Riverdale Baptist ends long day with victory
Crusaders use zone defense to beat Gwynn Park in third-place game at Maryland National Hoops Classic
Two hours after losing 83-73 to Bishop O'Connell on Thursday in the consolation game of the Waldorf Holiday Hoops Classic at North Point High School, the Riverdale Baptist boys' basketball team fought through rush hour traffic and fatigue to defeat Gwynn Park, 63-46, in the third-place game of the Maryland National Hoops Classic at Wise High.
Riverdale Baptist (12-5) spent Tuesday and Wednesday splitting the squad between the two tournaments, but on Thursday the Crusaders had a full complement of players for both games. Despite having already played a game and taken an hour-long bus ride, the Crusaders outscored Gwynn Park in each quarter. They raced to a 17-5 lead late in the first quarter, saw the Yellow Jackets get within three points on three different occasions in the second quarter then opened a 29-20 lead at the intermission. Riverdale Baptist held a 12-point lead after three quarters and led by as many as 19 points in the final period.
"We played against a very good O'Connell team and then got on the bus and came here to play," said Riverdale Baptist coach Lou Wilson. "We had all of our guys here, which really helped, and our guards shot the ball well. It was a good experience for these guys. This is one of the best tournaments in the state and it can only help us get better. We'll see O'Connell again next Saturday [Jan. 8] at our place and I know that should be a great game."
For the second night in a row, Gwynn Park (4-4) was held to exactly 46 points and suffered its second consecutive loss. As they did in a semifinal loss to Wise on Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets faced a zone defense that dared their guards to shoot from the perimeter, and the Crusaders were never enticed out of it.
"We probably played the entire tournament without seeing one possession of man-to-man defense," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "So we have to work on our zone offense. We're going to have to hit those outside shots. This whole week will only help us get better. We had the chance to play some good teams and even though we lost the last two games we'll bounce back from it. Everyone is 0-0 when you get to March."
Riverdale Baptist 63, Gwynn Park 46
Gwynn Park 8 10 15 13 -- 46
Riverdale Baptist 17 12 16 18 -- 63
Gwynn Park (4-4): Tion Barnes 5, Eric Batts 2, Brandon Ford 19, Brian Hall 9, Jarvis Hawkins 2, Kevin Miller 4, Nick Walton 5.
Riverdale Baptist (12-5): Norman Allen 3, Quinton Dodson 4, Milan Durant 7, Keon Hill 10, Robel Hurui 2, Olajuwon Lewis 12, Delvin Mulbah 3, Brandon Peel 4, Chris Scott 3, Jerome Tolson 15
