Warriors stymied by Chapel Hill in tourney championship

The Herald-Sun | Christine T. Nguyen

Chapel Hill's Jamison Richmond (40) and Stephen Himmelberg (3) defend against J.F. Webb's Stefan Cates during the 3-A Conference tournament championship Friday night.

J.F. Webb had its chances, but the shots weren’t falling Friday night in the Warriors’ 47-42 loss to host Chapel Hill in the Carolina Conference Tournament championship.

Down 45-42 with 11 seconds to play, Devonte Williams misfired on 3-point attempt for Webb. The Warriors got the rebound, but Stefan Cates couldn’t connect either and Chapel Hill sealed the game at the free throw line with three seconds on the clock, avenging its loss to Webb in last season’s tourney title.

“I thought we got good looks,” said Webb coach Leo Brunelli. “They didn’t go in. That’s just part of the game.”

The Tigers (22-4), who drew the top seed for the tourney after tying with Webb (21-5) in the regular season, earned a No. 1 seed for the 3-A state playoffs, which begin Monday.

Webb trailed 43-42 for two minutes and 47 seconds.

Isaiah Hicks, who finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five blocks, missed a jumper from the left elbow with 1:57 to play before Chapel Hill played keep-away, avoiding a turnover and Warrior foul until 26 seconds were left.

Chapel Hill’s Elliott Orenstein then missed the front end of a one-and-one. Webb’s Mitron Terry came down with the rebound, but lost the ball out of bounds.

A pair of Stephen Himmelberg free throws made it 45-42.

“We have to play to the strengths of our team,” said Chapel Hill coach Tod Morgan. “That’s one of those areas where I think late in the game, we have to be strong with the ball and make free throws to have a chance to pull out wins.”

All six of Hicks’ rebounds came in the first quarter. With North Carolina coach Roy Williams and a handful of his players looking on, the Tar Heel recruit scored only four points in the second half.

“When (the officials) let them play that physical, it makes it tough,” said Brunelli. “I don’t think next year he’ll have people tagging him as much as they allowed (tonight). And he’ll be in the ACC. But they were consistent, whether I agree with it or not. If it’s consistent, I can’t say much.”

Chapel Hill outscored Webb in bench points, 21-0.

Five of the Tigers' six 3-pointers came in the first half.

                              1       2       3       4       FINAL

WEBB                    7     18      8       9         42

CHAPEL HILL       16    15      6       10       47

WEBB — Devonte Williams 9, Isaiah Hicks 15, Mitron Terry 6, Stefan Cates 10, Tyrek Beverly 2.
CHAPEL HILL — Stephen Himmelberg Jr. 6, Anthony Vanhook 6, Jamarius Jones 2, Elliot Orenstein 4, Shane Turner 3, Andrew Grant 5, Brian Thornton 2, Ryan Hegedus 11, Treshawn Craig 8.

Contact the writer at kholtzman@hendersondispatch.com.