Never tell Long Reach the odds.
The eighth-ranked Lightning overcame a 10-point deficit at the start of the final quarter to upset top-ranked Lake Clifton, 62-59, in a Class 3A semifinal at Comcast Center in College Park on Thursday.
Lake Clifton junior Derrious Gilmore bounced a desperation shot off the backboard from nearly half court to give Long Reach (25-2) its second state title appearance in three years. The Lightning won the school?s first championship two years ago, thanks to a 15-point comeback against Lackey.
Combined with River Hill?s 3A title last season, it is the third straight berth in the classification?s state final for a Howard County team.
Still, many pegged the Baltimore City champion Lakers (25-2) to advance to Saturday?s final at 3 p.m. against Largo (22-4).
“We love the underdog,” Long Reach coach Al Moraz Jr. said. “We just fight, non-stop, all-year long, to continue to raise the respect level for Howard County.”
Behind seniors Obi Ukuoma and Deon Queen, Long Reach battled back from a 47-37 deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter, starting with an 8-0 run.
“Third and fourth quarter is when we have to put in work for our team,” Queen said. “When they see us working hard, it forces them to play hard.”
Queen finished with a team-high 19 points, and Ukuoma scored 15. Junior forward Mario Lloyde, whose jump shot with 1:04 remaining gave the Lightning its first lead since 9-7 with 3:02 left in the first quarter, finished with 13 points.
After Lloyde?s jumper from the left wing, Lake Clifton?s Jason Sharp hit his third three-pointer of the game with 39 seconds left. But Queen converted two free throws, and made a lay-up after senior guard Steve Bell?s steal with less than five seconds to play. Ukuoma stole the ensuing in-bound pass and hit one free throw before Gilmore?s last-ditch effort missed.
Lake Clifton led at the intermission, 27-21, after closing the half on an 11-0 run.
Moraz rallied his group at halftime, and the fourth quarter was the difference.
“It was a crazy fourth quarter,” Lakers coach Herman “Tree” Harried said. “They made some good shots down the stretch, and we missed some down the stretch.”
Long Reach shot 54.3 percent from the floor, including 60 percent in the fourth quarter. Lake Clifton shot just 37.9 percent for the game.
The Lakers got 24 points and 15 rebounds from 6-foot-8 center Cleveland Melvin, and 14 from Gilmore, but turnovers and miscues in the final quarter cost the team a chance to play in its third state title game and first since winning it all in 1999.
“They played well,” Lake Clifton senior Antoine Allen said. “It just didn?t go our way today.”
