For a while, North County boys basketball seemed to enjoy playing keep away with their long-time tormentors.
Every time Meade crept close to claiming its first lead Tuesday, the Knights raced away on another run to widen the gap.
But Mustangs sophomore Keon Scott never stopped chasing. He eventually led his team to a 59-58 overtime victory.
North County established its biggest lead of the night – 14 points – following a nine-point streak in the third quarter. Little did the Knights know, that would be its last true grip on the game.
Meade junior Arouna Soumaoro, senior James Johnson and Scott sent Meade on its own 11-3 run. Johnson slammed a rebound for a dunk to close the third. His teammates launched from the bench to celebrate heartily as the quarter ended with Meade within 43-37.
Both coach Mike Glick and Scott agree, that was the ignition point.
“It was just the best energy,” Scott said. “I’m just thinking that we got to come back. We know [North County] is in our region. We gotta beat them if we wanna go to states.”
The once-unlikely victory not only stretched Meade’s win streak to eight games, but tarnished North County’s perfect county record 24 hours before the Knights greet unbeaten South River.
“It’s just being mentally strong. There’s nothing we can do. Everything that happened tonight, we gotta put behind us,” Knights coach Trumaine Johnson said. “They beat us in overtime by one. We just gotta live with it and move forward.”
The Meade that grew more resilient with every quarter Tuesday is not the same team that stumbled to an opening loss with Arundel in December. While Meade (10-3, 5-0 Anne Arundel) did commit turnovers and miss too many shots to start against North County, it did this time what it could not do then – fix it.
After that first defeat against their rivals, the Mustangs huddled in the locker room and vowed to lock in from then on.
After senior Ashton Turman sank two technical foul shots five minutes into the fourth, Meade stood in a frustratingly familiar spot – down by a possession. North County (9-3, 4-1 Anne Arundel) mocked that state all night by widening it with runs.
Scott (21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) wouldn’t allow it.
His 3-pointer – the first of of three on Tuesday – tied the game for the first time at 52. When the Knights replied with a 3-pointer, Turman fired two more free throws and Scott sank one to force overtime, tied at 55.
North County didn’t know it yet, but it had lost. Meade rolled into overtime. Senior Lucaya Baldridge, despite four fouls weighing him down, plucked a high, cross-court pass and sank the first go-ahead basket for the Mustangs while scissor-kicking through the air. James Johnson padded the score with a layup.
On Dec. 11, Meade lost in overtime with Annapolis Area Christian School. Glick knew his squad needed to suffer that brutal experience to endure this one.
It was the Mustangs defense, Scott said, that dismantled the Knights in the extra frame. Glick laid the laurels on “unsung hero” Baldridge’s shoulders.
“I thought his defense was excellent,” Glick said. “He was active. He was present. That’s the best he’s played this season. And when Lucaya plays like that, we’re a different team.”
The Knights could only offer a pale reflection of their regulation performance – a free throw and a layup. It wasn’t enough to preserve their unbeaten county mark.
Glick noted his depth, which he was able to constantly cycle out to keep the on-floor players fresh, likely hurt North County, which could not offer as much. South River will be similarly-stocked on Wednesday.
“They’re always locked in,” Trumaine Johnson said. “No matter what happens. We’ve lost to this team a lot over the years. We’re still learning in situations like this. We just know we gotta work to get better.”
Meade will operate with a similar mentality, as more perilous dates await them toward the end of the regular season.
“We’ll take care of the easy ones,” Scott said, “and prepare for the big ones.”
North County – 13 12 18 12 3 – 58
Meade – 12 8 17 18 4 – 59
NC: Nash Avery 17, Carlo Pineda 15, Travis Blake 9, Josiah Bryant 8, Jackson Catlin 3, Donavyn Proctor 2, Darrien Miller 2, Kevin Burks 2
ME: Keon Scott 21, Ashton Turman 21, James Johnson 8, Arouna Soumaoro 7, Lucaya Baldridge 2
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