Scorpions tighten defense, hold on
Chance, Brown help lock down Gladiators to advance
Having lost what was once a doubledigit lead, the Oakland Mills boys basketball felt the need to change its personnel late in the third quarter Monday night.
The Scorpions were seldom making shots, and junior Daeshawn Eaton, Howard County’s leading scorer at 16.9 points per game, was dealing with a sore knee after colliding with a Glenelg player late in the first half. Combine that with Eaton’s three fouls, the Gladiators’ box-and-1 defense against him — a defense the Scorpions had not seen much all season — and Gladiators senior Josh Heigh’s career scoring night, and coach Jon Browne opted to rest one of his best players.
With about two minutes left in the period, Browne subbed out Eaton and relied on senior guards Sean Chance and Chan Brown to steady the backcourt. And they spearheaded the Scorpions’ stout fourth-quarter defensive effort. After allowing 20 points in the third quarter, they allowed just six points over the final eight minutes of their 60-52 home playoff victory.
“Those two defensively created so much change late in that game,” Browne said. “Chan and Sean were just out of this world. They just really saved us and made some big plays.”
No. 2 seed Oakland Mills, which has won nine straight county games, advances to play at top-seeded River Hill in the 2A South Section I final on Wednesday night. The Hawks defeated No. 5 seed Marriotts Ridge, 51-39.
“It’s a big game for us,” Brown said. “We’re 1-1 in the series, so both teams are going to come and play and compete. It’s going to be a great game.”
Early on, it seemed Oakland Mills (18-5) would not have much trouble handling Glenelg (13-11) for the third time this season. It opened up a double-digit lead in the first quarter in large part because of its fullcourt press. The Gladiators had seen this type of defense in their first playoff game, a blowout win over No. 6 seed Hammond, but they succumbed to the pressure Monday night by turning the ball over and giving their opponent easy buckets.
Eaton (team-high 16 points) and his teammates capitalized on the sloppy play to take a 19-7 advantage after the first period.
The teams then endured a choppy second quarter, filled with hand checks, blocking fouls and charges that drew commotion from each coach and fan base. The quick whistle favored Glenelg, at least in terms of free-throw opportunities, and coach Jansen McMillan’s team climbed back into the game by making nine of their 11 free throws in the period. The Scorpions made one of their three attempts.
In total, 24 fouls called in the first half, which ended with Oakland Mills holding a 28-26 advantage. Browne made sure the referees heard his about his disapproval.
“The officiating was horrible,” Browne said. “Why those three guys got this game is beyond me.”
Browne backed off the officials in the second half, but that did not stop his team falling behind minutes into the third quarter.
Heigh served as the difference maker. He hit a 3-pointer to start the second half and made another a few minutes later to put Glenelg up five. After a layup, he hit his third 3-pointer of the period with just over two minutes to play. He then capped his red-hot scoring stretch with an and-1 layup, giving a motivated Gladiators squad a 44-39 advantage.
Heigh entered the game averaging 2.5 points but scored 14 — in the third quarter. He finished with a game-high 18 points, joining seniors Ryan Davis (13 points) and Garrett Mills (10 points) in double figures.
His breakout performance did not surprise McMillan, who praised the work of his senior guard, along with the rest of the veteran group, after the playoff defeat.
“The guys played a hell of a game,” McMillan said. “We played very well defensively in spurts, and we were able to come back and get the lead. And then we got sped up. We rushed some shots.”
Many of those errant attempts came in the fourth quarter, when the Gladiators scored just six points and reverted back to their first-quarter struggles against Oakland Mills’ press. On offense, the Scorpions relied on senior Robert Burgess (11 points) for the first part of the period — his Oakland Mills’ Sean Chance, left, tries to steal a pass intended for Glenelg’s Josh Heigh. Chance helped spearhead the Scorpions’ stout fourth-quarter defensive effort. 3-pointer with about four minutes to play put them up four — and then hit their free throws to hold on for the win down the stretch.
The Gladiators’ final chance to mount a comeback came with just under a minute to play. Down five, they had a chance to cut their deficit to one possession. But as they attempted to loft an inbounds pass to Mills near midcourt, Brown knocked the ball away and finished on the other end to seal one of his best performances of the season.
“Chan Brown, absolutely, MVP of the night,” Browne said.