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 Nikis 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. Nikdid a great job on him, but Middleburg as a whole we
played great team defense against him," remarked Hall afterwards.
DEC. 30, 2010- WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Middleburg Academy boys' basketball team wins again during busy stretch
By Matt Brooks
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."
DEC. 31, 2010- LOUDOUN TIMES.COM
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.
JAN. 6, 2011- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/ALLMETSPORTS.COM
All-Met Watch Boys' basketball, week 2
On the bubble
Back court: Nate Britt, Gonzaga, Soph.; Nik Brown, Middleburg Academy, Jr.; Julian Debose, St. John's, Sr.;
FEB. 4, 2011- vivaloudoun.blogspot.COM
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).
MAR. 30, 2011- blogs.ROANOKE.COM/pRESSBOX
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.
APR. 8, 2011- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/ALLMETSPORTS.COM
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.
APR. 9, 2011- THE WASHINGTON POST.COM/ALLMETSPORTS.COM
Basketball Leaders
Points Per Game
RANK
NAME
SCHOOL
TOTAL
29
Isaiah Miles
Gleneig County
18.8
30
Nik Brown
Middleburg
18.7
30
Daryl Copeland
West Potomac
18.7
2009-10 VARSITY SEASON
DEC. 2009- WASHINGTONPOST.COM
2009-10 boys' basketball preview
G Nik Brown, Stone Bridge, Jr., 6-2
With W.T. Woodson leaving for the
Patriot District
and South Lakes losing its head coach after an offseason incident, the
Liberty’s traditional powers aren’t going to run this league anymore.
Fairfax, however, comes back to the Liberty District and is the
team to beat. Nik Brown (13
ppg) is one of three starters back for Stone Bridge.
DEC. 9,
2009- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
Boys Basketball: The Game! (Sorta) Broad Run Takes on Stone Bridge and Wins by a FG (3-pointer!)
By Dan Sousa
VivaLoudoun.com Editor
Ashburn (Dec. 9, 2009) - Broad Run
vs. Stone Bridge. It is the game that
everybody has been waiting for ... two neighbors, two powers ... Time
out Dan! The football players were in the stands ... this was basketball
as Stone Bridge opened its 2009-10 season by hosting Broad Run Tuesday
night. Those waiting a BR-SB showdown of football superpowers will have
to wait ... in the meantime ...
Broad Run earned Ashburn bragging rights -- for now -- as the Spartans
improved to 3-0 and spoiled the Bulldogs season and home opener with a
79-76 victory that honestly wasn't as close as the final score as BR
jumped out to a 25-8 first quarter lead, was up 29-8, and never trailed.
"I was concerned coming in that we were going to have first game jitters
but I was thinking a couple of minutes of jitters. I had no idea it
was going to be 29-8," said Stone Bridge coach Sonny Green as he opened
his sixth season at the school.
Broad Run, defending Dulles District tournament champion, was led by
Kevin McGaughey's 27 points and Taylor Johnson scored 13 with Almad
Zafar adding 11. Nik Brown paced Stone Bridge with 23, 18 of which came
in the second half and 11 in the final quarter as SB stepped up its
defense and attempted a late comeback.
DEC. 9, 2009- THE WASHINGTON
POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA
Broad Run boys, Stone Bridge girls split battle for Ashburn
Kevin McGaughey scored 27 points to propel Broad Run to a 79-76 win at neighboring Stone Bridge on Tuesday night.
The Spartans (3-0) jumped out to a 25-8 lead in the first quarter but
were outscored in each of the final three frames and were forced to hold
off a late Bulldogs' rally to continue their undefeated start to the
season.
Junior forward Taylor Johnson added 13 points and
senior Ahmad Zafar chipped in 11 to lead the Spartans.
McGaughey, who is averaging 19 points per game, connected on four
three-pointers. All three players have cracked double figures in each of
Broad Run's first three games.
Junior guard Nik Brown scored 23 points to lead the
Bulldogs and Richie Berry and James Wells
finished with 15 points apiece.
DEC. 17,
2009- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
Boys Basketball: Dec. 16-17 Round-up
Stone Bridge 72, Heritage 60
The Bulldogs trailed, 33-31, at the half but came back in the second
half with Nik Brown scoring 25 points and grabbing eight rebounds and
Richie Berry added 21 for SB.
DEC.
19,
2009- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
Boys Basketball: Friday Night Round-up - SB Doubles TJ
Stone Bridge 67, TJ 33
The Bulldogs opened AAA Liberty District play by doubling up on TJ
Friday. Richie Berry and Nik Brown combined for 29 for SB.
Leading 29-20 at the half, the Bulldogs opened up the third quarter on a
11-0 run and never looked back, out-scoring the Colonials, 24-8, in the
stanza.
SB (1-0, 3-2) defensive pressure caused a lot of turnovers and led to
easy transition points. Jimmy Paige and Philip Nowakowski were big on
the boards for the Bulldogs, picking up 10 and 8, respectively.
For the fourth straight game, Brown drew at least one charge on defense.
DEC. 28, 2009- THE
WASHINGTON POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA
Holiday
Hoops Festivus
Leesburg Honda Holiday Tournament
What to watch for: Stone Bridge has
strung together three straight victories and its two losses each came by
a mere three points. The Bulldogs (3-2) are led by guards Nik Brown and
Richie Berry- both
averaging right around 20 ppg - and rely on the backcourt duo to create
and score on offense for a team averaging 79.2 points per game.
DEC.
28,
2009- DULLES DISTRICT.COM
Broad Run, Stone Bridge Boys Win Holiday Tournament Opening Games
In the nightcap at Broad Run, Nik Brown led all scorers with 29 points
to lead Stone Bridge (4-2) over Dominion (1-8).
DEC. 29, 2009- THE
WASHINGTON POST.COM/LOUDOUN EXTRA
Stone Bridge 95, Dominion 79
The Bulldogs got a season-high 29 points from junior Nik Brown - his fourth 20-point performance of the season - and senior
guard Richie Berry added 22 as Stone Bridge rolled past Dominion in the second
game of the night. The Bulldogs (4-2) dominated their opponents
at the free throw line, connecting on 25 of 31 attempts while the Titans
only attempted 16 free throws.
DEC.
29,
2009- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
Boys Basketball: Stone Bridge Revs Up the Points vs. Titans at Leesburg Honda Tourney
(Dec. 29, 2009) - The Stone Bridge High School boys
basketball team
offense was hitting on all cylinders at the Leesburg Honda Holiday
Basketball tournament Monday night at Broad Run High School as the
Bulldogs poured in nearly 100 points in a 95-79 victory over Dominion.
Nik Brown scored
12 of his game-high 29 points in the first quarter as
Stone Bridge (4-2) sprinted out to a 31-17 lead over the Titans (1-7).
Brown finished
with three 3-pointers and had four steals, six rebounds
and six assists. Richie Berry added 22 points and James Wells chipped in
16 for the high-scoring Bulldogs.
DEC. 31, 2009- THE
WASHINGTON POST.COM/PREPPOSTS/VIRGINIA
Holiday Tournament
Bulldogs nip Valley
The night cap provided considerably more drama as Loudoun Valley and
Stone Bridge battled back and forth in a final six minutes that saw four
lead changes.
With the score knotted at 59-59 and less than two minutes remaining,
Stone Bridge junior Nik Brown drove toward the basket and nailed a running floater that
resulted in a four-point swing after a charge was whistled on Kyle Kohnen at the other end and gave the Bulldogs a two-point
advantage.
On the ensuing trip, Kohnen was fouled
and made one of two free
throws. Following a Stone Bridge timeout, Kohnen got the ball back in
his team's hands, forcing a five second count on Brown at the top of the
key. But junior point guard Brandon Bunce threw the ball into traffic,
trying to feed Django DeGree and Stone Bridge freshman Jimmy Paige ran
the length of the floor for the layup that made it 63-60.
The Vikings did not call a timeout and pushed the ball up the floor
to DeGree who forced up a three-pointer that missed. John Yoxthimer got
the rebound and dribbled back outside the arc but could not get a shot
up before the final buzzer as the Bulldogs held on to take two of three
in the tournament.
"I thought we played well down the stretch," Stone Bridge Coach Sonny
Green said. "We kept our poise, we got some stops when we needed them
and I thought overall we played tough. So I'm very proud of the kids."
Brown finished with 15 points and made all six of his free throw
attempts and senior guard Richie Berry had 19 to go along with six rebounds. Together, the pair of
second-year transfers has elevated the play of a team that has struggled
mightily over the last several seasons. Now they enter a busy week of
AAA Liberty District play with a 5-3 mark.
"They both have the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to
the basket," Green said. "But one of the things they're really starting
to do a lot better is getting the teammates involved. I always say that
good players can get themselves shots. To be a very good player, you
have to be able to get everybody shots. I think that that's what they're
starting to do."
JAN. 5,
2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
Boys Basketball: Tough Third Quarter Costs Stone Bridge at Langley
Langley 72, Stone Bridge 46
Stone Bridge was doing just fine against Langley Monday
night in AAA
Liberty District action, trailing on the road by just three points at
the half, 30-27, then the Saxons took over in the third quarter and
dominated the Bulldogs in the period to the tune of 29-4 and cruised the
26-point victory.
Nik Brown was
the leading scorer for Stone Bridge with 20 points.
JAN. 10, 2010- DULLES DISTRICT.COM
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
Basketball: Saturday Stone Bridge Sweeps Put Boys in Second in Liberty District
Boys: Stone Bridge 62, Madison 44
Stone Bridge used a suffocating defense to
defeat Madison easily
Saturday and move three games above .500 on the season at 7-4 and into a
tie for second place in the Liberty District at 3-1. Nik Brown and Richie Berry, SB's
super quick guard tandem slashed their
way for a combined 44 points and Kyle Gouveia provided a spark off the
bench as the Bulldogs broke open a tie game (14-14) to take an 11-point
halftime lead (35-24).
Brown also grabbed eight
rebounds and had six steals. Gouveia picked up
three steals, three assists, and six boards.
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.
A pair of second-year transfers has led the way offensively as senior Richie Berry (17.9) and junior Nik Brown (20.4) are both averaging better than 17 points per
game. Brown had 24 against Madison -- his sixth 20-point performance of
the season -- and Berry was the high-scorer with 21 against South Lakes.
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. 13, 2010) - There is a reason we call our single game scoring
charts "Hot Shots" because these athletes can shoot! On Tuesday there
were two big-time performances with Stone Bridge High School's Nik Brown
setting the school record with 35 points and Loudoun County High
School's Brittany Batts tying her own school record with eight
3-pointers on the way to 30 points.
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
By Matt Brooks
Sunday, January 17, 2010
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
JAN. 22, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
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.
JAN. 29, 2010- VIVA LOUDOUN.BLOGSPOT.COM
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
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Saturday, January 30, 2010
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
By
Matt Vecchio
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Stone Bridge basketball head coach Sonny Green
led the Bulldogs to a 13-6 record this season, but lost a heartbreaker
at McLean 70-67 in overtime on Feb. 18. The Loudoun Independent caught
up with Green on Feb. 16 to discuss season performances and what to
expect from Stone Bridge basketball in the future.
Are Nik Brown and Richie Berry the best 1-2 punch in the district?
Nik was the district player of the year and Richie was first team all
district. They combined for 40 points a game. In my opinion, they are.
It’s not just their ability to score, but their ability to create shots
for other players.
APR. 7, 2010- THE WASHINGTON POST.cOM
All-Met Honorable Mention
Nik Brown Stone Bridge
Jr.
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
RANK
NAME
SCHOOL
TOTAL
1
Timothy Floyd
Lanham Christian
27
2
Ray Gatling
Oxon Hill
25
3
Angelo Adon
Kennedy
24
4
Antonio Harris
Stuart
24
5
Markel Starks
Georgetown Prep
24
6
Daryl Traynham
Wise
23
7
Donte Thomas
Ballou
23
8
Justin Drummond
Riverdale Baptist
23
9
Max Lennox
W.T. Woodson
22
10
Nik Brown
Stone Bridge
22
2008-09 VARSITY SEASON
DEC. 1, 2008- DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Liberty District
Stone Bridge Bulldogs
Ashburn (school opened 2000)
Newcomers to Watch:Nik Brown (transfer from Paul VI), Richie Berry (transfer), Brian Slay (didn't go out last year), Kyle Gouveia (up from JV)
DEC. 3, 2008- DIGITAL SPORTS.com
SB Boys Win First Liberty Game Since '06-07
Sophomore transfer pours in 27 for Bulldogs
(Dec. 3, 2008) - The Stone Bridge High School boys basketball team
captured its first AAA Liberty District contest in two seasons with a
season-opening 70-56 victory over Thomas Jefferson Tuesday night in
Alexandria.
The Bulldogs -- with injuries and football players still inactive
after their season finished Saturday -- were shorthanded, having to
call up a JV player to get eight in uniform but sophomore transfer Nik
Brown poured in 27 points to lead Stone Bridge to the win.
Seniors Ricci Patrick Scored 15 and Jerel Wright added 10 for
Stone Bridge with another transfer, junior Richie Berry, scoring nine
points. The Bulldogs used a big third
quarter, out-scoring TJ 23-6, to pull away in the contest.
Last year, SB scored 70 or more points only one time and TJ
managed to hold the Bulldogs to 25 total points in the final regular
season game of the 2007-08 season.
DEC. 4, 2008- DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Boys' Basketball: Northern Region Preview
By Angela Watts Assistant GM, Washington D.C. Metro Area
"DISTRICT PREVIEWS"
LIBERTY
Stone Bridge already did something in the first week of the season that
it couldn't do last year -- win a district game as sophomore transfer Nik Brown (Paul
VI) poured in 27 points in the Bulldogs 70-56 win over Thomas
Jefferson. Bulldog coach Sonny Green is looking to run an up-tempo
style this year with a roster full of guards including Michael Prince, Ryan Lowdermilk and another transfer, Richie Berry
DEC. 10, 2008- GAMEDAY
MAGAZINE.COM
Loudoun County Cager Report (Boys)
By Richard Colven - Senior Editor Gameday Magazine.com
December 10, 2008
Finally, stepping outside of Dulles district for a minute, coach
Sonny
Green's Stone Bridge Bulldogs will also be led by several underclassman,
even with his full contingent of players who are working into the flow
after the football season. The Bulldogs stand at 3-1 on the season and
are led by sophomore G Nik Brown with 18 ppg. Also, 5'10" sophomore PG
Ryan Lowdermilk has started each game for the Bulldogs and looks
comfortable running the offense and in the frenetic pressure defensive
sets, and 5'10" sophomore G Kyle Gouveia is a key reserve off the bench.
DEC. 26, 2008-
DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Leesburg Honda Holiday Basketball Tournament
In
the second boys game, Stone Bridge opened with its up-tempo
transition working nicely as the Bulldogs scored 21 in the first quarter
to lead 21-14 but Titan senior DeAndre
Albritton did a nice job of controlling the tempo in the game
and the despite the fact he battled leg cramps, he finished with a
game-high 30 points.
The
Bulldogs got 26 points from sophomore Nik
Brown and 17 from junior Richie
Berry.
DEC. 28, 2008-
DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Leesburg Honda Holiday
Basketball
In
the second boys game, Stone Bridge showed its two offensive
sides in the first half, reeling off 25 points in the first quarter
behind the knock-down 3-point shooting of Nate Ingersoll and Michael
Prince, who combined for five treys in the quarter. Broad Run,
however, poured in 21 points in the quarter to keep pace. In the second
quarter, Stone Bridge was held to one field goal and three points.
Nik Brown scored
nine of his
team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs tried to mount
a rally. Ingersoll finished with 12, all on 3-pointers.
DEC. 29, 2008-
DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Leesburg Honda
Holiday Tournament
In the second boys game, Loudoun
Valley sprinted by Stone Bridge,
79-62. The Vikes finished 2-1 and the host Bulldogs were winless.
Stone
Bridge was led by senior Nate
Ingersoll who had four 3-pointers and a team-high 18 points. Bulldog sophomore Nik
Brown added 13 for Stone Bridge which could prevent
the Vikings from
scoring at will in their transition game.
JAN. 4, 2009- GAMEDAY
MAGAZINE.COM
Loudoun's Floor
Generals Leading The Way
By Richard Colven - Senior Editor Gameday Magazine.com
January 4, 2009
At Stone Bridge, ball handling duties are shared in Sonny Green's
up-tempo scheme, but sophomore Nik Brown usually gets his hand on it.
The Paul VI transfer also finds himself with many of the leadership
burdens as he tries to be the heart of a team mired in a 5 game losing
streak. Averaging 15.3 points, he has a quick first step, but has some
difficulty with squaring his shot. The future is bright for Brown,
however, including the very near future as he grows into the Bulldogs
leader.
FEB. 3, 2009- DIGITAL SPORTS.com
Boys Hoops: Stone Bridge 69, Marshall 58
By Dan Sousa
LoudounPrepSports.com Senior Content Editor
Ashburn (Feb. 2, 2009)
- Stone Bridge High School boys basketball coach Sonny Green
told his team prior to
Monday night's game with Marshall that the playoffs were starting for
the Bulldogs now. Struggling with five straight defeats, the Bulldogs
were looking to better their seeding for the quickly approaching AAA
Liberty District tournament.
When the Statesmen
opened up a 11-0 lead to start the contest it appeared as if Stone
Bridge was truly living its own Groundhog Day, but Stone Bridge kepts
its composure and chipped away at the lead the remainder of the first
half and then smothered Marshall in the third quarter and rolled to a
69-58 victory.
"I've never seen anything
like this in my life, the way this district is. No game is safe. You go
into every game and you know it's going to be a battle," said Green
whose team at 5-6 in district can finish anywhere from second place to
last place depending on how they do in their remaining three regular
season games against McLean, Thomas Jefferson and South Lakes.
"I think right
now, how we played against Marshall, we can run the table, take the next
three wins and go into the playoffs with a winning streak," said
sophomore Nik Brown, who scored a
game-high 19 points, including eight in the third quarter when the
Bulldogs out-scored Marshall, 21-9. Brown also had five rebounds and
five assists.
Marshall
(4-7, 5-14) had defeated Stone Bridge (5-6, 7-12) earlier in the season
and it appeared the Statesmen were poised to do it again Monday when
they shut out Stone Bridge for more than four miinutes to open an 11-0
lead. "We
gave them a 11-0 start, but after that we settled down and chipped
away," said Green.
Stone Bridge finally cracked
the scoreboard with 3:46 left in the first quarter as Prince finished
in the transition off a nice pass from Brown. It was the transition game
that got the Bulldogs back in the contest, something that Brown said
was missing during SB's skid. "Last
couple of games we didn't push the ball like we have been all season.
Today we came out, pushed the ball, got up the court and got some easy
buckets," said Brown.
"We stressed getting
movement on offense ... in the first half we weren't moving the ball
very well," said Green.
Brown and Berry were
very active in the third with Berry turning a steal into a layin to make
it 35-34 and Stone Bridge took its first lead of the night, 36-35 with
4:59 left in the third, on two free throws by Jerel Wright.
Brown, who
played at Paul VI last season, hit the last three baskets of the quarter
for Stone Bridge, the first on a great one-on-one move, the next on a
putback and finally the last came after he milked the clock down to five
seconds left in the quarter. That sent the Bulldogs into the final
frame ahead, 51-42.
Marshall was able to trim
the lead to five points at 58-53 with 3:56 left in the contest after Umar Ahmed scored
inside and
Whittington husteled to put back in his own 3-point attempt. Berry,
however, had the answer with a transition basket and Ingersoll fielded a
loose ball on the back side of the basket and put it away for a 62-53
lead. Stone Bridge then went 7 of 8 at the line to salt the win.
FEB. 18, 2009-
CONNECTION NEWSPAPERS.COM
Liberty District Boys Basketball
Honors
By Jason Mackey Wednesday, February 18, 2009
2008-09 Liberty District Boys Basketball
Honors
Second
Team Spencer de Mars -- Jefferson Barrett Hunter --
Langley Nik Brown -- Stone Bridge Dylan Robeson -- W.T. Woodson Bryan
Whittington -- Marshall