West Potomac Tops Hayfield, Advances to Regional Finals

2/27/26: The West Potomac Wolverines defeated the Hayfield Hawks 51–43 in a competitive Occoquan Regional semifinal matchup. With the win, West Potomac advances to the championship game against South County High School on Saturday, February 28th at 4 p.m. at Robinson Secondary School.

West Potomac improves to 22–5 on the season, while Hayfield finished 25–3.

The Wolverines were led by Dawn Houston, who scored 17 points. Abby Beddis added 12 points and orchestrated the offense with several key assists, including a beautiful backdoor pass to Delores Harkless and two feeds to Lina Hashimi for baskets. Harkless contributed 10 points and played outstanding defense on Hayfield standout Mariah Overton, holding one of the Hawks’ top scorers to just four points. West Potomac was able to limit another Hayfield scoring threat, Eva Phillips, to just three points for the night.

Despite the loss, Alexis Cox was the star for Hayfield, finishing with a game-high 22 points. One of the few players in the area who consistently creates her own shot off the dribble, Cox kept the Hawks within striking distance. After a frustrating first half marked by strong West Potomac defense and a few turnovers, Cox found her rhythm in the second half, scoring eight points in the third quarter to spark a Hayfield push.

Although West Potomac maintained the lead throughout the second half, Hayfield mounted a late third-quarter rally. A Phillips three-pointer electrified the crowd and cut the deficit to two. However, Beddis quickly answered with an assist to Hashimi, pushing the lead back to four entering the final quarter.

The Wolverines sealed the victory at the free-throw line, converting ten straight free throws in the fourth quarter.

The focus now shifts to Saturday’s championship matchup. West Potomac will enter as heavy underdogs against South County, having lost three previous meetings this season by 24, 10, and 18 points. But West Potomac is a good team, and if they can come out strong and minimize their early turnovers, anything is possible.