Persia’s heroics lift Parkville over No. 15 Loch Raven
Parkville has a young team this season and its youth has served the Knights well. Still, with the game on the line, they looked to a senior to lead them. He didn’t disappoint.
Senior Mikko Persia made a fast-break layup with 21 seconds remaining to give Parkville the lead for good late in the fourth quarter en route to a 63-60 win over visiting Loch Raven on Wednesday night.
Persia led all scorers with 19 points, while Earl Jordan and John Artis led Loch Raven with 14 points apiece. For the game, Loch Raven made an impressive 25 of 27 free throws, but it still wasn’t enough.
“My teammates just found me,” said Persia, whose basket gave the Knights a 61-60 lead. “We were on the fast break and I had an open lane. I just drove to the basket and finished.”
After that, the Parkville defense clamped down. The Raiders took a shot that fell short and Parkville’s Cameron Alexander was fouled after securing the rebound. After he made his free throws with 7.2 seconds left to give the Knights (14-4, 11-2) a 63-60 lead, Loch Raven still had a chance to tie the game. The Raiders (13-4, 12-2) got a 3-point attempt from sophomore Artis with two seconds left, but the shot fell short.
The win gives Parkville the top seed in the upcoming Class 4A North Region I playoffs. The Knights are the defending state Class 4A champions and now begin their quest for a repeat.
“I thought it was a great effort from both teams. It’s one of the most exciting games we’ve been in this season,” first-year Knights coach Ben Thompson said. “There was a lot at stake today, so for the guys to work hard and push through, I’m obviously very proud of them. We grew up a little today.”
OTHER BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES: Mt. Hebron 56, Glenelg 49:
Mt. Hebron coach Malik Gilmore has preached a mantra to his guys all season: “Shake it off like a duck.”
Gilmore has encouraged the Vikings to shake off mistakes or bad plays and quickly move on. That mentality was evident throughout the second half of Mt. Hebron’s 56-49 come-from-behind overtime
win over Glenelg.
Mt. Hebron survived a potential game-winning shot from Glenelg’s Will Piwowarski that rattled out at the end of regulation. Gilmore emphasized in the pre-overtime huddle, “This our quarter, this is what we’ve all been working for.”
Junior center Kenny Akinlosotu, at 6 feet, 7 inches, is the tallest player on the floor, heard his coach’s message loud and clear. He saved his best play for the four-minute overtime period. Despite struggling from the foul line in regulation, Akinlosotu continued to assert his will in the paint and was able to convert.
The junior scored seven of Mt. Hebron’s 11 overtime points while Glenelg post players Jack Hayden and Michael Tolle fouled out during the extra session.
“He’s a phenomenal player, really well coached,” Glenelg coach Alex Blazek said of Akinlosotu.
— Jacob Steinberg
Annapolis Area Christian School 80, Indian Creek 72:
The flu ripped through Annapolis Area Christian School and left only eight boys basketball players healthy enough to play on Wednesday night. It couldn’t be worse timing, with the postseason looming and a chance to
climb the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference standings at hand. So, Eagles junior Eli Croskey couldn’t just be one player. He had to account for the work of four.
Any time he wanted, Croskey blurred through Indian Creek’s defense on his way to 40 points. He raised the host Eagles to an 80-72 win and delivered the squad the rebound it needed from Saturday’s loss.
“We need big wins to gain momentum right now. I just knew, down some guys, I had to have a big game to contribute, get us a win on senior night,” Croskey said. “It’s all about the seniors.”
The last three games of AACS’ regular season could break a lesser team: A Conference McDonogh, Archbishop Curley and Severn. But AACS has shaken off a rough start and has won four of its past five games to move right behind front-running Severn in the B Conference Black Division standings.
“We started this season slow, but we’re picking it up to get better every single game,” Croskey said. “We’re looking to make a deep run to the playoffs and hopefully win a championship.”
South River 75, Winters Mill 55 Meade 67, North County 45 Severna Park 62, Chesapeake 39 South Carroll 60, Liberty 57 Manchester Valley 47,
Francis Scott Key 39
Archbishop Curley 56, St. Mary’s 55 Chapelgate Christian 70,
Friends 67 (OT)
C. Milton Wright 77, Harford Tech 31 Concordia Prep 50, Gerstell 40 Mount Saint Joseph 60, McDonogh 48
Archbishop Spalding 66,
Loyola Blakefield 63
Long Reach 60, Centennial 45 River Hill 70, Wilde Lake 61
Howard 61, Atholton 56
Glenelg Country 75,
St. Vincent Palotti 46
Girls basketball
For Pikesville to win a fourth straight state championship, coach Michael Dukes needs elite scoring, tough defense and pinpoint passes with methodical precision.
Luckily for him, he has Mariah Jones-Bey.
“She dominates the game,” Dukes said after Wednesday’s 73-45 win at New Town. “They didn’t have any answers for her.”
The sophomore has quickly established herself as one of the
Pikesville 73, New Torn 45:
area’s premier players as the do-itall guard has been showcasing the ability to control a game all season. Wednesday night was no different as Jones-Bey’s 27 points, eight assists and three steals led No. 8 Pikesville to a lopsided victory over the Titans that clinched a spot in the Baltimore County championship game.
“We came in with a lot of energy and played together,” Jones-Bey said. “We were hyping each other up and no one was being selfish or anything.”
An opening 12-2 run set the tone for the game as the Panthers (16-3) pushed the pace from the opening tip. Jones-Bey was less of a scorer and more of a distributor in the first quarter, finding her teammates for open, high-percentage looks.
Tykeisha Hill was often the beneficiary. The senior dominated in the post, pulling down rebound after rebound and staying aggressive offensively, finishing with an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double.
“I like her height and I like her as a person,” Jones-Bey said. “When you get close to somebody, you can get a feel for what they do well and I can trust her. I trust all my teammates.”
With Pikesville only up seven after New Town’s Nialah Mingo and Adasyn Gillian-Bagley made some hard-earned outside shots, Jones-Bey put her foot on the gas and picked up her scoring.
She scored nine straight points in the second quarter, extending the lead to 20 at the half. Now in complete control, the scoring became contagious for the Panthers as Jones-Bey continued to get everyone involved.
“Having her is great,” Hill said. “She brings the energy and we all feed off her.”
Hereford 60, Lansdowne 14 Hammond 73, Marriott Ridge 16 Oakland Mills 61, Reservoir 49 Mt. Hebron 42, Glenelg 36 Howard 42, Atholton 39 Centennial 53, Long Reach 28 Southern 66, Arundel 17 Fallston 44, John Carroll 41 Francis Scott Key 43, Manchester Valley 35
Gerstell 56, St. John’s Catholic Prep 47