varsity.roanoke.com

JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

William Fleming's Eric Thomas (34) puts up a shot in front of George Washington's Stephen Coles during Tuesday night's Western Valley District game.

JARED SOARES The Roanoke Times

William Fleming High's Jamelle Hagins fights for a rebound with George Washington players.

Clearly something was missing Tuesday night at William Fleming.

Maybe it was Fleming assistant basketball coach Marshall Ashford, who was a late arrival after attending the funeral of former Virginia Tech teammate Dexter Reid.

Maybe it was elbow room, which had disappeared an hour before tipoff in the Colonels' cramped facility.

Or maybe it was shots, misfires from all angles by Fleming in the first half against Western Valley District- rival George Washington.

Undeterred, Fleming rallied from an eight-point deficit with 3:30 to play as the Colonels edged GW 57-50 in a battle of unbeatens, handing the Eagles their first regular-season loss to a Virginia public school in three seasons.

"We're blessed," Fleming coach Mickey Hardy said. "We played hard for four quarters. Of course GW's got a great basketball club, but I'm so proud of our guys for hanging in there. That's what basketball's about."

GW (10-1, 0-1) scored the first eight points of the game and led by as many as 12 in the second quarter, as Fleming made just 6 of 29 shots from the field with star guard Troy Daniels making 2-of-14.

However, it was Daniels who hit the game's biggest shot, a 3-pointer with 54.1 seconds remaining to give the Colonels the lead for good at 53-50.

"It felt when it left my hands," Daniels said. "I hadn't been hitting all day. When I shot, I lost a little bit of confidence, but I knew it was going."

GW led 50-42 before Fleming's comeback started on a drive down the lane by 6-foot-7 center Jamelle Hagins, who finished with 15 points. Stephon Anderson added a fast-break layup, then Hagins hit a shot bank shot to cut the Eagles' lead to 50-48.

"I'm usually always the one lagging behind, but tonight the energy in the building was so high I had to get out," Anderson said.

Daniels, who finished with a game-high 23 points, tied the game on a pair of free throws with 1:43 to play. On the other end, GW executed a perfect inbounds play for a wide open layup by Rodney Carter, but he missed the shot and Daniels rebounded.

"Oh my gracious," Hardy said. "I don't know what happened on that. It was a blown assignment for sure. He had a wide-open look."

Daniels was the guilty party.

"I did lose him," the Fleming senior said. "I knew it was going in. It was a tough shot because a lot of people were screening, and the pressure was on because the score was tied."

GW had a chance to tie after Daniels' go-ahead 3-pointer, but Chris White misfired from beyond the key. White scored all 15 of his points on 3-pointers, but didn't score in the fourth quarter as Anderson picked up the pace defensively after getting lost behind some early screens.

"I was a little more physical with him," Anderson said. "He started getting a little frustrated."

GW coach Bobby Martin will have plenty of time for the Jan. 30 rematch in Danville.

"I give them credit, but I think we gave one away," Martin said. "We don't do anything for moral victories. We'll learn from it."

GEORGE WASHINGTON (10-1, 0-1)

Jones 0 0-0 0, D.Carter 1 1-2 3, Coles 7 2-3 16, Barksdale 2 0-0 5, Stone 2 0-0 5, G.Wimbush 0 1-2 1, White 5 0-0 15, R.Carter 2 0-0 5, Clark 0 0-0 0, Boyer 0 0-0 0, Slade 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 4-7 50.

WILLIAM FLEMING (9-0, 1-0)

Daniels 6 8-9 23, Thomas 0 5-11 5, Hagins 7 1-2 15, Manning 0 0-0 0, Anderson 6 0-0 12, Jones 1 0-0 2, Henderson 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 14-22 57.

George Washington 14 9 13 14--50

William Fleming 5 13 17 22--57

3-point-goals -- George Washington 8 (White 5, Barksdale, R.Carter, Stone), William Fleming 3 (Daniels 3). JV -- George Washington won 60-53.