RICHMOND, Va. (WTKR) — It looked pretty at times and at others it looked like things were coming apart but the Hampton boys put the finishing touches on a banner year with yet another banner.
The Crabbers survived a last-minute run from Tuscarora to claim the Class 5 state championship with a 66-63 win, the program's first state title since 2012.
"It means everything, we're really marking our history," said senior guard Malik Johnson. "Nothing can be taken away from this team."
Hampton looked to be running away with the game in the fourth quarter. A Gavin Kay dunk gave them a 54-39 lead with 3:54 to go. A small run was nullified by Eric Brown's group, getting the lead to 60-49 with 1:28 left.
That's when the Huskies got one last punch in. Highlighted by four three-pointers, Tuscarora launched into a 14-4 run to close the gap down to 64-63 with 0:35 left in the game. A pair of Daron Baugh free throws would grow the lead back to three but give the Huskies one more shot.
The Crabbers defense found a way again, forcing a missed triple as time expired to close out the win.
"They do it to me every game. Every game, we jump out early and then let them come back," Brown said. "They made some big-time shots, we were right there on some of those shots and they were still going down."
"Once that time went out, I'm just happy. I can't be happier."
Abraham led the way for the Crabbers with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Kay posted 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor.
It puts a cap on a season that saw Hampton lose to just one team, falling to a Woodside program that plays for a Class 5 state title on Saturday.
"We're going to be here next year too," Taft said. "We're making history. I'm too happy."
"We don't have one guy that stands out. It's a complete group effort," Brown said. "That's why this team is so special, because it's a complete straight team from one to 15."
Brown, who led the program to its sixth state title, was the interim head coach when the team last won a state title in 2012.
"I told them, 'You've had a great year,'" Brown said. "'But there's a championship on the other side, you still got to have the cherry on the top.' They got that cherry and now they're holding this trophy up."
