In a showcase of SMAC’s two top teams, North Point (1) and La Plata (2) treated the fans to a gem of a basketball game on Friday night, February 6. The contest had several important conference implications entering the game, with North Point undefeated at 8-0 and La Plata standing at 8-1.
With two weeks left in the regular season, both teams needed a win to boost their conference and state tournament bid. Prior to the game it was predicted that for La Plata to win they would have to play a perfect game, and for their starters to stay out of foul trouble. They almost achieved both of those goals.
The game began with North Point junior forward Malik Brown scoring 10 of his teams 12 points in the first quarter. La Plata’s star player, senior Jordan Oakley, had a slow start that picked up steam towards the end of the period. Oakley missed his first three shots from the field, and his first four free throws before making his first foul shot at the end of the quarter. Oakley’s teammates picked up for him however, and the Warriors led the Eagles 16-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter featured several runs by both teams, with La Plata having the biggest to end the half. Oakley’s shots began to fall, and his teammates benefited from the extra attention that he was being paid. For North Point, Malik Brown was a force in the paint. He bullied whoever the Warriors tried to use to stop him, even though he saw consistent double and triple teams. The story of the first half became North Point shooting guard Jalen Gibbs getting in foul trouble, and was held scoreless. The count going into half was 34-25, in favor of La Plata.
North Point took over in the third quarter. Gibbs began to score, and his defense caused turnovers that limited the Warriors to only eight third-quarter points, while the Eagles took advantage of LaPlata’s miscues to pour in 22. Gibbs scored 11 points in the quarter, and his teammate Brown scored eight of his own in the quarter. The third quarter ended with the score in favor of the Eagles, 47-42.
North Point’s Malik Brown scores on a strong move in the paint.
The fourth quarter started with North Point extending their lead to 12 before La Plata’s sense of urgency put them back into the game. North Point was attempting to run out the clock, and La Plata’s pressure defense forced turnovers that pulled them within four points with three seconds left on the clock. Senior guard Charles Richardson took the inbound for the Warriors, and drained a three-point basket. The buzzer sounded, but the officials met and put .3 seconds back on the clock. North Point inbounded the ball, and the game was over. 64-63 North Point over La Plata.
For the Warriors, senior Jordan Oakley led them in scoring with 18 points, and Richardson had 11. The Warriors’ are left with a record of 14-3 overall with an 8-2 SMAC record, and dropped them to third in the conference.
The Eagles were led in scoring by junior forward Malik Brown with 36 points, and his teammate Josh Holmes had 13 points. The Eagles retain their top conference ranking and improve their record to 12-6 overall, and 9-0 in SMAC.