By HELEN RUISI, LARRY TARR

By HELEN RUISI, LARRY TARR

and DUANE FUNK

Entering the final week of its season, Wakefield’s varsity basketball team has now concluded its conference schedule and has one game remaining before the Delaney Conference Tournament. In the last week, Wakefield hosted St. Anne’s Belfield and completed its conference schedule with two games against the school.

In the first game of the week, Wakefield hosted rival Seton School. The Owls started the game sluggishly and by the end of the first quarter the Wakefield team found themselves behind 19-11. Unfortunately, the break between periods did not help Wakefield’s offense as the Owls were left with a 13-point deficit at halftime.

With the start of the second half, Wakefield began to show signs of offense. During the third quarter Wakefield closed the gap to four points before Seton went into its four comer offense. With the Owls’ defense unable to stop Seton, the Wakefield team lost 62-51.

In the second game of the week, Wakefield hosted a strong St. Anne’s Belfield team which had defeated the Owls earlier in the season. Once again, Wakefield fell behind early in the first quarter but was able to tie the game by period’s end. With the start of the second quarter, Wakefield surprised the St. Anne’s team with a relentless defense which held them to 10 points in the quarter.

Larry Tarr of Warrenton scored six of his team’s 15 points, giving the Owls a 32-28 lead at the half. In the beginning of the second half, Wakefield built a nine-point lead against the visitors, but they went on to be out-scored and the teams were locked in a 48-48 tie as the game ended. In overtime, David Rowzie of Amissville was able to score four of his 12 points, but, even so, the Owls lost 53-52.

The final game of the week was a rematch against Seton. Unlike the previous game, Wakefield jumped ahead early in the first quarter. During the second quarter Wakefield increased its lead to nine points on several occasions behind six of Lee Poore’s eight points. With the start of the second half, Seton dissolved Wakefield’s lead little by little, and by the end of the third quarter, the game was tied 38-all.

In the final quarter, the teams traded baskets looking for opportunities to break open the game. With 30 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 44-all, Tarr of Warrenton and Ed McGushin of Haymarket each sank two free throws to give the Owls a 48-46 victory which knocked Seton out of first place in the conference.

Wakefield must now begin preparation for the Delaney Conference Tournament which will be held be