By Sara Page, Midlothian Exchange
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The Trinity Episcopal and Colonial Heights boys’ basketball teams were evenly matched in all quarters except one in Saturday’s E. Dale Travis Tournament final at Trinity Episcopal School.

The Titans forced five turnovers and outscored the Colonials 23-14 in the second quarter to earn the tournament championship by a 69-52 score line.

Trinity guard Trey Smith fired up the offense from the perimeter in the first half of the second quarter. He pestered the Colonial Height’s offense, grabbing two steals including one that he took coast-to-coast for points. The Titans patiently worked the ball inside to Cole Larrabee and Jack Fletcher, who combined for eight of the Titans points.

In the second half of the quarter, the Titans threw all caution to the wind. Back up quarterback Zach Swift and tight end Nick Almond looked like they were back on the football field, hooking up alternately for long, down-court passes and short, quick screens. Almond started the run with a kick out to Swift, who netted a three-pointer from the right corner. Swift picked up two more on a conventional play to the middle then hit both sides of a one-and-one foul to put Trinity in the driver’s seat 31-20.

Swift drew a charge on the defensive end and Torey Burston capped the inbounding play with a layup on the other end.

The Titans held a 35-23 lead going into the locker room. However, the Colonials switched to a full-court press in the second half which met some success.

Colonial Heights got two quick steals to open the third period, and began targeting Larrabee and Fletcher while on offense. The Colonials got the ball in to center Taylor Kochuba, who forced the ball up and got the basket and the foul.

Colonial Heights got a quick defensive stop and put the ball back in Kochuba’s hands. Again, he drew a foul. Kochuba converted both shots to cut the Titan lead to nine.
Trinity adjusted with a press of its own. Swift and Evan McGill picked up steals on the outside to help keep the Trinity lead to 10.

“Colonial Heights is really athletic,” Almond said afterward. “They play really good defense and had lots of steals so it was difficult for us … We knew we just had to play our game, score some points and play some defense.”

The Titan offensive effort picked back up in the fourth quarter.

Swift exploited the open baseline to extend the lead to 16 midway through the quarter, and Nick Markunas helped put the game away, converting four consecutive scoring opportunities.

“We have a simple motion offense,” Almond said. “When they run zone, we just work the ball around good, and we see who’s open and make good passes.”

Trinity finished with three players in double digits: Swift with 19 and Almond and Larrabee with 10 each. McGill pulled down 11 boards.

Leading Colonial Heights was Tyler Drewes with 26 points and Kochuba with 11.

Named to the all-tournament team were Terrence Northington from Appomattox Regional Governor’s School; Drewes and Thomas Rawlings from Colonial Heights; and McGill, Larrabee and Almond from Trinity Episcopal. Almond was named tournament MVP.