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COLLEGE PARK — For the second year in a row, Pikesville used a dominant rebounding edge and its championship experience to stop Southern in the title game.
Pikesville pulled down 17 offensive boards, shot 22 more free throws and Mariah Jones-Bey and NyJae Malik-El combined for 40 points, as the third-seeded Panthers defeated top-seeded Southern, 67-62, in the Class 1A state final on Saturday at the University of Maryland's Xfinity Center.
"Tough one. If you would have told me coming into the game that we'd score 62 points and lose, I wouldn't have believed it for a second, as well as we've played defensively this year," Southern head coach Landon Todd said.
"It was a similar loss as last year. We gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, let them shoot a ton of free throws, and that's where the game was lost. It's a credit to Pikesville."
The state championship is Pikesville's fifth in a row, which ties a state record with Roosevelt (2005-09) and Brooklyn Park (1985-89).
Southern (24-3) fell to Pikesville (25-2) in last year's title game 48-39. The rematch followed a similar track with the Rams jumping out to an early lead before the Panthers enforced their will and made the winning plays late.
Pikesville led 54-44 with 4:08 remaining before a pair of late 3-pointers by Southern's Joycelyn Ward got the Rams within four.
Gabbi Berry was then fouled on a 3 with 1:53 remaining, and after a 2 for 3 trip the Rams were within 60-56.
However, a jumper by Ka'nai Pyatt and a transition score from Jones-Bey lifted Pikesville over the top.
"We know Southern is a very formidable opponent, but we felt if we played solid, we would be OK," Pikesville head coach Michael Dukes said. "We didn't feel like we had to play great. We felt like we needed to play solid on both ends of the floor.
"That's a very good basketball team, well-coached. They wanted this without a doubt. We just said, we can't speak for how much the other team is going to want it, but we can't let another team want it more than us."
Jones-Bey finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, Malik-El added 19 points, six rebounds and six steals, Pyatt ended with 11 points, and Maya Chase tallied 10.
Kelsey Ward led Southern with 12 points, Joycelyn Ward scored 10, Carly Wilt and Jayden Weaver added nine apiece and Emelee Parks and Abi ***** garnered eight each.
Jones-Bey's ability to break down Southern's defense put the Rams into deep foul trouble, and Wilt and Weaver — the Rams' two leading scorers — fouled out.
Jones-Bey drew eight Southern fouls by herself.
Pikesville won 39-31 on the glass and made 24 of 37 free throws. The Rams were 9 for 15 at the line.
"The foul trouble kind of handicapped us," Todd said. "We had to go zone to try to avoid the foul trouble issue. Then we get in a 10-point deficit, and you've got to go man to fight back.
"It was just deflating when you go on that run and you try to turn the corner, and you lose two starters. That's tough."
Pikesville had more turnovers, 23-21, but the Rams had 15 in the first half to erase a strong start.
A 14-2 Pikesville run in the second quarter put it ahead at halftime 29-27.
Southern led the entire first quarter and didn't relinquish its edge until a Jones-Bey score at the 5:07 mark of the second period gave Pikesville a 19-17 edge.
The Panthers' first-half lead swelled to 26-19 following the 12-point run.
Fresh off a career-high 16 points in the state semifinals, ***** pulled Southern within a bucket with a 3-pointer and another of the old-fashioned variety in the final two minutes.
Southern held a 15-12 advantage after the first quarter, spurred by Kelsey Ward's six points — the Rams' first six of the game.
The Rams had leads of 8-2 and 13-7 in the opening period before Pikesville began turning them over and scoring second-chance points.
Southern tied the game at 29 early in the third quarter, and Pikesville never trailed again.
The Panthers shot just 51% at the free-throw line during the season, but when it came time to close out a fifth-straight championship, they were clutch.
Jones-Bey was 2 for 6 at the foul line in the first half but was 9 for 9 after halftime.
"I have my coach, coach Kevin (Elliott), telling me to bend my knees and follow through, and also take a deep breath to stay calm," the junior guard said.
"And we shot a lot of free throws the past two weeks," Dukes interjected.
Southern falls to 4-7 in championship games, and the Rams return all but Wilt from their rotation.
Wilt won just five games in her freshman season but ended her career with back-to-back runner-up finishes.
"It's meant a lot," Wilt said of her time in the program. "Each year we've improved. We've learned how to win. ... I think we've got closer as a team through the years, and I think that's helped us improve."
With redemption the goal again for Southern next season, the Rams will still have to get past Pikesville, which isn't going anywhere.
The Panthers graduate no seniors from this squad, which Dukes said was one of his best.
"It's no accident they've won four in a row. They've been here. They've done that," Todd said. "They continue to prove why they've now won five in a row."
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Pikesville pulled down 17 offensive boards, shot 22 more free throws and Mariah Jones-Bey and NyJae Malik-El combined for 40 points, as the third-seeded Panthers defeated top-seeded Southern, 67-62, in the Class 1A state final on Saturday at the University of Maryland's Xfinity Center.
"Tough one. If you would have told me coming into the game that we'd score 62 points and lose, I wouldn't have believed it for a second, as well as we've played defensively this year," Southern head coach Landon Todd said.
"It was a similar loss as last year. We gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, let them shoot a ton of free throws, and that's where the game was lost. It's a credit to Pikesville."
The state championship is Pikesville's fifth in a row, which ties a state record with Roosevelt (2005-09) and Brooklyn Park (1985-89).
Southern (24-3) fell to Pikesville (25-2) in last year's title game 48-39. The rematch followed a similar track with the Rams jumping out to an early lead before the Panthers enforced their will and made the winning plays late.
Pikesville led 54-44 with 4:08 remaining before a pair of late 3-pointers by Southern's Joycelyn Ward got the Rams within four.
Gabbi Berry was then fouled on a 3 with 1:53 remaining, and after a 2 for 3 trip the Rams were within 60-56.
However, a jumper by Ka'nai Pyatt and a transition score from Jones-Bey lifted Pikesville over the top.
"We know Southern is a very formidable opponent, but we felt if we played solid, we would be OK," Pikesville head coach Michael Dukes said. "We didn't feel like we had to play great. We felt like we needed to play solid on both ends of the floor.
"That's a very good basketball team, well-coached. They wanted this without a doubt. We just said, we can't speak for how much the other team is going to want it, but we can't let another team want it more than us."
Jones-Bey finished with 21 points and eight rebounds, Malik-El added 19 points, six rebounds and six steals, Pyatt ended with 11 points, and Maya Chase tallied 10.
Kelsey Ward led Southern with 12 points, Joycelyn Ward scored 10, Carly Wilt and Jayden Weaver added nine apiece and Emelee Parks and Abi ***** garnered eight each.
Jones-Bey's ability to break down Southern's defense put the Rams into deep foul trouble, and Wilt and Weaver — the Rams' two leading scorers — fouled out.
Jones-Bey drew eight Southern fouls by herself.
Pikesville won 39-31 on the glass and made 24 of 37 free throws. The Rams were 9 for 15 at the line.
"The foul trouble kind of handicapped us," Todd said. "We had to go zone to try to avoid the foul trouble issue. Then we get in a 10-point deficit, and you've got to go man to fight back.
"It was just deflating when you go on that run and you try to turn the corner, and you lose two starters. That's tough."
Pikesville had more turnovers, 23-21, but the Rams had 15 in the first half to erase a strong start.
A 14-2 Pikesville run in the second quarter put it ahead at halftime 29-27.
Southern led the entire first quarter and didn't relinquish its edge until a Jones-Bey score at the 5:07 mark of the second period gave Pikesville a 19-17 edge.
The Panthers' first-half lead swelled to 26-19 following the 12-point run.
Fresh off a career-high 16 points in the state semifinals, ***** pulled Southern within a bucket with a 3-pointer and another of the old-fashioned variety in the final two minutes.
Southern held a 15-12 advantage after the first quarter, spurred by Kelsey Ward's six points — the Rams' first six of the game.
The Rams had leads of 8-2 and 13-7 in the opening period before Pikesville began turning them over and scoring second-chance points.
Southern tied the game at 29 early in the third quarter, and Pikesville never trailed again.
The Panthers shot just 51% at the free-throw line during the season, but when it came time to close out a fifth-straight championship, they were clutch.
Jones-Bey was 2 for 6 at the foul line in the first half but was 9 for 9 after halftime.
"I have my coach, coach Kevin (Elliott), telling me to bend my knees and follow through, and also take a deep breath to stay calm," the junior guard said.
"And we shot a lot of free throws the past two weeks," Dukes interjected.
Southern falls to 4-7 in championship games, and the Rams return all but Wilt from their rotation.
Wilt won just five games in her freshman season but ended her career with back-to-back runner-up finishes.
"It's meant a lot," Wilt said of her time in the program. "Each year we've improved. We've learned how to win. ... I think we've got closer as a team through the years, and I think that's helped us improve."
With redemption the goal again for Southern next season, the Rams will still have to get past Pikesville, which isn't going anywhere.
The Panthers graduate no seniors from this squad, which Dukes said was one of his best.
"It's no accident they've won four in a row. They've been here. They've done that," Todd said. "They continue to prove why they've now won five in a row."
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