Standouts From The MPSSAA 3A/4A Semifinal Games
The MPSSAA Final Four officially tipped off yesterday starting with the Class 3A and 4A teams. Here were the results:
Milford Mill defeats Thomas Johnson 68-59
Poly defeats Stephen Decatur 63-46
Perry Hall defeats Gaithersburg 85-62
Bladensburg defeats Old Mill 69-53
Eric Turner | 6’5 | Milford Mill ’18
After leading by just three points at halftime, Turner exploded in the third quarter scoring 12 points and helping the Millers gain a nine-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. He buried two three’s and had three strong drives to the basket, where he imposed his size and athleticism. He finished the game with 20 points, shooting and efficient 7-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three. He also pulled down seven rebounds as Milford walked away with the 68-59 win.
Ugo Obasi | 6’2 | Milford Mill ’18
Obasi was one of our players to watch coming into yesterday’s game and he didn’t disappoint. Obasi got it going from deep early on and was Milford’s most consistent performer throughout. The future Virginia wide receiver buried three of his seven three-point attempts and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Braxton Foreman | 6’5 | Thomas Johnson ’18
It was no secret coming this game that the Patriots would go throught Foreman as they’ve done all season. Foreman got started early on in this game, but was slowed down by the Millers after some halftime adjustments were made to their defensive schemes. The 6-foot-5 senior finished with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and went 3-for-5 from deep.
Richard Rivas | 5’9 | Thomas Johnson ’19
Rivas’ feisty style of play provided some toughness for the Patriots. He was constantly looking beat his man off the dribble and get into the paint. From there he’d either pull up from the mid-range area or look for a dump off pass to an open teammate. Rivas finished with 15 points of 5-of-13 shooting to go along with a couple of assists.
Demetrius Mims | 6’6 | Poly ’18
Mims is no stranger to playing in the Xfinity Center. At this time last season, he was winning the 3A state title as Poly defeated a tough Potomac team. Fast forward to this season and now Mims is the go-to guy for the Engineers. He made that known immediately scoring nine of the team’s 21 points in the first quarter. The Long Beach State commit finished with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting and with a windmill dunk, became the all-time leading scorer in the school’s history.
Demetrius Mins drops 30 in Poly’s win over Decatur & becomes the school’s all-time leading scorer @HoopMajor @TheDMJ1 @PolyBoysBball pic.twitter.com/Ser6eCm0V4
— Adam Ayalew (@AyalewAdam) March 8, 2018
Justin Lewis | 6’8 | Poly ’20
Lewis didn’t overwhelm in the scoring column, but when he did score, it was a statement. Two of his three made field goals were dunks. The sophomore forward was a presence in the paint defensively, as shown by his five blocked shots, and manned the glass on both ends. He finished with 12 rebounds for the game, four of which came on the offensive end. Lewis also had nine points.
Kevon Voyles | 6’3 | Stephen Decatur ’18
Voyles has been the engine that made the Seahawks go all season. The UMES commit had a nice individual performance, finishing with a team-high 19 points to go with his six rebounds. The 6-foot-3 southpaw is very shifty with strong handles and does a nice job creating his own shot off the dribble. Unfortunately for him, his teammates struggled to do much in terms of pitching in. The Seahawks were held to 15 made shots, six of which came from Voyles.
Tyler Holley | 6’4 | Perry Hall ’18
Holley has been Perry Hall’s unsung hero for two seasons now, but he is another player that is no stranger to the Xfinity Center stage. He set the tempo strong for the Gators scoring 13 first half points, all of which came when attacking the basket. The future Morgan State quarterback finished with a stat line of 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, five rebounds and two steals.
Xavier Gravette | 6’4 | Perry Hall ’18
Gravette went to work right away when he came off the bench last night. The 6-foot-4 wing finished with a team-high 19 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting from the field and connected on three of his four three-point attempts. The future Morgan State wide receiver pulled down six rebounds and dished out two assists in his 18 minutes of play. It’s safe to say that if he can put together a similar stat line in the state championship game Saturday night, defeating Perry Hall will be extremely challenging.
Anthony Higgs | 6’8 | Perry Hall ’18
Higgs came out from the opening tip and let Perry Hall’s size difference be known. The Ole Miss commit finished with 15 points that included a couple of monster throw-downs. He also grabbed seven boards and blocked four shots acting as the anchor of the Gators’ defense.
Anthony Walker | 6’9 | Perry Hall ’21
Walker got off to a slow start, but after throwing down a one-handed dunk in the second quarter, everything seemed to change. From there, he came out following halftime and had a nine-point third quarter to boost his total to 15 for the game. He shot five-for-eight from the field and more importantly, five-for-five from the charity stripe.
Perry Hall advances to the state championship game with a commanding win over Gaithersburg. '19 Anthony Walker scored 15 points, including this emphatic slam @HoopMajor @AntgotClout @CoachP_Bball @Hall_Pride pic.twitter.com/VwrE6U0uZh
— Adam Ayalew (@AyalewAdam) March 9, 2018
Jao Ituka | 6’1 | Gaithersburg ’21
The Trojans’ freshman guard was as good as advertised as he attacked the basket relentlessly on his way to a team-high 18 points. Despite having to go against Perry Hall’s trio of towers in the paint, Ituka used his strong frame to withstand contact and finish. He shot 9-for-14 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out two assists in 28 minutes of action.
Jordan Hawkins | 6’4 | Gaithersburg ’21
Hawkins is a sniper. The young freshman went 3-of-5 beyond the arc and has a beautiful stroke. He finished the contest with 14 points and gathered four rebounds. Even as a freshman, Hawkins shows no hesitation when he gets the ball to let it go. This duo is going to be an issue for years to come if they stay together because their games complement one another so well.
Daniel Oladapo is flying under the radar, but is considered a versatile division one prospect.Daniel Oladapo | 6’7 | Bladensburg ’18
The Mustangs had a distinct size advantage over Old Mill in large part because of Oladapo. The 6-foot-7 athletic forward made that known, but got off to a shaky start in the first quarter. Following the opening frame, the game belonged to him. He finished with a stat line that included 27 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and one block. He feasted on the offensive glass (6) and was able to draw fouls by quickly going right back up to the rim. Oladapo converted once he visited the charity stripe, making 14 of his 19 free-throw attempts.
Avion Robinson | 5’10 | Old Mill ’19
Coming off a 21-point fourth quarter outburst to help lead his team to the Xfinity Center, it was safe to say junior guard Avion Robinson wasn’t going to hesitate pulling the trigger in this one. As he’s done all season, he led the Patriots with 21 points and dished out four assists. At 5-foot-10, Robinson isn’t afraid to drive in the paint and finish through contact around frontcourt players. He did that, while also showing nice touch with floaters and mid-range jumpers off the dribble.