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Whitman boys’ and girls’ basketball teams move on to Maryland 4A semifinals | Whitman boys’ and girls’ basketball teams move on to Maryland 4A semifinals |
(about 1 hour later) | |
As he shuttled back and forth from the court to the bench Saturday afternoon at Blair, Whitman senior Shaq Diboti-Lobe couldn’t escape the sinking feeling that he “had let my team down.” | As he shuttled back and forth from the court to the bench Saturday afternoon at Blair, Whitman senior Shaq Diboti-Lobe couldn’t escape the sinking feeling that he “had let my team down.” |
The 6-foot-3 star picked up his fourth foul less than two minutes into the second half, and junior big man Max Oppenheim did the same a few minutes later. It left Vikings boys’ basketball Coach Chris Lun in a quandary, and he decided playing without his two leading scorers would not suffice. | The 6-foot-3 star picked up his fourth foul less than two minutes into the second half, and junior big man Max Oppenheim did the same a few minutes later. It left Vikings boys’ basketball Coach Chris Lun in a quandary, and he decided playing without his two leading scorers would not suffice. |
The calculated risk paid off, and Whitman emerged with a dramatic 62-61 overtime win against Clarksburg to capture its second Maryland 4A West region title in three years. The Vikings (17-9) will face defending 4A champion Meade in the state semifinals Thursday at the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center. | The calculated risk paid off, and Whitman emerged with a dramatic 62-61 overtime win against Clarksburg to capture its second Maryland 4A West region title in three years. The Vikings (17-9) will face defending 4A champion Meade in the state semifinals Thursday at the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center. |
To get there, though, they had to overcome a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit, a game-tying shot by Clarksburg (17-9) that forced overtime and the frequent offense-for-defense substitutions of Diboti-Lobe and Oppenheim. | To get there, though, they had to overcome a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit, a game-tying shot by Clarksburg (17-9) that forced overtime and the frequent offense-for-defense substitutions of Diboti-Lobe and Oppenheim. |
Diboti-Lobe proved up to the challenge, finishing with 29 points and scoring Whitman’s only basket of the extra period. He also spearheaded a charge late in regulation, connecting on consecutive three-point plays to give Whitman the lead with less than one minute to go. | |
“Thank God I got those and-ones,” Diboti-Lobe said. “Big shots are something I love to hit.” | “Thank God I got those and-ones,” Diboti-Lobe said. “Big shots are something I love to hit.” |
But senior Andrew Kostecka (20 points) responded, nailing two three-pointers in a nine-second span to temporarily rescue Clarksburg. The second one, with less than eight seconds left in the fourth quarter, was an off-balance shot as he fell to the ground and tied the score at 59. | But senior Andrew Kostecka (20 points) responded, nailing two three-pointers in a nine-second span to temporarily rescue Clarksburg. The second one, with less than eight seconds left in the fourth quarter, was an off-balance shot as he fell to the ground and tied the score at 59. |
The Coyotes had a chance to win in the final 30 seconds of overtime but elected to hold the ball for a final shot despite trailing by one point. When they missed, Whitman bounded onto the floor in celebration, well aware of the predicament it had just escaped from. | The Coyotes had a chance to win in the final 30 seconds of overtime but elected to hold the ball for a final shot despite trailing by one point. When they missed, Whitman bounded onto the floor in celebration, well aware of the predicament it had just escaped from. |
The beginning of Whitman’s 63-39 win over Clarksburg in the 4A West girls’ basketball championship game at Blair did not go as planned. The Vikings committed turnovers and looked jittery and disjointed. | |
But then star Abby Meyers drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to close the first quarter, and whatever was holding No. 12 Whitman (22-3) back seemed to vanish. The Vikings are headed to the state semifinals for the second year in a row after pulling away from Clarksburg (18-8) in the second half. | But then star Abby Meyers drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to close the first quarter, and whatever was holding No. 12 Whitman (22-3) back seemed to vanish. The Vikings are headed to the state semifinals for the second year in a row after pulling away from Clarksburg (18-8) in the second half. |
Meyers finished with 28 points, and senior Betsy Knox added 16 points. Whitman will face No. 13 North Point at Towson University on Thursday. North Point beat No. 5 Old Mill, 54-52, in Saturday night’s 4A East final. | |
“You’re going to have nerves, but as the game progressed, we were able to fit ourselves into the game a little bit and play our style of basketball,” Meyers said. | “You’re going to have nerves, but as the game progressed, we were able to fit ourselves into the game a little bit and play our style of basketball,” Meyers said. |
●ELEANOR ROOSEVELT 70, C.H. FLOWERS 68 (OT): Junior Octavia Wilson had an afternoon to remember as the two-time defending 4A state champions beat the Jaguars in a rescheduled Maryland 4A South region semifinal game in Springdale. She scored a career-high 58 points and pushed Eleanor Roosevelt into a 4A South region final matchup against Parkdale on Monday. |
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