LaQuill Hardnett dribbled down the left side of the court, his face slicked with sweat, and did something that did not fit into the most tense moments of the fourth quarter of the Maryland 4A state championship game.
Bladensburg, after making an improbable run out of Prince George’s County and into its first championship appearance since 1979, could not stop Hardnett, a senior committed to Cincinnati and one of three Perry Hall forwards standing 6-foot-8 or taller.
Hardnett finished with a game-high 31 points, including 19 in the second half, to lead the Baltimore County school to its second consecutive 4A title. Senior forward Daniel Oladapo led Bladensburg (15-13) with 18 points and also pulled down 14 rebounds.
“The best team won, man,” Bladensburg Coach Antonio Williams said. “We had a great game plan. Wish we had more than 24 hours to plan for 6-9, 6-8, 6-8, 6-4,” he added, referring to Perry Hall’s height advantage.
Oladapo, who is 6-7, came in averaging 23.3 points per game and, at the onset of the contest, was the Mustangs’ best bet at upsetting the Gators (21-6), who beat Quince Orchard in overtime in last year’s final.
But it was senior guard Joshua Williamson and a stingy 2-3 zone that fueled Bladensburg to a six-point halftime lead. Williamson scored 10 of his 16 points in the second quarter and punctuated it with a deep three just before the halftime buzzer. He then punctuated the shot by waving for more noise from the Bladensburg crowd as he bounced along the sideline.
They listened, and filled the Xfinity Center with a big, collective scream as the teams ducked into the tunnel for the short break.
But Hardnett, after exiting briefly with an injury at the end of the third quarter, seized control of the arena at the start of the fourth. Perry Hall’s lead grew to six points, but Bladensburg had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds.
However, a three-point attempt nicked the front of the rim and fell into Hardnett’s hands. After being fouled, he walked the length of the floor with a chance to ice the game, a grin still on his face, and missed the first free throw to keep the result hanging in the balance.
Then he canned the second, putting the 2018 4A title forever out of Bladensburg’s reach, and leaped down the court in celebration.
“It hurt, man. It hurts,” Oladapo said. “My last year. But I hope to just teach the young guys a lot, to keep them motivated for next year.”