Boys’ Basketball : Seahawks Sixth at Pine Bluff : Ocean View Contains Reid, but Is Beaten by Kempsville, 48-45

Ocean View High School limited heralded 6-foot 10-inch center J.R. Reid of Kempsville to only 14 points and 6 rebounds, but the Seahawks still lost, 48-45, Saturday in the consolation championship of the King Cotton tournament.

Reid, rated the top prep player in the nation by most scouting services, had only one field goal in the first half and was outplayed by Seahawk center Ricky Butler before 1,000 fans in the Pine Bluff Convention Center.

Reid played a supporting role as Chief guard Buddy Whitehurst scored 15 points, including a free throw with two seconds remaining to seal the victory. Whitehurst made 7 of 10 field-goal attempts, taking advantage of a Seahawk zone that packed inside against Reid and left Whitehurst wide open.

The Seahawks (10-3) had to be content with sixth place in the eight-team tournament. They were seeded second behind the nation’s top-ranked team, Flint Hill Prep of Oakton, Va., but lost two of three games after traveling 2,000 miles to this farming community.

In both losses, Ocean View set a pattern of falling behind early, rallying to gain the lead, then losing it down the stretch. This time, the Seahawks trailed, 14-4, in the first quarter and then opened a 27-23 lead at halftime.

But Kempsville made 10 of 11 from the field in the third quarter to take a 44-40 lead, and then the teams slowed down the pace in the last quarter as the Chiefs held on for their seventh win in nine games.

Kempsville held a 46-40 lead with 5:34 remaining following a basket by Reid. Neither team scored again until Seahawk guard Blaine DeBrouwer made two free throws three minutes later.

Ocean View sliced the deficit to two points, 46-44, with 2:03 left when Desi Hazely scored on a follow shot and had three chances to tie the game after Butler stole a pass.

First, Hazely had a shot blocked by the ever-present Reid, who blocked six shots. Then Butler missed two follow shots, and all Kempsville had to do was hold on to the ball for the final minute for the win.

But that was asking too much. Butler stole a pass with 51 seconds remaining, but was called for traveling as he set for a short bank shot. Again, all Kempsville had to do was run out the clock, but the Chiefs failed to get the ball into the frontcourt in the allotted 10 seconds and Ocean View had another chance with 31 seconds left.

The Seahawks called a timeout and planned to work the ball inside to Butler. Butler had gone over Reid for three baskets in the second half, and he tried again with nine seconds remaining. He missed an easy shot, but was fouled by Reid.

Butler made one free throw to cut Kempsville’s lead to 46-45, but Reid countered with a free throw with eight seconds left, Ocean View committed a turnover and then Whitehurst completed the scoring with one more free throw.

“We had way too many turnovers (18) and we’re just not letting loose,” said Jim Harris, Ocean View coach. “I thought we did a good job of taking Reid out of his game, but Whitehurst filled it up. We decided at halftime to see if he could continue scoring like he did, and he did.

“I told the players I didn’t want three guys around Reid with the way Whitehurst was shooting, but every time I looked up, Whitehurst was all alone and there were three guys around Reid.”

Butler, who was named to the all-tournament team, made 6 of 9 field-goal attempts and was 4 of 5 at the line for a game-high 16 points. He also had nine rebounds.

The junior took control in the second half after DeBrouwer and Tony Panzica supplied the scoring in the opening half. The guards had eight points each at halftime, but Panzica was shut out in the second half, and DeBrouwer had only two points after intermission.

“You look at our potential and it’s scary,” Harris said. “But we’re playing tentatively and not attacking. It’s an attitude problem.

“I thought we showed we can play with any team here, but the players weren’t confident against these teams. They were wondering if they belonged here.”

OCEAN VIEW (45)--Hazely 9, Vogtmann 2, Butler 16, DeBrouwer 10, Panzica 8.

KEMPSVILLE (48)--Williams 4, Brown 5, Reid 14, Mungo 10, Whitehurst 15.