Atholton?s girls basketball team had high expectations this season, as it returned the core of last year?s squad that won the school?s first 2A title.
Four months later, the Raiders came within a half of becoming part of state basketball history in the 3A final, but the senior-laden team just didn?t have enough left to defeat Paint Branch.
“We knew there were tough teams out there and it was going to be a struggle and we had to put our whole hearts into it,” Atholton guard Ellie Snyder, one of the team?s five seniors, said. “I think we did that and had a great season and I don?t think this game showed anything about what we did this whole season.”
The Raiders, who moved up in classification this season due to an increase in the Columbia school?s enrollment, were trying to become just the third girls team and sixth overall to win a championship for the second straight year after moving up in classification.
And Atholton (22-6) was on the doorstep at UMBC?s RAC Arena on Saturday night.
The Raiders trailed just 28-23 at intermission behind 18 of Snyder?s game-high 22 points. A layup by senior guard Brittany Coughlan cut the deficit to just three early in the third, but Montgomery County?s Paint Branch (25-0) responded with an 8-2 run to push the lead to double digits and never looked back.
“I don?t think we were tired, I just think we didn?t rebound,” Atholton senior forward Taylor Chapman said. “Paint Branch is a very talented team, but we also are a good team and we gave them all that we could.”
The 74-39 loss provided a bittersweet ending to the most successful senior class in school history. Snyder, Coughlan, Chapman and classmates Julianne Conroy and Lorri Toler have led the team to the state tournament each of the past three seasons and the final each of the last two. Snyder ended her prep career fourth on the school?s all-time scoring list with 1,281 points, with Chapman finishing with 1,023 career points and a school-record 1,163 rebounds.
Prior to making the state semifinals in 2006, Atholton had reached the state tournament only once, in 1982.
“It means so much,” a tearful Coughlan said of what she and her classmates accomplished. “We tried as best we could. It?s just hard because I don?t want it to be over.”
