Five Takeaways: Baltimore County Championship
Last night at SECU Arena, New Town battled Franklin for the Baltimore County Crown. New Town came in as the heavy favorites considering their 18-1 record. Despite a strong start from Franklin, the Titans were able to pull away by…
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Continue ReadingLast night at SECU Arena, New Town battled Franklin for the Baltimore County Crown. New Town came in as the heavy favorites considering their 18-1 record. Despite a strong start from Franklin, the Titans were able to pull away by a final score of 65-46.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
New Town overcome strong start from Franklin.
The Indians didn’t start the game like they were the underdog team. They did an excellent job establishing a slow tempo to the game by slowing down in the half court offensively and stalling New Town by playing a 2-3 zone. When the first quarter ended, the Indians enjoyed an 11-5 lead, but New Town quickly erased that lead in the second quarter in large part by speeding the pace of the game. By halftime, the Titans were up by 12 and they never looked back. It’s safe to say that New Town overlooked Franklin coming into the game and it goes to show you that as a team, that’s never a good idea to do.
Andrew Mills and Martaz Robinson lead the way
These two juniors have led the team for the entire year, so it was only right for them to leave their imprint as they attempted to complete perfect play in the county. Mills really got going in the second quarter, scoring 10 of his 16 points. The 6-foot-5 wing did a nice job filling lanes in transition and knocking down catch-and-shoot jumpers after quick swings. Robinson scored all of the team’s five points in the first quarter and seemed to be the only one ready to play. As the team picked up their play, Robinson got out in transition and did a nice job distributing and scoring when opportunities presented themselves. The 6-foot-2 floor general finished with 13 points on the night.
Ben Murphy with a strong outing for Franklin
Murphy has been the leading scorer for this Indians team all season by averaging 16 points per game. He finished with 19 in the loss, but showcased the ability to score in a variety of ways. He has a very quick release on his jump shot that proved to be effective from deep as he converted on four three’s. He displayed his athleticism with a two-hand dunk in transition and almost threw down an alley-oop in a designed half court play. He’ll be an interesting prospect to watch going forward, as he has one season left to play.
Bench mob was strong for New Town
New Town’s bench played a big part in sparking their second quarter explosion. Junior guard Kyree Johnson supplied energetic ball pressure that resulted in turnovers and fast break opportunites, while Goucher commit Darrell Collins brought his length defensively and his long-range shooting on offense. Johnson finished with 11 points, all of which came around the rim in transition or crashing the offensive glass. Collins’ nine points all came from sniping beyond the arc and really stretched out the 2-3 zone of Franklin.
New Town with plenty of challenges ahead
The 2A North bracket is arguably the strongest of any. Because of their dominance in the regular season, New Town was awarded with the No. 1 overall seed. It doesn’t mean their road to the Xfinity Center will be easy. They have a chance to host Edmonson, who lost in the Baltimore City title game, in the third round. If they defeat Edmonson, they’ll likely host Patterson, the Baltimore City champions and a team who is considered one of the top-2 teams in the entire area. The Titans may have coasted through county play, but now it gets real. The players are looking forward to it, as they’ll be able to see just how good they are as a team.