Springbrook Carries On Without Star Player, Beats Blake in Boys' Basketball

As the defending Maryland 4A boys' champion, No. 3 Springbrook has been as closely scrutinized and scouted as any team in the area en route to a 15-0 start. There's no question the Blue Devils are good, but last night in a 53-52 home victory over No. 18 Blake, they showed they might be better than people think.

Playing without leading scorer Jamal Olasewere, the Blue Devils showcased their depth. Junior Zaid Hearst scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the first half, senior guard Jeremy Williams scored 10 of his 16 points in the third quarter, and senior centers Brandon Davis and Kwambina Coker made key baskets and corralled important rebounds in the final minutes to hold off Blake.

"Jamal was a big loss," Williams said, "and me and [Hearst] really took on that role. It's a huge confidence booster" to win without him.

Olasewere was held out of the game for missing class, according to a Springbrook source. Yet the Blue Devils showed that even without his 6-foot-6 frame and 19.2 points per game, they still have plenty in reserve.

"There is absolutely no drop-off," Blake Coach Marcus Wiggins said. "You go to their bench and they will still play well."

Even though the playoffs are still four weeks away, this could prove to be a critical game in the Montgomery 4A West region, where these two figure to be the top two seeds. A Blake victory would have put the Bengals (13-2, 6-2 Montgomery 4A East) in a tie for the top spot. Instead, Springbrook (15-0, 8-0) is comfortably ahead.

"It's good, though, that at this time of the year, you find out what your team is made of," Springbrook Coach Tom Crowell said. "That game was huge for us. It could have affected a lot of things, standings and positioning for the playoffs."

A 10-0 run put Springbrook ahead 20-10, a lead the Blue Devils held until a layup by Brandon Hedley with 2 minutes 11 seconds left put Blake ahead 48-47. A layup by Coker with 1:16 left put Springbrook back up and, after Blake was called for an offensive foul, Davis hit two free throws to make it a three-point game.

The teams exchanged a couple of free throws, and Blake, trailing by three with eight seconds left, raced downcourt for a layup to make it a one-point game with 1.7 seconds left to account for the final margin.

No. 3 Springbrook 53 No. 18 Blake 52

Best of the Rest: Blake's only two losses have come to Springbrook by a combined seven points.

Cut Above: Springbrook's 13 other victories have come by at least 14 points apiece, and an average of 22.7.