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Kernersville McGuinness boys top Weldon 72-56 for state 1-A championship
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Published: March 14, 2009
RALEIGH - The whistles came early and often. But the shrill noises were a sweet tune for Aaron Toomey.
Toomey scored 19 of his 35 points on free throws, leading Kernersville McGuinness past Weldon 72-56 in the Class 1-A North Carolina High School Athletic Association boys championship on Saturday.
Ross Diachenko added 14 points for the Villains (31-2), who blew open the game with a 22-1 run in the second half.
Weldon, which trailed 35-34 at halftime, took the lead on a pair of free throws 14 seconds into the second half. But the Chargers missed their first 14 field-goal attempts of the half, going more than 101/2 minutes without a basket as the Villains pulled away for the win.
"The difference in the game was the third quarter," McGuinness coach Josh Thompson said. "We defended and rebounded much better in the second half. Everybody stepped up their play from the first half to the second half."
Toomey, the game's MVP, missed just two foul shots en route to setting a championship-game record for successful free throws. He was 19 of 21 from the line and flourished in a physical game that featured 53 fouls, 34 of which were called on Weldon.
Toomey made 12 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter as the Chargers pressured him while trying to cut into the lead.
"Teams have been doing that to me all year," Toomey said. "I just try to keep my head and not worry about the other team and what they're doing to me and just play my game."
Cameron Staten scored 11 points to lead Weldon (26-2) and Desmond Faulcon added 10 points.
The Chargers, who saw their 25-game winning streak end, were called for 10 fouls in the first quarter. Four of their players fouled out, and the Villains took advantage of their opportunities by making 32 of 42 free throws.
"I won't say it took us out of our game, but it kind of frustrated us," Faulcon said. "We're used to playing really physical, and it changed our whole mind. We had to back up and try to play their game."
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