VIRGINIA BEACH — Salem High held a special ceremony Friday night to honor the 2001 Group AAA boys state championship basketball team.
And for three quarters, the No. 15 SunDevils nearly gave fans another reason to celebrate as they gave top-ranked Landstown all it could handle. But the Eagles (17-3) prevailed with a strong fourth quarter to come away with a 68-57 victory.
“We needed to get that win,” said Landstown coach Dwight Robinson. “It wasn’t our best effort. We were a little out of sync with the zone early. But it all worked out, and we won the game. That’s what’s important.”
The SunDevils, who had their six-game winning streak snapped, challenged the Eagles early as they took a 15-9 lead in the first quarter, led by guard Joziah Mincey and forward Terrell Lewis. Mincey scored a game-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers, and Lewis finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Landstown finished the quarter on a 6-0 run to tie the game.
Landtown’s Josiah Law shoots the ball against Salem’s Joziah Mincey during the second half at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Va., on Jan. 30, 2026. (Peter Casey / The Virginian-Pilot)
Salem (11-6) started fast in the second quarter as the SunDevils took a 22-18 lead. They also kept Landstown 6-foot-7 center Alan Walker in early foul trouble. He scored the first two points of the game, but was on the bench for much of the half.
“Big boy got in foul trouble. When he’s in the game, we’re a different animal,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if he played more than 14 minutes. But when he was in there, it allows our guards to drive.”
When Walker is in the game, it allows star guard Damien Robinson, Dwight’s son, to penetrate to the middle and then find the open man.
With Walker out, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run to end the first half and take a 24-22 lead into halftime.
Damien Robinson with basket. Landstown 24, Salem 22 1:16 pic.twitter.com/PISDUhOkpo
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) January 30, 2026
The Eagles would make their move in the third quarter thanks to Robinson, Walker and Josiah Law. They helped Landstown finish the quarter on an 8-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at seven.
The fourth quarter would be all Landstown as the Eagles started it with an 11-2 run. Walker, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds, had five dunks. Robinson finished with a team-high 18 points, plus six rebounds and four steals. Chase Johnson and Rashad Shaw also contributed with 10 points each.
Alan Walker with his fifth dunk. Landstown 59, Salem 47 (2:04) pic.twitter.com/PUf4SJAHlX
— Larry Rubama (@LHRubama) January 30, 2026
The Eagles also turned it up defensively as they held the SunDevils to 7-of-18 shooting in the fourth quarter and forced five turnovers.
“We went to a three-quarter trap, and I was saving that,” Dwight Robinson said. “I knew the first time we played them, we pressured them a little bit. But Josiah was so hot, I was like we had to find a way to slow him down. When we went to the trap, we slowed him down. Sometimes you don’t show your whole hand early. You gotta wait a little bit.”
Larry Rubama, 757-575-6449, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
