So Ford's go-ahead layup with nine seconds remaining in the Yellow Jackets' 62-61 win Tuesday at Fairmont Heights meant more than just a game winning shot. It showed Gwynn Park's leading scorer, now free of recruiting distractions, is ready for a deep playoff run in his senior season.

"My coaches were saying it looked like I was not myself. I wasn't having fun," said Ford, who verbally committed to Loyola University last October before changing his mind and deciding on Howard. "It was on my mind for a while. Now that I've committed to Howard, it's cleared a lot of mental space. I did not want to lose this game."

Ford led Gwynn Park (14-7 overall, 14-4 County 3A/2A/1A League) with 23 points, none more important than his full-court drive and layup to win the game.

Guard Julian Livingston led Fairmont Heights with 22 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 2:28 left that gave the Hornets a 59-58 lead. But he missed the front end of a one-and-one with 14.2 seconds left, setting the stage for Ford's basket.

Ford wasn't at his best Tuesday, struggling from the field in the third quarter, but he scored Gwynn Park's last seven points.

"In the second half, he struggled shooting the basketball and finishing, but he's our go-to guy," said Gwynn Park coach Mike Glick. "I think he's playing a little bit more relaxed just because he doesn't have to worry about impressing coaches and going through the recruiting process."

Forward Tion Barnes (22 points) paced Gwynn Park early, scoring the team's first six points and 13 in the first half.

The Hornets (7-15, 5-13) stayed with the Yellow Jackets throughout, a vast improvement from the teams' first meeting on Jan. 14, when Fairmont Heights was 76-52 loser.

The Hornets trailed, 30-29, at the half but used a 14-7 run in the first five minutes of the third quarter to take a 43-29 lead. The game was tied, 46-46, heading into the fourth period.

"I thought we had the right kind of game for how we play them, and I thought we handled everything Gwynn Park threw at us," said Fairmont Heights coach George Wake. "We didn't make one play. That's all it was. We make one more play, we win the basketball game."

After falling behind, 55-50, with about four minutes left in the game, Livingston hit a 3-pointer over the outstretched arm of the 6-foot-5 Barnes.

After a Ford 3-pointer, the Hornets scored six unanswered points. But it was the newly committed Ford who scored five points in the game's final minute.

He couldn't have been more relieved. And his focus for the rest of the season couldn't be clearer.

"Now, I can just relax and play basketball," Ford said. "We overlooked [Fairmont Heights] and it won't happen again. I promise you it won't happen again. We're not losing until states. We're not even losing then."

Gwynn Park 62, Fairmont Heights 61

Gwynn Park (14-7, 14-4) 15 15 16 16 - 62

Fairmont Heights (7-15, 5-13) 15 14 17 15 - 61

Gwynn Park: Brandon Ford 23, Tion Barnes 22, Brian Hall 11, Marcel Boyd 2, Kevin Walters 2, Daniel Henry 2.

Fairmont Heights: Julian Livingston 22, Lamont Adair 11, Delano Banks 10, Timothy Harris 8, Kenneth Jackson 6, Deangelo Thomas 2, Jamar Cuthbertson 2.