The senior was held scoreless in the first half, which ended with the County 4A League champion Clippers trailing 3A/2A/1A League champ Gwynn Park.

But Baker eventually found his shot. He scored 20 points in the second half, but none were bigger than the final two points of the game.

Baker banked in a floater with 1.9 seconds remaining to lift the Clippers past Gwynn Park, 73-72, at Henry A. Wise High School.

Baker said he saw an opening in the lane and decided to be aggressive.

"I knew I was quicker than their big men, so I just tried to get into the lane and find my shot," he said. "Coach [Richard Little] told me to be more aggressive in the second half and to not stop shooting."

But as Baker and teammate Ray Gatling began to heat up in the second half, so did the Yellow Jackets. Gatling also scored 20 points in the second half, finishing with a game-high 26, which equaled his county-leading average this season.

Nonetheless, Gwynn Park started to pull away. The Yellow Jackets built a 71-59 lead midway through the fourth quarter and seemed to be in control of the game.

But Oxon Hill stepped up the defensive pressure and started to chip away at the Gwynn Park lead. The Clippers forced seven Yellow Jackets' turnovers in the fourth quarter and used a 12-0 run to tie the game at 71-71. Baker scored the final six points of the run, including the tying layup with 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining in the game.

Gwynn Park worked the clock, and Mike Hemsley drew a foul with 17.4 seconds remaining. Hemsley hit one of two free throws to give Gwynn Park a 72-71 lead.

Oxon Hill called a time out and originally designed a play for Gatling, but the ball was knocked out of bounds with 6 seconds remaining. Clippers' coach Richard Little said there was no design after the ball was knocked out of bounds. He just told his team to make a play, and that's what Baker did.

After Baker's shot put Oxon Hill ahead, 73-72, with 1.9 seconds remaining, Gwynn Park's Brandon Ford put up a shot at the buzzer, but it hit the backboard before falling to the floor. That set off a wild celebration as the Clippers rushed the court.

"I just wanted the guys to keep attacking and keep fighting and that's what we did," Little said. "We were able to get some easy shots because of our defense. We put some pressure on them and we started making some shots and got some calls."

Ford scored 19 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. Tion Barnes added 18 points, while Hemsley scored 13 and Curtis Hardy added 10.

Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said the tough loss could either spark the Yellow Jackets in the playoffs or it could tear their hearts out.

"We told the guys we were 0-0 now and we still have the bigger goal ahead of us," he said. "This was a tough defeat and we will see how we respond. We have to bounce back because this game didn't end our season."

Gwynn Park has the No. 1 seed in the 2A South Region and will be idle until 7 p.m. Tuesday, when they will play host to the winner of Friday's first-round game between Patuxent and Long Reach. Oxon Hill is the top seed in the 4A South Region, and the Clippers also are off until Tuesday, when they will have a 7 p.m. tipoff at home against the winner of Friday's Suitland-Laurel game.

Oxon Hill 73, Gwynn Park 72

Gwynn Park (17-5): Tion Barnes 18, Brandon Ford 19, Brian Blue 7, Mike Hemsley 13, Curtis Hardy 10, Eric Batts 2, Daniel Henry 3.

Oxon Hill (16-4): Ray Gatling 26, Sedric Baker 20, Denzel McGuine 3, Vincent Walker 4, Aaron Venson 8, Michael Smith 4, Timon Johnson 8.

Gwynn Park used that defeat as a springboard of sorts, and it hasn't lost a game since. The Yellow Jackets got a bit of revenge on Thursday night as they crushed the Eagles, 67-51, to take sole possession of first place in the league.

If the Yellow Jackets defeat Forestville on Friday night, they will earn a spot in the county championship on Wednesday and the top spot in the upcoming 2A South Region playoffs, which get under way with first-round games on Feb. 26.

"Those have been two of our goals the entire season," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "We have played a lot better the second time through the schedule, and I think that shows the improvement of these guys."

Tion Barnes led the way for the Yellow Jackets (16-3 overall, 12-3 league) with 26 points, as Gwynn Park blew a close game open in the second quarter. Douglass led 15-12 at the end of the first quarter, but Gwynn Park opened the second period with a 14-4 run and took a 35-22 lead into halftime.

The Eagles got within nine points in the third quarter, but the Yellow Jackets answered with an 8-0 run and were never threatened again. Brandon Ford chipped in 13 points for Gwynn Park, while Mike Hemsley scored 10.

"We needed this one if we were going to make it to the county championship," Barnes said. "We treated this like it was just another game, but it was bigger. We knew we needed to come out and play hard."

Terel Bonhom scored 13 points to lead the Eagles, while Timmone Whatley had 11. Douglass coach Ty Massenburg said his team isn't playing well lately, which isn't a good thing with the playoffs right around the corner.

The Yellow Jackets and the Eagles could meet again in the 2A South Region tournament, but that's not what Massenburg is thinking about.

"We had some really good chemistry earlier in the year, but we just don't have that now," Massenburg said. "The playoffs are a new season and we just have to find a way to get back on stride."

The Eagles get that chance Friday night as they play host to Surrattsville.

Gwynn Park 67, Frederick Douglass 51

Douglass 15 7 17 12 - 51

Gwynn Park 12 23 22 10 - 67

Douglass (14-5, 11-4): Timmone Whatley 11, Kavon Glover 3, Jeron Beasley 4, Purnell Murray 4, Marvis Davies 1, Sam Lester 3, Teron Elias 5, Terel Bonhom 13, Angelo Williams 6, Vincent Williams 1.

Gwynn Park (16-3, 12-3): Brandon Ford 13, Tion Barnes 26, Mike Hemsley 10, Eric Batts 4, Raymond Barnes 3, Curtis Hardy 9, Marcel Boyd 1, Brian Hall 1.

Bowie High School boys' basketball coach Cedric Holbrook spent Monday afternoon helping shovel his mother out of her house in Bowie. Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick had time to play with his three children in the snow.

Such was life this week for Prince George's County high school basketball coaches and teams after one of the biggest snow storms in Maryland history wiped out any basketball games for the foreseeable future.

The games scheduled for last Friday were postponed when the snow storm started to move into the area. The storm dropped 30 inches of snow in some areas, which was enough to cancel all the games scheduled for Tuesday night. With forecasts calling for another storm beginning Tuesday afternoon, the rest of this week's games were in jeopardy, and county athletic officials had not yet determined makeup dates as of press time.

For a team like the Gwynn Park boys (14-3 overall, 10-3 in the County 3A/2A/1A League), who had won four consecutive games entering the week, the break in play seemingly comes at a bad time. But Glick said he told his team not to worry about the situation since there is nothing anyone can do about it.

"I have lived in the area my whole life and I have never seen anything like this," Glick said. "Everyone is in the same position, so no one is getting any advantage from this. I told the guys to shovel snow, do some pushups or do some type of cardio work to stay in shape. We knew on Thursday [Feb. 4] that it could be a long time before we played another game."

The time off may be a good thing for some teams. Bowie has been banged up for most of the season with starters Jared Carithers, Randall Castleberry and Kyle Jordan missing time with injuries. Bowie lost three in a row without its three hurt starters, but the Bulldogs were starting to get healthy for the stretch run.

The Bulldogs (13-4 overall, 11-3 County 4A League) had won four in a row, including a 50-44 decision over Charles H. Flowers on Feb. 4, before the storm hit.

"We had been erratic at times, so I think this time off is good because it gives the players a chance to re-energize for the stretch run," Holbrook said. "Now the guys get to be off their feet and resting, which is a good thing. The only negative is we can't practice until we get back to school, which might not happen until next week."

If all the games scheduled for this week are cancelled, that puts Prince George's County in a difficult situation. All of the boys teams have five games remaining, but only have a week to get them in before the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association draws the brackets for the regional tournaments on Feb. 21.

That could be a tough situation in the County 4A League, where five teams are within one game of each other. Only the top four teams in the league, based on overall records, will receive first-round byes for the 4A South Region tournament.

Some of the coaches said they hoped the MPSSAA would consider pushing the seeding draw back a couple of days, but that's not going to happen.

MPSSAA Executive Director Ned Sparks said the dates for the seeding draw and the start of the state's regional tournaments will not be changed. He also said it would be up to the individual counties to determine what the schedules would look like for the final week of the regular season.

"Once the time runs out for the regular season, we will seed for the tournament," Sparks said. "All the counties are going to be in the situation where they have to drop some games. I am sure they will figure something out."

Regardless of what happens to this week's schedule, Oxon Hill coach Richard Little is convinced that the day students return to school, they will be playing that night. That would be a welcomed sight for Little and the Clippers (11-4 overall, 11-2 County 4A League), who had won 10 consecutive games before the storm hit.

"We need to keep playing because we had developed a nice momentum," Little said. "There really is no way to prepare for this because there is nothing you can do. We are going to watch some film and look at some things we can do better that will help us the next time we take the court."

The three teams that entered Friday tied atop the County 3A/2A/1A League boys' basketball standings – Largo, Frederick Douglass and Potomac – will take center stage over the next week as they play one another. But a fourth team stands poised to be a factor during the final six regular season games and into the postseason: Gwynn Park.

The Yellow Jackets (12-4 overall, 8-4 league) were missing starting senior guard Brian Blue (football recruiting visit), but defeated Friendly, 67-60, Friday at Gwynn Park High in Brandywine. Juniors Brandon Ford and Tion Barnes led Gwynn Park past Friendly with 25 and 17 points, respectively. It was Gwynn Park's fifth win in its past six games.

"We're getting better, that's the key," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "I thought Curtis Hardy did a great job of stepping in and providing excellent defense in Brian Blue's absence."

Ford scored 10 points in the first quarter and connected on 11 of 13 field goal attempts, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Barnes gave the near-capacity crowd something to cheer about with three powerful slams and led his team with seven rebounds.

"Last year all I did was drive [toward the basket], so as teams would back up off me, I developed a jump shot," Ford said.

All nine of Ford's 2-point field goals came from in the lane. Reginald Sims scored 15 points, Michael Johnson added 12 and Davon Morton had 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Patriots.

Gwynn Park held a 33-31 halftime lead and Friendly was able to cut it to 36-35 with 6 minutes, 21 seconds to play in the third quarter on a layup by Johnson. But then both teams struggled to score. After two Gwynn Park free throws and a Friendly layup, the score was 38-37 with 4:33 left in the period.

The Yellow Jackets pulled away by scoring eight unanswered points over the next two minutes, with Ford and Barnes combining for six of them. Gwynn Park held a 50-41 lead heading into the final quarter.

Friendly (7-8, 6-7) was not able to get closer than five points in the fourth quarter, 63-58, with 59.2 seconds to play. The Patriots struggled to score after that and the Yellow Jackets extended their lead with two free throws and a layup.

Friendly, which was the Class 3A state runner-up last season, has lost three in a row and six of its last eight.

"It's been a long, trying season," said Friendly coach Rob Garner. "Our gameplan was we had to keep Ford out of the lane, and we had to keep Barnes and [Mike] Hemsley off the boards, and for a while we did that. And then for a two-minute stretch, they just absolutely overpowered us."

Gwynn Park plays at Largo on Tuesday, which entered play Friday night tied with Frederick Douglass and Potomac for first place in the County 3A/2A/1A League. Douglass beat Largo by a point on Friday.

Gwynn Park 67, Friendly 60

Friendly 18 13 10 19 - 60

Gwynn Park 21 12 17 17 - 67

Friendly (7-8, 6-7): Reginald Sims 15, Michael Johnson 12, Davon Morton 11, Justin Strong 7, Lovell Brooks 6, Sherrod Baltimore 4, Chris Adewole 3, Bernard Savoy 2.

Gwynn Park (12-4, 8-4): Brandon Ford 25, Tion Barnes 17, Eric Batts 11, Mike Hemsley 6, Curtis Hardy 6, Daniel Henry 2.

With less than two minutes remaining in the Gwynn Park High School boys' basketball team's rematch against County 3A/2A/1A League-leading Potomac on Friday night, Yellow Jackets' forward Tion Barnes leaped high toward the basket to connect with teammate Mike Hemsley's underhand lob before completing the alley-oop with an emphatic slam.

It was the last of seven dunks from Barnes as his 30-point output paced Gwynn Park to a 96-79 victory against visiting Potomac on Friday. After only scoring five points and admittedly losing his focus during the teams' first meeting, an 81-80 win by Potomac on Dec. 11, Barnes listened to his coaching staff's advice and used his athleticism to aggressively attack the basket from above.

"My coaches told me that I needed to score, to step up," Barnes said. "They wanted me to play above the rim, so I said "OK" They wanted me to take more shots, so I started taking it to the hole. I do whatever my teammates need me to do to win."

Gwynn Park improved to 10-4 overall and 6-4 in the County 3A/2A/1A League with the victory, while Potomac dropped to 9-4 (8-2). Hemsley scored 15 points and Brandon Ford chipped in 11 for Gwynn Park. Anthony Murray led the visitors with 20 points.

The Yellow Jackets dictated the frantic pace throughout, finding success in the transition game as the Wolverines struggled to get back on defense.

"That's when we're at our best, when we can limit teams to one shot, control the rebound and get out in transition," said Gwynn Park coach Michael Glick.

Potomac center Antonio Jenifer, who tallied 23 points against Gwynn Park in December, missed his second game in two weeks due to illness. The Yellow Jackets took advantage of Potomac's lack of an inside presence, scoring in the paint at will.

In addition, Wolverines' coach Torrence Okendine said his squad had some "team issues" while preparing for the game "that affected us a lot more than we thought," but declined to elaborate.

With the game deadlocked at 19 with two minutes left in the first quarter, Gwynn Park reeled off a 10-0 run to end the period and build a lead it would never surrender.

Barnes took control with his team leading 49-42 early in the second half, notching 10 points during a 16-2 spurt that put the Yellow Jackets comfortably ahead. The agile forward capped off his standout period by driving the baseline and throwing down a one-handed jam at the buzzer.

Gwynn Park maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter. Trailing by 12 points, the Wolverines lost their cool when David Brockenberry committed a flagrant foul with six minutes remaining. Dominique Green and Tracey Barner subsequently picked up technical fouls for arguing the call, giving the Yellow Jackets six free throw attempts and possession of the ball.

Gwynn Park made three of the free throws and converted a layup on the ensuing possession, pushing the cushion to 17 points. For the Yellow Jackets, being able to coast to victory was a reward for focusing on the intangibles.

"I thought it was our best total performance of the year, rebounding, defense and intensity-wise," Glick said. "We've gotten a lot better in terms of handling pressure and rebounding the basketball."

Gwynn Park 96, Potomac 79

Potomac 19 19 17 24 – 79

Gwynn Park 29 18 24 25 – 96

P (9-4 8-2): Anthony Murray 20, David Brockenberry 12, Tracey Barner 12, Devin Miller 11, Davion Brandon 10, Dominique Green 8, Da'ron Wiseman 6.

G (10-4, 6-4): Tion Barnes 30, Mike Hemsley 15, Daniel Henry 12, Brandon Ford 11, Curtis Hardy 8, Brian Blue 7, Eric Batts 4, Marcel Boyd 4, Raymond Barnes 3, Deante Brown 2.