Pikesville sprints by Randallstown; Rerservoir nips Mt. Hebron
Pikesville used its speed and quickness to get off to a fast start and it proved to be too much for visiting Randallstown.
The Panthers used their fast pace on both offense and defense to control the Rams, and Keante Lewis scored a gamehigh 17 points to lead No. 10 Pikesville to a 72-23 victory over Randallstown in a Class 1A North Region second-round playoff Tuesday night.
Pikesville (21-4) will host Western Tech on Thursday night in the next round of the regionals. Western Tech topped Chesapeake-BC, 56-51, on Tuesday night.
The Panthers took command in the first quarter with stifling full-court pressure on defense. Randallstown (13-8) had all kinds of problems finding shots while turning the ball over five times, all of which led to scoring chances for Pikesville.
That tough defense and Pikesville’s ability to find good shots helped the Panthers score 11 straight points for a 13-2 lead halfway through the first quarter.
Pikesville then scored the final nine points of the quarter for a 22-4 lead. The Panthers made things difficult for the Rams’ defense by coming up with shots from in close and far away. They made two 3-pointers and six lay-ups en route to that 18-point lead.
“We try to start off strong,” Lewis said. “Our coach always emphasizes coming out and punching them in the mouth and making a statement.”
The Panthers did just that in that first quarter. The fullcourt pressure often proved too much for Randallstown to handle, and the Panthers played just as well on halfcourt defense.
That’s a big reason why the Rams finished with 22 turnovers. The Panthers always seemed to have a hand in someone’s face when Randallstown had the ball. That’s why Pikesville either got steals or broke up plays on several occasions.
Even though the Panthers often pulled off the full-court pressure once they had a solid lead, they still found all kinds of ways to score. In fact, all 10 players who dressed for Pikesville scored.
Teylah Saunders was the other Panther in double figures as she had 11 points and did a strong job inside. Charia Roberts and Tyra Robinson both scored eight apiece.
Aliyah Turner and Aniya Hill both topped Randallstown with six points apiece.
RESERVOIR 50, MOUNT HEBRON 49: Reservoir senior forward Emily Dorn flipped the ball over her shoulder toward the basket and the ball banked off the backboard and dropped through the hoop as the buzzer sounded to lift the host Gators (17-6) over the Vikings (14-9).
—Brent Kennedy,
Baltimore Sun Media Group —Katherine Fominykh,
Baltimore Sun Media Group
—Pat Stoetzer,
Baltimore Sun Media Group
NO. 8 OLD MILL 55, ARUNDEL 38: Even as Arundel unearthed its scoring grooves in the second quarter and beyond, the top-seeded Patriots (19-4) continued to carve out wider and wider leads, knocking out the fourth-seeded Wildcats in the Classs 4A East Region Section I semifinal.
Old Mill advances to take on Meade in the section final on Thursday.
CHESAPEAKE-AA 69, STEPHEN DECATUR 42: Haley Downin scored 18 points and Ashley Chew had 12 points and Summer Smith had 11 points to lead the host Cougars (17-6) past the Seahawks (12-10) in Class 3A East Section II semifinal. Decatur was led by Jess Janney (12 points), Nadia Bullock (10 points) and Sarah Engle (10 points). Chesapeake-AA travels to J.M. Bennett Thursday at 5 p.m.
FRANCIS SCOTT KEY 68, BOONSBORO 30: The host Eagles (19-4) established their dominance over the Warriors (8-12) in the middle two quarters and rolled to a victory, doing a lot to erase the woes that plagued them for the better part of last month.
TOWSON 43, MILFORD MILL 32: The hosts Generals (12-9) ousted the Millers (12-8) in the Class 3A North Region Section I semifinals because all seven players contributed at different times.
Senior point guard Erin Steinberg (10 points, four steals, three assists, three rebounds), senior forward Bernadette Brezinski (six points, 11 rebounds, four assists) and junior guard Anna Lucas (five points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists) provided energy the entire game because they stayed out of foul trouble.
—Craig Clary,
Baltimore Sun Media Group
C. MILTON WRIGHT 46, BEL AIR 41: Scoring runs and a few timely baskets propelled the Mustangs (10-7) over the host Bobcats (13-7) in a Class 3A North, Section II semifinal.
C.M. Wright will play at Aberdeen in the section final Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Mustangs led 29-16 early in the third quarter, but the Bobcats (13-7) clawed their way back in and despite closing to within one (31-30) at the close of the third quarter, they never led.
—Randall L. McRoberts,
Baltimore Sun Media Group
Baltimore Sun staff contributed to this article.