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Scoring woes cost Gwynn Park in tournament final
Scoring woes cost Gwynn Park in tournament final
Yellow Jackets shoot 23 percent from 3-point range in loss to River Hill 40-54
Contrary to Gwynn Park High School basketball teams of old which have typically been propelled by a strong inside presence, this season’s Yellow Jackets are more of a perimeter squad. And that is fine when shots are falling, but they weren’t on Tuesday and it cost Gwynn Park in a 54-40 loss to Howard County’s River Hill in the Stanley Martin Homes Basketball Tournament final hosted by Montgomery County’s Magruder High.
“We didn’t score,” ninth-year Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick said. “We’re not a good team when we don’t score.”
The Yellow Jackets (4-4) looked good in Monday’s 66-55 win over traditional Frederick County power Urbana but on Tuesday they shot only 23 percent — 7 for 30 — from 3-point range. And River Hill’s defense did a good job limiting Gwynn Park’s second and third chances. Hawks coach Matt Graves said after watching the Yellow Jackets the previous day River Hill made a concerted effort to expand its defense out to try and stifle Gwynn Park’s productivity from long range.
“We knew they were a good 3-point shooting team so we wanted to get the defense out to their shooters,” Graves said. “We didn’t give them a lot of second and third chances to score and I think that was the difference in the game.”
Both coaches agreed the two-day tournament that featured four teams from four different counties was a great learning experience — these games don’t count toward region tournament standings. It was an opportunity to gain exposure to different playing styles than they’re used to facing. Glick said each county can have strengths in different areas and it’s good for teams to step out of their comfort zones.
In the evening’s consolation game, Magruder defeated Urbana, 81-71.
“[River Hill] is a great passing team, they have one of the best players in the state, they’re very unselfish and I think they have an excellent chance of getting to Comcast,” Glick said.
Gwynn Park kept itself within striking distance in a close first quarter that ended with the Hawks, who were paced by 6-foot-7 forward Charles Thomas IV with a game-high 15 points, leading 14-10. But River Hill’s 16-9, second-quarter run set the tone for the remainder of the game. The Hawks consistently kept themselves up by at least four points and led by double digits for much of the second half.
Three River Hill players scored 12 points or more — Thomas IV, Jayden Martin (14 points) and Gary Sandler (12). Marlon White (10) was Gwynn Park’s only double-digit scorer. Evan Crump added eight points.
“We came out and set the tone early, that’s something we needed to do,” Graves said. “We knew [Gwynn Park] is a very athletic team and can get up and down the floor.”
Though Gwynn Park struggled with consistency Tuesday, Glick said his young team is improving with every outing.
“We’re blessed to have been invited to such a great tournament,” Glick said. “[Tuesday] we couldn’t score and when you don’t score you’re not going to win a high school basketball game.”
jbeekman@gazette.net
River Hill 54, Gwynn Park 40
River Hill (5-4) 14 16 16 8 — 54
Gwynn Park (4-4) 10 9 12 9 — 40
River Hill — Charles Thomas IV 15, Jayden Martin 14, Gary Sandler 12, Marc DiSimone 5, Richard Mentle 5, Ben Borucki 2, Cole Gable 1.
Gwynn Park — Marlon White 10, Evan Crump 8, Isaiah Miles 6, Desha Curtis 5, Marquan Lee 2, Parris Miles 2, Aaron Parker 2.
