An unspoken assumption lingered all season around Eleanor Roosevelt’s girls basketball team. When star center Selena Nwude graduated last spring it appeared the Raiders hopes for yet another state title went with her.
That dominating post presence is gone. But their winning ways have continued. Thursday afternoon at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County the fifth-ranked Raiders, without a double-figure scorer, overcame a shaky start to outlast Whitman, 45-28, in a 4A state semifinal at the Retriever Activities Center.
Eleanor Roosevelt (23-3), the 4A South champion, advances to Saturday’s 3 p.m. state final at UMBC against Blake (18-5). The Raiders will attempt to become the first team to win three state championships in a row since Old Mill in 1993. Whitman (19-6), the 4A West champ, was making its first state tournament appearance since 1995.
“To get this chance again means the world to us,” said Eleanor Roosevelt senior Michaya Walker. “This is our senior year and we don’t want to find out what it feels like to lose one now.”
Whitman brought plenty of fans to UMBC, a noisy group that ER coach Rod Hairston admitted rattled his team early. The Raiders missed seven of their first eight free throws and scored just four points in the first quarter. Whitman led, 5-0, and the game was tied, 12-12, with 2 minutes left in the first half.
But a 7-0 ER run sparked the rout. The Raiders outrebounded Whitman, 43-24, and their defense forced 31 turnovers.
“ER just really gets after it and gets dirty,” said Whitman junior Erin Brown, part of a Vikings program that finished 5-18 just four years ago. “In order to get those rebounds you have to be tougher than they are. And we just couldn’t do that today.”
Blake 55, Old Mill 41
Blake senior guard Sammy Allen was not quite sure how to respond. Moments after a shocking 55-41 blowout win over Old Mill on Thursday she was asked about playing two-time defending 4A state champion Eleanor Roosevelt for the title on Saturday.
Allen could only giggle in anticipation. Teammate Molly Wannen just shook her head.
“Weird,” she said. “It’s just weird.”
If it hasn’t quite sunk in that the Tigers are on the verge of completing a dream season, it probably will before Saturday. The way they reached the final seemed like a dream, too.
Blake (18-5), the North Region champ, scored 19 of the game’s first 20 points against East Region champ Old Mill (22-5) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Retriever Activities Center. That lead never dipped below 12 the rest of the way. The Tigers reached the state tournament for the first time after upset wins over previously unbeaten Dulaney and two-time region champion Springbrook.
“We really didn’t know what to expect because we had never really heard of Old Mill,” said Wannen, who scored a team-high 14 points and added four assists. “So we came out wanting to show them what we can do, first.”
NO. 4 LARGO 60, PAINT BRANCH 49
Largo’s girls basketball team remained unbeaten against Washington, D.C. area competition and its reward is a berth in the 3A state championship game.
The fourth-ranked Lions outlasted Paint Branch on Thursday, 60-49, in a 3A state semifinal at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Largo (25-1) will play the winner of last night’s second semifinal between Fallston and Western at the Retriever Activities Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. Senior guard Brittani Hollins scored a game-high 21 points for the Lions, who made 14 of 19 free throws in the second half. Largo had a decisive 12-0 run midway through the third quarter while trailing 29-28. The Panthers, led by sophomore guard Tarik Hislop (19 points) and senior guard Omega Boddie (17 points) finished their season 21-4.
