Coppin Academy, Long Reach and Old Mill girls punch state hoops Final Four ticket on road; New Era boys misses historic shot
Coppin Academy won its second straight Class 1A East Region title Saturday, routing Washington on the Eastern Shore. The Eagles will play Smithsburg in a 1A state Final Four match, Friday at Towson University.
With a point separating them in two earlier meetings, Old Mill High and South River expected a close meeting in Saturday’s Class 4A East Region girls basketball championship.
They didn’t disappoint, playing to a draw through 32 minutes. In overtime, the No. 9 Patriots pulled out a 57-54 victory in Edgewater.
No. 14 Long Reach is back in the 3A state final four after defeating James M. Bennett in the East Region final. Westminster hopes for a first state semifinal in three decades was ruined by Frederick in the 3A West Region final.
New Era Academy was hoping to fill the final piece of the boys state Final Four puzzle and make history. But Southern of Garrett County had other ideas, denying the Jaguars in the 1A West final, 49-44, at Allegany College.
Xavier Rivers had 11 points for New Era (14-11 overall), which was unable to fully recover from an early 16-1 run by Southern-Garrett. Tyler Rodeheaver led Southern-Garrett with 17 points, and Justin Shafer posted a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Southern-Garrett advances to its first state Final Four since 2001. The Rams will play Crisfield Friday afternoon at the University of Maryland. Crisfield ended Havre de Grace’s perfect season in the East final Friday evening.
New Era, seeking its first region title, led 5-2 in the early going before Southern’s 16-1 response put the Baltimore City program in a double-digit hole. The Jaguars chipped away at the deficit, pulling to within 31-29 entering the fourth.
Long Reach earned a second straight 3A state Final Four spot with a victory at James M. Bennett in the North Region final in Wicomico. In a rematch of last year’s final, the Lightning will Frederick Thursday evening in a 3A state semifinal at Towson University.
Southern-Garrett, playing in front of a huge throng of supporters, pulled away with a 10-4 run. Diyea Little finished with eight points for New Era, which traveled two hours one-way to Cumberland.
Coppin Academy girls had a 2 1/2 trip to the Eastern Shore for the 1A East final. The Eagles returned to Baltimore with a second straight title, routing Washington, 76-48, in Princess Anne’s.
Tanae Galloway finished with 24 points for Coppin (17-5), and Nyshae Weaver added 21 points and 17 rebounds. The Baltimore City school rolled through the East Region, winning its four matches by an average of 31 points.
The Eagles will play Washington County’s Smithsburg in a 1A state semifinal, Friday at 9 p.m. at Towson University’s SECU Arena. Coppin lost to eventual state champ Largo from Prince George’s County in last year’s 1A state Final Four.
Long Reach is headed back to the 3A Final Four after taking care of James M. Bennett in the East final in Salisbury.
Jaelyn Swann led Long Reach (17-5) with 21 points while sister Lyric, an UMBC recruit, finished with 20. The duo combined for 10 3-pointers.
Leading 32-25, the Lightning went on a 21-0 run to start the second half. Olivia Evans had 17 points for James M. Bennett.
The Howard County co-champ Lightning will need another shot at Frederick, Thursday evening at 7 in a 3A state semifinal at Towson University’s SECU Arena. Frederick defeated Long Reach in last year’s state final.
Frederick extended Westminster’s state semifinal drought with a 74-37 rout in Frederick County. University of Arkansas-bound guard Makayla Daniels had a game-high 30 points.
The Cadets sent Westminster (18-7) reeling early, leading 21-4 after one, and 33-18 at halftime. Jillian Pumputis finished with 15 points for Westminster, which last reached the state Final Four in 1984.
Old Mill is back on the big stage for the first time since 2015, and did in compelling fashion, winning the rubber match with South River in Edgewater.
Sydney Falcon, a Niagara recruit, finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds, and Deja Atkinson added 13 for Old Mill (22-4). Kathleen Sullivan led South River with 19 points.
Atkinson, who scored the winning basket in Old Mill’s 59-57 victory over the Seahawks in the Anne Arundel County final a couple of weeks ago at North County, converted two free throws with 27.8 seconds remaining in overtime for the final margin.
The Patriots scored the first six points in overtime, but South River (21-4), which won the Anne Arundel County regular season title courtesy of its 56-55 victory over Old Mill in January, pulled even.
Old Mill won the 4A East Region title with an overtime victory at No. 10 South River Saturday. The ninth-ranked Patriots will play Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the 4A state semifinals Thursday at SECU Arena.
The Patriots found a way to win the one that mattered most. Next for Old Mill is Montgomery County’s Bethesda-Chevy Chase in a 4A state semifinal, Thursday at 5 p.m. at SECU Arena.
MPSSAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
STATE FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE
THURSDAY MARCH 14
GIRLS AT SECU ARENA, TOWSON UNIVERSITY
CLASS 4A semifinals
Western vs. Charles H. Flowers, 3 p.m.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase vs. Old Mill, 5 p.m.
CLASS 3A semifinals
Aberdeen vs. Poly, 7 p.m.
Frederick vs. Long Reach, 9 p.m.
BOYS AT XFINITY CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
CLASS 3A semifinals
C. Milton Wright vs. Poly, 3 p.m.
Thomas Johnson vs. Reservoir, 5 p.m.
CLASS 4A semifinals
Richard Montgomery vs. Broadneck, 7 p.m.
Dulaney vs. Eleanor Roosevelt, 9 p.m.
FRIDAY MARCH 15
GIRLS AT SECU ARENA
CLASS 2A semifinals
Hereford vs. River Hill, 3 p.m.
Middletown vs. Queen Anne’s, 5 p.m.
CLASS 1A semifinals
Pikesville vs. Largo, 7 p.m.
Smithsburg vs. Coppin Academy, 9 p.m.
BOYS AT XFINITY CENTER
CLASS 1A semifinals
Lake Clifton vs. Douglass-Prince George’s, 3 p.m.
Southern-Garrett vs. Crisfield, 5 p.m.
CLASS 2A semifinals
Patterson vs. Thomas Stone, 7 p.m.
Oakdale vs. Wicomico, 9 p.m.
STATE FINALS
SATURDAY MARCH 16
GIRLS AT SECU ARENA
CLASS 2A final – Hereford/River Hill winner vs. Middletown/Queen Anne’s winner, 1 p.m.
CLASS 4A final – Western/Charles H. Flowers winner vs. Bethesda-Chevy Chase/Old Mill winner, 3 p.m.
CLASS 1A final – Pikesville/Largo winner vs. Smithsburg/Coppin Academy winner, 6 p.m.
CLASS 3A final – Aberdeen/Poly winner vs. Frederick/Long Reach winner, 8 p.m.
BOYS AT XFINITY CENTER
CLASS 1A final – Southern-Garrett/Crisfield winner vs. Lake Clifton vs. Douglass-Prince George’s winner, 1 p.m.
CLASS 3A final – Thomas Johnson/Reservoir winner vs. C. Milton Wright vs. Poly winner, 3 p.m.
CLASS 2A final – Oakdale/Wicomico winner vs. Patterson/Thomas Stone winner, 6 p.m.
CLASS 4A final – Walter Johnson or Richard Montgomery/Broadneck winner vs. Dulaney/Eleanor Roosevelt winner, 8 p.m.
