Garrett regroups, stifles Skipjack comeback
WYE MILLS – Dennis Gibson tried to prepare his Lakers for what might be coming.
"I told our team, 'I've been up 25 before – it doesn't mean anything the way we score points in JuCo,' " Gibson said Saturday night after Garrett College's men's basketball game at Chesapeake College.
The Skipjacks erased a 25-point, second-half deficit and finally drew even on William Gilmore's three-point play with 3:48 remaining. Garrett, however, still escaped with a 90-84 victory by hitting 10-of-14 free throws after Gilmore tied the game.
"It was a positive; they didn't roll over and play dead," Chesapeake head coach Joel Dearring said of his team's strong second-half play. "What you hope they learn is there are 40 minutes in a ballgame and you've got to play all 40. You can't just play when you want to play."
Gibson characterized Chesapeake's comeback as "just a tremendous job" and admitted to being a little surprised at how his Lakers (1-4 overall, 1-2 Maryland JuCo) pulled it together down the stretch.
"We haven't done that all year," said Gibson. "We're a talented team and have so many kids who can play. Our (deep) rotation is strength and a weakness at times."
The Lakers led by 24 in the first half before settling for a 54-33 halftime cushion. Din Moore had 10 first-half points and three other Lakers – Matt Gibson, Antonio Butler and Marquise Green – added eight each. Garrett went 17-for-21 from the line in the first half compared to Chesapeake's 8-for-15 effort and held the normally explosive Skipjacks to one first-half trey.
Garrett took its biggest lead of the game on a Guila Panzo free throw with 17:08 remaining that made it 60-35. Gilmore (16 points, six assists) then led the Skipjacks on their comeback, with Chesapeake (4-4, 1-2) using both improved shooting and a turnover-producing zone trap to get back in the game.
Gilmore converted a pair of 3-point plays, three free throws when he was fouled on a missed trey, and another free throw as Chesapeake tied the game on an extended, 41-16 run. Akanni Salako and Geran Pope each matched Gilmore's 10 points during the comeback, with Pope scoring six straight points to pull Chesapeake within 75-73.
Green (12 points) then split a pair of free throws and Gilmore nailed his three-point play to tie the game, but that's where the good news ended for the Skipjacks. Chesapeake missed five layups down the stretch, two by Gilmore, and Pope (10 points, 10 rebounds) fouled out on a questionable offensive foul with 3:04 remaining to stall Chesapeake.
"When you miss five layups down the stretch in a game of this magnitude, you're bound to lose," said Dearring. "A mistake here, a mistake there – a missed layup, a missed box-out, somebody not being in the place they're supposed to be – that's how you lose it. If we had done anything at all in the first half, we wouldn't be talking about that."
Gibson (16 points) put Garrett back on top by hitting the first of two free throws after being fouled by the pressing Skipjacks with 3:46 remaining. Two possessions later, the Skipjacks missed a chance to take the lead when Gilmore missed a layup after a nice drive down the lane, and D.J. Ritchie hit two free throws to give the Lakers a 79-76 cushion.
After Pope was called for his fifth foul, Gibson made two free throws. Gilmore scored on an offensive rebound, but Green's reverse layup and a pair of Butler free throws gave Garrett an 85-78 cushion with just 1:15 remaining.
Yet, the Skipjacks still managed to make things interesting.
Sam Ijeomah and Salako (team-high 17 points) sandwiched 3-pointers around a Ritchie free throw to get the Skipjacks within 86-84 with 16.2 seconds remaining. Butler, who scored a game-high 22 points, sealed the win with a layup and two free throws for the Lakers.
Chad Church (nine rebounds) and Dion Bivens each scored 10 points as five Skipjacks made it into double figures.
Garrett managed to pull out the win despite going over five minutes without a field goal during Chesapeake's comeback.