Their once-comfortable lead had dwindled to a mere six points, and their victory, an apparent fait accompli just a few minutes earlier, was now very much in doubt.
What could the Thomas Jefferson Vikings do, then, to stop Armstrong's much-to-gain, nothing-to-lose fourth-quarter comeback in the boys Change Bracket championship game in the 804 Coaches for Change Community Classic Saturday night at the Henrico Sports & Events Center?
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Temper the fast-forward pace that had reached Formula I proportions, for one thing. Make good decisions at both ends of the court, for another. And hit their shots, the safe ones their coaches were imploring them to take and the 15-foot, unguarded ones when the Wildcats were forced to foul in hopes of regaining possession.
Just in time, Coach Kendrick Warren's guys got the memo.
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The upshot was a well-earned 70-60 triumph over their longtime rival in a passionately contested, aggressively played battle on the big court which featured scrums galore and produced floor burns in abundance.
"We were rushing shots and not taking time running our offense," Warren said. "We tried to push the ball instead of slowing the game down and getting what we wanted."
With 5-7 junior Maurice Jefferson scoring 14 of his game-high 24 points, the Vikings (2-4) surged to a 23-15 lead after the first quarter.
"I was just staying consistent," said Johnson, who knocked down four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes. "We're in the gym almost every day after school putting up shots.
"I just trusted myself. I know my teammates trusted me. I love them for that."
The Wildcats (1-3) adjusted, of course, and limited Jefferson's offensive opportunities, but he adjusted as well.
"They had people to stop me," Jefferson said. "That's why I had my guys like Tyion (Thomas), Juice (meaning Justin Calloway), and my other teammates. They put me in the position to score. Then, I put them in position to score."
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TJ's Anthony Rosser opened the second period with a short jumper at 7:36 and a 3-pointer from the right wing at 6:10 to put the Vikings up 28-15.
After Armstrong called time to settle the troops, Jefferson connected on two free throws and Amari McCall (10 points) followed with a jumper at 4:07 and a steal and layup at 3:48 to give TJ a 34-15 lead.
The half ended with Warren's crew ahead 40-22. The Wildcats, though, were nowhere ready to go away.
With his team trailing 47-30 at 3:30 of the third quarter, Kyran Jones and Desmond Thomas (22 points) hit consecutive layups off assists by Devon Epps, who a moment later hit 1-of-2 from the line to cut TJ's advantage to 47-35.
The Wildcats were rejuvenated. Sensing an upset, they intensified their 1-2-1-1 full court pressure. They scrambled furiously. They crashed the boards with a vengeance.
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Down 51-39 after three quarters, they opened the fourth with consecutive buckets by Anthony Boston, Breontay Harris, and Thomas, all off press-generated steals before the Vikings could cross quarter court.
A minute in, the Vikings led just 51-45. Excitement reigned. Tension was palpable.
"The biggest problem was that we were in foul trouble," Warren said. "We didn't have any big guys (available). Their big guy, No. 33 (Epps, a 6-6 senior) wore us down. Anything he caught in the paint, he scored."
Epps finished with 20 points, eight of which came in the final period.
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With four minutes remaining, Armstrong's Thomas (22 points) scored on a sweet inside move to cut the Wildcats' deficit to six (55-49).
Try as they might, however, they could get no closer.
Though they outscored TJ 21-19 in the fourth quarter, the Vikings hit 4-of-5 well-chosen shots from the field (including a 3-ball by Thomas) and 10-of-11 free throws to stifle the comeback and seal the victory.
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TJ's Thomas, a 5-7 junior, scored 17 points, 10 of which came in the final 6:20 on a 3-pointer, two transition layups, and 3-for-3 from the line.
"We got desperate," he said the Vikings' brush with defeat. "We were rushing and taking crazy shots, and they jumped on us. When Amari (McCall) hit those free throws (to give TJ a 59-50 lead at 3:30), we were talking to each other and making sure we were on the same page. That's when we calmed down and did what we needed to do."
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