Photo Gallery; In-Game Thread; Standings

In true Cinderella fashion, the fifth-seeded Bullis Bulldogs completed their phenomenal tournament run on Tuesday night with their third victory over a higher-seed opponent in the three-round IAC Tournament. This time it mattered more than ever, as the action-packed, 51-49 triumph over the second-seed Landon Bears gifted the Bulldogs with the Championship, becoming the lowest seed ever to win the tournament.

A day after their surprise victory over Georgetown Prep, the Bulldogs came out to show the IAC and D.C. sports communities that it was no fluke, and that they had indeed just peaked at the right time. The Bulldogs, in fact, won more IAC games in the three-game tournament than in the actual regular season.

Although Landon picked up the all-important banner for the overall championship regardless, due to the IAC points system whereby teams are awarded points based on their regular season and tournament performances, the tournament championship was all up for grabs and Bullis reached up to pull out the shocker when they needed it most. An electric atmosphere set the tone for the remarkable game that was to follow, as both teams put on a show in front of the completely packed Bullis gym, highlighted by the two spirited and rambunctious student sections in opposite corners.

“There’s no question we went through a tough stretch this season, but to see our guys come back and show this kind of resiliency is just phenomenal,” said Bulldog’s head coach Bruce Kelly after the game. “They’ve been giving their best effort all season but haven’t always been getting the results, so to give their best effort tonight and get the win too is what we’ve been fighting for all year.”

As much as Bullis may not have been expected to win, the first two minutes of the game did not do much to help their cause. Landon jumped right out of the gate and stormed to a 7-0 lead, off the back of senior Danny Rubin who scored the first five points of the game. The Bulldogs lived up to the persevering reputation they had built up over the tournament though, as they came right back to not only tie it back up, but also then take their first lead from a Ryan Wright three-pointer.

With the home crowd willing them on, Bullis continued their run, eventually extending it to as much as 15-2, led by some formidable play from Wright, Andre Hodo, and Robert Sampson, before Landon finally responded. Eventually a layup from Landon sophomore Joe McDonald tied the score up at 15 before the end of the quarter, a quarter that proved just how right the phrase, “basketball is a game of runs,” can be.

The Bears tried to gear their play up a level in the second, and although a greater intensity appeared to be present, they still struggled to execute some of the opportunities they were creating. Again, both teams spent periods of time holding the lead, but even at times when Landon looked like they were about to break the game open, the Bulldogs continued to play tough and hang in. They were rewarded at the end of the half, when sophomore Joe Hazel hit a three right before the buzzer to give them a two-point halftime lead at 30-28.

Landon has proven throughout the season that they are an unquestionably talented team, so the Bulldogs knew it would be down to them to keep hustling and winning 50-50 balls no matter what. For the most part, the third quarter was their best example of this.

Robert Sampson, who had been commanding the low-post for Bullis for most of the game, came outside to hit a three early. It was sophomore Addison Sarter who invigorated the Bears back into the game, as he hit two consecutive three-pointers to grab the lead back. A three-pointer from Delonte Wellington dropped soon after and it appeared as though the Bears were rolling once more. But, as they had done before, Bullis came right back for an 8-0 run to end the quarter, including three-pointers from Wright and Billy Reilly.

Although the third presented a considerably more turnover-filled quarter than the previous ones, perhaps due to fatigue, the energy was still certainly alive. A 43-39 lead going into the final quarter had the Bulldogs pumped, but it was far from over, as the “game of runs” continued.

Bullis continued to extend their run into the fourth, and created a lead as big as seven points early, their biggest one of the game. Another Hazel three-pointer from the top of the key capitalized the run, but Landon kept focused and persistent. McDonald, who had led the Bears admirably all night, continued to show up when they needed him most, as his second three-pointer of the affair played a big part in inspiring his teammates back into the game.

Darion Atkins, who had been relatively quiet on the offensive end for most of the game, stayed resilient in the back to prevent Bullis from ever running away with it, or picking up any easy points. Signs of frustration crept into the Landon offense as the minutes wound down, as a few ill-advised shots as opposed to a more patient approach prevented them from retaking the lead for themselves.

Nonetheless, as expected, the Bears got themselves right back into the game as they started to take advantage of more of the opportunities being created by their defense. Eventually they got it all the way back to a one-point game at 50-49 with just less than a minute to play. On what Bullis may have expected to be their final possession, Hazel put up a three-pointer as the shot clock ticked down, and the game clock dropped below 35. Although the shot rimmed out, Bullis were able to recover it, and the Bears were forced to start fouling.

After Hodo made the front end of his one-and-one, the Bears paced down the court patiently, waiting for the last shot. Eventually, McDonald put one up with around four seconds left, it rimmed out, there was a scramble under the basket as the Bears tried to recover for the game tying put-back. But as the buzzer sounded, it was too late, and the ecstatic Bullis student section immediately stormed onto the court to celebrate the upset victory.

“It’s so gratifying when, as a coach, you see your team reach its full potential,” exclaimed a joyful Coach Kelly after the win. “We had a lot of obstacles that we struggled to get by this year, but we knew all along that we had a strong core of players. The greater life lesson these guys will take from this is to keep fighting, keep working, and things don’t always come easy. But if you keep working at it, as we’ve seen there’s no limit to what a team can achieve.”

Although Landon had claimed the ultimate goal, the IAC banner, their championship season had a bittersweet ending. The boisterous Landon student section tried to remain upbeat after the game as they chanted “IAC”, but it almost seemed as though, at that point, it was all just a little too disappointing to take in.

“We definitely did want this one, nobody should doubt that,” admitted Landon Head Coach Andy Luther about the loss. “Of course we knew what we had accomplished already, but this was an important piece that we wanted to finish our season, and we are certainly disappointed to come up that little bit short.”

The future looks bright for the Bears, as young Joe McDonald led all scorers in the game with 21 points. Andre Hodo led a trio of double-digit scorers for the Bulldogs with his 12 points, and Robert Sampson was a point away from a double-double with 9 points and 11 rebounds.

“Obviously our guys knew what was at stake and what wasn’t going in to the game, but they were so motivated, and they wanted this one more than I’ve seen in a while,” said Kelly. “This is a special group of guys who have shown that their abilities are limitless, and I’m so proud of what they did tonight. They left everything on the floor.”

Scoring Summary 

Bullis: Hodo 12, Wright 11, Hazel 11, Sampson 9, Middleton 4, Reilly 3, Duruji 1 

Landon: McDonald 21, Rubin 7, Wellington 6, Sarter 6, Atkins 5, Kight 2, Hudnut 2