As the lone undefeated team remaining in Maryland, the expectations are high for Oakland Mills in Class 2A. Considered a favorite for a trip to Comcast Center for the state semifinals and finals, the Howard County champs will have to come out of their 2A South region unscatched.

The Scorpions their journey towards Comcast Center with a dominant 73-45 win over eighth-seeded Gwynn Park on Thursday night, moving to 23-0 behind 15 points from Deshawn Willis.

Marvin Williams hit the first two shots of the game (both three pointers) for the Scorpions, who did not trail at any point in this regional quarterfinal victory.

Oakland Mills extended the top of their zone defense nearly to half court, forcing turnovers while challenging the Gwynn Park guards to drive. On the few occasions that the Yellow Jackets were able to get by Oakland Mills’ first line of defense, forwards Lavon Long and Dajuan Dent were ready and able to alter and swat away layup attempts.

Loyola signee Lavon Long is leading Oakland Mills as they attempt to make a run at the 2A state title.

The Scorpions only allowed 20 points through three quarters and were able to force their up-tempo style of play upon the Yellow Jackets, who repeatedly tried to slow the pace to no avail.

Junior guard Marvin Williams provided the highlight of the night with a breakaway dunk, sending the capacity crowd into a frenzy and ending any hope Gwynn Park had for a comeback. The Yellow Jackets did not go down without a fight as they managed to score 25 points in the fourth quarter, 19 of which came from senior lead guard Jalen Harris (who did not start).

Oakland Mills will look to extend their season next Tuesday as they take on Largo in the 2A South regional semifinals. Randomly selected as the No. 13 seed, the Lions have won both of their opening games on the road–at No. 12 Marriotts Ridge in the regional quarterfinals and at No. 4 Central in the 1st round.

TOP SCORERS
OM- Willis 15, Dent 12, Williams 12, Long 11, Bradley 6, Reyna 6
GP- Harris 22, Bazil 9, Martin 6, Hines 4, Pegram 3

WHAT WE LEARNED

• Lavon Long can do it all for Oakland Mills. The lefty forward can bring the ball up against the press, make crisp skip and outlet passes, as well as shooting the three or scoring from in the paint. Pair Long with Dent in the high-low game and the Scorpions have a deadly combination thanks to Dent’s midrange game. A Loyola (Md.) signee, Long is excellent against a zone defense, where he can drive or find open teammates from the high post.
• Dajuan Dent originally struggled to see his 15 foot jumper fall but got back on track and finished with 12 points. Dent was a monster blocking shots, including a series where he smacked a lay-in attempt off the glass and trailed the fast break to tip in a missed layup for the Scorpions. One thing to watch with Dent is foul trouble, as he fouled out with 4:20 remaining in the fourth quarter in this one. Gwynn Park’s Ackhel Bazil (more on Bazil below) and Isaiah Martin could match up with Dent size-wise, which was a likely reason for his foul problems despite the fact that he got the best of the duo overall.
• Jalen Harris had a courageous finish in a game that had been decided for over a quarter, coming up with 19 points in the fourth quarter. He was fouled with 5 seconds remaining and began cramping up but the senior limped to the line after a significant delay to take his final free throws. Harris did not start and appeared to be favoring one leg all night, leaving many shots short but still finishing with a game-high 22 points.
• Ackhel Bazil was the only offense Gwynn Park had early, coming away with six first quarter points off of just putbacks, hitting the boards hard against Long and Dent. Bazil matched up well with Dent’s athleticism and provided a tough matchup down low due to his size and leaping ability. The senior has loads of raw talent but could not come up with regular baskets on the block that could have kept the Yellow Jackets close when they were struggling for offense.
• Oakland Mills didn’t play a spotless game, going 8-for-14 from the foul line and turning the ball over regularly as they pushed the pace. Guards Nekhi Bradley and Marvin Williams can be great in transition but at times aren’t careful enough with the ball despite being a bit underrated at their positions. Bradley and Williams will be key components to the Scorpions winning a state title if they can continue to lighten the load on Dent and Long while taking advantage of and controlling fast break opportunities.

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Mike Wenig is a featured contributor for MDHoops.net