DuVal Team Puts Pressure on League With 4-Win Streak

Riverdale's Tianna Hawkins hauls in one of her game-high 16 rebounds over Forest Park's Shayla Drakeford. Hawkins also led the Dec. 29 game with 15 points. (By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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Every day that the Knights were allowed.

So that's off for Christmas and New Year's Day and the day before each holiday, as well as Sunday. And practice every other day.

"I've got a lot of kids who have never played before," Knights Coach Irv Hay said. "I thought it was better to put in stuff that we wanted to put in. I thought that was more rewarding for us."

With forward Branden Waters (20.3 points per game) the only senior among Forestville's top five scorers, Hay said it was an easy decision.

The Knights entered this week 3-2 with close losses to Friendly and Gwynn Park, suggesting that perhaps Forestville could make some noise in the Maryland 1A playoffs next month.

To break up the monotony of practice, Hay said that one day the team had ice cream and cake to celebrate some players' birthdays.

Another day, the junior varsity and varsity players had a pizza party.

"Younger kids want to practice," Hay said. "They want to become good."

Sister Act

The International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, better known as IAABO, each year hosts what is arguably the most competitive girls' basketball holiday tournament in the Washington area.

It's a deep field, but the event last month was a success for two county teams.

Top-ranked Riverdale Baptist and No. 12 Wise, along with Northwestern, Largo, C.H. Flowers and DuVal, took part in the three-day event at Flowers. Riverdale (10-2 through Monday) won the tournament, capturing the final by a decisive 24 points over No. 4 Forest Park of Prince William County. Sisters Tierra and Tianna Hawkins each averaged 14 points per game. Tierra, a 6-1 junior, also pulled down 12 rebounds in the finals, and Tianna, a 6-3 senior headed to Maryland, grabbed 16.

On Monday, Forest Park and Riverdale played again (a previously scheduled contest), and the host Crusaders again prevailed, 54-41, behind a powerhouse, 19-point, 16-rebound effort from Tianna Hawkins.