Nansemond River’s Fall Ball league wrapped up Saturday morning with Norcom taking the championship game, 66-54 over the Warriors.

Earlier in the morning, the Warriors got through the semifinal game against Tallwood, 59-49, on the backs of Andre Jones’ and Mark Brown’s combined second-half efforts.

With a slim three-point lead at the half, Jones and Brown scored 24 of River’s 28 second-half points to keep the Lions at bay.

The Warriors led 28-18 a few minutes before the half before Tallwood ran off 10 unanswered points.

Vaughn Wilson’s three ended the half at 31-28 River, but after controlling Tallwood’s offense, and pressing them into many turnovers, for all but about four minutes worth of the half, River held just that small lead to show for it.

A pair of Tallwood dunks gave the Lions a 42-39 lead about seven minutes into the second half.

Jones’s slashing drive and lay-up down the middle of the lane put River back in front, 44-42, and from that basket on, River’s offense was almost all Jones and Brown.

Brown canned a 17-foot jumper next time down with 11 minutes left; and on Tallwood’s next possession, Brown stole a pass near the top of the key, led a three-on-one break to the other end, and dished to his right for Jones who flushed a right-handed jam over the lone Lion defender, pushing the score to 48-42.

Jones scored 14 points after the half, and 21 for the game.

Brown scored 10 of his 13 total points in the second half.

Wilson had 12 points and five assists.

Maybe more important than the scoring, Brown also piled up five rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks.

In the league final, River was attempting to avenge an earlier loss to Norcom, and the early minutes were going River’s way.

Nick Wright’s offensive rebound and put-back, followed by a Brown transition lay-up off a Wilson steal and pass, put the Warriors ahead 18-11 with 10:46 in the half.

A 9-0 Norcom run got the lead with about six minutes remaining.

A fast break Wright dunk regained a 29-28 lead for River just before the half, but Norcom scored the last two buckets of the half and did not give up the lead for the rest of the game.

Jones was River’s leading scorer again, with 18 points.

Wilson and Wright were the only other Warriors in double-figures with 12 and 10 points respectively.

Wright also recorded eight boards and five blocks.

andrew.giermak@suffolknewsherald.com