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

DEC. 31, 2009- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/PREPPOSTS/VIRGINIA

Stone Bridge Sweeps Madison In B-Ball

Stone Bridge scored a sweep Saturday, as both the boys and girls basketball teams claimed wins over Madison.
The boys scored a 62-44 decision, improving their record to 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the district. Nik Brown and Richie Berry led the way offensively with 24 and 20 respectively, while Kyle Gouveia stood out on defense, as his 3 steals and 6 rebounds sparked an important second-quarter run. Brown also had a nice defensive game, grabbing 8 rebounds and 6 steals.

JAN. 11, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

JAN. 11, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/PREPPOSTS/VIRGINIA

Bulldogs off to a hot start

For all the dominance the Stone Bridge football program has enjoyed in the Liberty District, the same cannot be said for its boys' basketball counterpart. Since the Bulldogs made the move from the AA Dulles to the AAA Liberty, wins have been hard to come by and fast starts unheard of.

Don't look now, but Sonny Green's current crop is attempting to shake their reputation as non-factors in the league. After compiling a 15-41 mark in district play since joining in the 2005-06 season, the Bulldogs currently sit at 7-4 overall and are tied for second in the district with a 3-1 mark.

Coming into a week that saw his team face three district foes in a six-day span, Green knew the importance of maintaining momentum from a stronger-than-usual start to the season.

After a disappointing defeat at Langley, the Bulldogs rebounded nicely with 20-point routs of South Lakes and Madison to keep pace behind the Saxons at the top of the district standings.

JAN. 12, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Basketball: Tuesday Night Scoreboard and "The Skinny"

Stone Bridge 89, Fairfax 83 (OT)

The Skinny: Nik Brown sets the Stone Bridge single game scoring record with 35 points in the win. Richie Berry adds 20 and James "Mr. OT" Wells scores six of his eight in the extra period as Bulldogs climb four games over .500.

JAN. 13, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Basketball: Hot Shots Indeed! Stone Bridge's Nik Brown and Loudoun County's Brittany Batts with Big Performances

JAN. 15, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Basketball: Jan. 15-16 Round-up

Stone Bridge 70, McLean 60

The Bulldogs are off to the best start in school history with a 9-4 overall record and a 5-1 Liberty District mark. Richie Berry scored a game-high 24 points and Nik Brown had a good all-around game including 14 points.

JAN. 17, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM

Past is past for Stone Bridge

The AAA Liberty District has not been kind to the Stone Bridge boys' basketball team. Although the Bulldogs' football team has dominated the league it joined in 2005, its hardwood counterpart has experienced four years of frustration.

But in a key district game at McLean on Friday night, the 2009-10 Bulldogs continued to distance themselves from their past mediocrity. With a sound defensive effort and an offensive exhibition from one of its top scorers, Stone Bridge continued its best start in program history with a 70-60 victory.

After falling behind in the opening minutes, the Bulldogs began to pick apart McLean's full-court pressure while ratcheting up their defense. An effective three-quarter court trap flustered the Highlanders' ballhandlers, leading to a slew of turnovers and easy baskets in transition. Stone Bridge forced 20 turnovers on the night, many coming in a pivotal second quarter in which the Bulldogs stretched a four-point lead into a 36-25 halftime advantage.

Senior guard Richie Berry capitalized on several McLean turnovers, racing out on fast breaks for easy layups and pulling up for midrange jumpers. He scored 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first half as the Bulldogs (9-4, 5-1 Liberty) built a lead they didn't relinquish.

"I was feeling it in the first half and just kept telling my teammates to feed me the ball," Berry said. "But we were really able to rattle them with our defensive pressure. That shook them up, and they couldn't handle the ball."

The Highlanders (6-8, 2-4) trailed by double digits for much of the second half before pulling to within six on senior Sean Fitzgerald's three-pointer with a little more than a minute remaining. But the Bulldogs' defense got the stops it needed on the ensuing possessions to seal the victory and extend their best start ever in the league.

Junior Nik Brown scored 14 points, well below his average of 22, but six other Bulldogs got into the act offensively. Senior forwards James Wells and Sam Tripp combined for 10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals, and junior guard Ryan Lowdermilk had nine points off the bench to provide a balanced attack -- a new element to this year's team that Coach Sonny Green credits for the recent success.

"Everybody knows about Nik and Richie, but this year everyone has been a major contributor," said Green, whose team is one game out of first place in the district. "I think the team chemistry is something we haven't had in recent years, and that's paying off in games. We had a lot of new pieces last year, but now they're coming together, and you see that on the defensive end and with unselfish play on offense."

JAN. 18, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/PREPPOSTS/VIRGINIA

The Loudoun Report: boys basketball

Loudoun's top scorers

Five of the area's top 20 scorers (with at least 10 games counted) hail from Loudoun County. Here's a look at the top ten point producers from Loudoun's 10 schools.

1. Kevin McGaughey, Broad Run - 22.4
2. Nik Brown, Stone Bridge - 21.8
3. Lukas Mihailovich, Potomac Falls - 21.3
4. Myles Tate, Briar Woods - 20.5
5. Ryan McCarter, Park View - 20.1
6. Richie Berry, Stone Bridge - 18.7
7. Elijah Calhoun, Heritage - 13.8
8. Jordan Owens, Park View - 13.4
9. Ahmad Zafar, Broad Run - 13.2
10. Deandre Reaves, Dominion - 11.9

Boys Basketball Roundup

Stone Bridge 69, TJ 59

The Skinny: TJ came in on a 2-game winning streak in district but Nik Brown started off red-hot for SB, knocking down seven of his first eight shots including four from behind the arc. Brown had 20 points at halftime but picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and sat for the rest of the quarter. Brown (28 points) and Richie Berry (23 points) combined for 51 of the 69 Bulldog points. Kyle Gouveia led SB with seven rebounds, four steals, and one block, while Sam Tripp grabbed six rebounds.

JAN. 25, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/PREPPOSTS/VIRGINIA

The Loudoun Report: boys basketball

AAA Liberty

It was only a matter of time before Stone Bridge's pair of talented transfers of a year ago meshed with the rest of the roster to form a district contender, but few expected this much progress from Coach Sonny Green's squad in 2009-10. Led by senior guard Richie Berry (19 ppg) and the county's top scorer, junior guard Nik Brown (22), both of whom transferred from private schools prior to last season, the Bulldogs (11-5, 7-2) are enjoying their best season to date and find themselves just two games behind Langley in the Liberty standings.

In their first meeting back on Jan. 4, the Saxons -- who have not lost in 2010 -- took it to Stone Bridge, rolling to a 72-46 win behind 20 points from Austin Kriz and three more double-figure scorers. Brown had a typical 20-point performance of his own but the Bulldogs lacked balance offensively as no other player scored more than seven and Berry was held to a season-low five points. Stone Bridge trailed by just three at the half but was outscored 29-4 in the decisive third quarter. For them to have a shot at their first ever district crown, they'll need to turn the tables on the Saxons Friday night.

Basketball: The Skinny for Tonight's Games

(Jan. 29, 2010) - Big games tonight in Ashburn with the Fox5 TV crew setting up and we aren't even talking about the Potomac Falls vs. Broad Run Dulles District boys basketball showdown.

Fox5 will be at the Langley vs. Stone Bridge boys basketball game in which the Saxons hope to all but wrap up the regular-season title and the Bulldogs look to hand Langley its first district defeat.

The Skinny: Bulldogs must find a way to slow down the Saxons inside advantage. Brown and Berry will need to combine for 50+.

JAN. 30, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST

AAA Liberty District Boys

Bulldogs snap Saxons' eight-game winning streak

Stone Bridge senior Richie Berry drove into the lane from an awkward angle and tossed up a high-arcing shot over the outstretched hands of Langley's 6 foot 6, 215-pound senior center Austin Kriz.

As Berry's floater swished through the net, he bounced up and down and clenched his fists as the crowd collectively roared in approval at his improbable basket.

It was one of those shots that proved Berry, a 6-foot guard, could get whatever he wanted throughout his 19-point effort in a key 64-62 home victory over Virginia AAA Liberty District leader Langley on Friday night.

"He's the best kept secret in Northern Virginia," said teammate Nik Brown, a 6 foot 3 junior who scored 22 points to reach his district-leading season average.

Berry, who is averaging 19 points per game, carries a lower profile than Brown, but on Friday he showed off an array of skills. He drained mid-range pull-ups, slashed, dropped in floaters, drilled a three-pointer and was 4 of 7 from the free throw line to help Stone Bridge end Langley's winning streak at eight.

The Bulldogs (12-5, 8-2) have won seven of their last eight games and are off to the best start in school history.

"I've never been on a team or a part of a team like this, where you can have two guys get 20 on the same night," Stone Bridge Coach Sonny Green said.

The Saxons (15-3, 9-1) relied on the inside presence of Kriz, who often drew two and three defenders, leaving the perimeter open for Colin Jones, a 6-3 senior who drained three deep shots from behind the arc during a 14-point second quarter explosion. That shooting display led the Saxons back from a six-point deficit and gave them a 33-31 lead at halftime. Jones finished with a team-high 23 points.

But Berry's 11-point second half and Brown's 7-for-8 performance from the line in the fourth quarter helped Stone Bridge fend off Langley's feisty fourth-quarter push.

With 45 seconds left in the game, Berry hit one of two free throws to put the Bulldogs up by four points, but Jones nailed a three-pointer to cut Stone Bridge's lead to 61-60. Brown connected on two free throws to push the edge back to three, but Kriz got a putback to cut the lead to 63-62 with 16 seconds left.

FEB. 2, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Basketball: Full Round-up

Stone Bridge 64, Langley 62

The Skinny: Before one of the largest basketball crowds in school history, the Bulldogs hand the Saxons their first district loss this season as Langley misses putback at the buzzer to send it to OT. Nick Brown and Richie Berry combined for 41 points on the night. It was a close game the entire way with SB or Langley not able to pull ahead by more than six points. SB trailed 33-31 at the half. Senior Sam Tripp had 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs and took a critical charge late in the third quarter than swung momentum SB's way.

FEB. 18, 2010- VIRGINIA PREPS.COM

Liberty District Tournament Hoops Preview

Matthew Hatfield
VirginiaPreps.com Basketball Analyst

The Liberty District Tournament commences on Thursday night with every team needing a victory to secure a berth to the upcoming Northern Region Tournament. That even includes the team in first place, the Langley Saxons, and that's because the Liberty District seeded teams according to first half results and didn't finish their regular season. The four winners move on and guarantee themselves a region playoff, the four losers are done ...

#3 - Stone Bridge Bulldogs (13-5; 9-2) vs. #6 - McLean Highlanders (8-11; 4-7)

Stone Bridge finished the regular season 8-1 in their last nine games, scoring 62 points or more each time with the offense kicking it in to high gear. The bulldogs have two bona-fide scorers in 6-foot-3 junior guard Nik Brown (21.9 PPG, 118-157 FT) and 6-foot-1 senior guard Richie Berry (18 PPG). Brown is District Player of the Year material, and a 25 or 30 points effort from him could spell doom for McLean. However, McLean did a pretty good job the last time they met when they held Brown to 14 points, but came up on the short end of the stick on the scoreboard. Ten times Stone Bridge has scored 70 or more, even scoring 108 points and losing in triple-overtime to Potomac Falls in one of the most exciting games all season in the state.

FEB. 19, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Liberty District Basketball: Player of the Year Brown

Stone Bridge High School girls coach Chris Jones and junior Nik Brown picked up some nice honors this week with Jones being named the Liberty District Coach of the Year and Brown being honored as the boys Player of the Year.

2009-2010 Liberty District Men’s Basketball Honors

Player of the Year: Nik Brown, Stone Bridge High School

FEB. 22, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM

Boys basketball: Stone Bridge's Nik Brown Named First Team All-Northern Region

Stone Bridge High School junior Nik Brown was named to the first team All-Northern Region squad.

2010 All-Northern Region Boys Basketball

First Team:
Nik Brown, Stone Bridge
Chad Canady, Hayfield
Warren Denny, Centreville
Austin Hamilton, Herndon
Antonio Harris Jr., JEB Stuart
Skylar Jones, Mount Vernon
Ryan Yates, TC Williams

FEB. 25, 2010- LOUDOUNI.COM

Coach Sit-Down: Sonny Green

APR. 7, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.cOM

All-Met Honorable Mention

APR. 7, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA

2010 Loudoun County boys' basketball All-Extra

First Team

G Richie Berry, Stone Bridge, Sr.

G Nik Brown, Stone Bridge, Jr.

G/F Kevin McGaughey, Broad Run, Sr.

G Ryan McCarter, Park View, So.

G Myles Tate, Briar Woods, So

APR. 7, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM 

Basketball Leaders

Points Per Game