The Potomac Highlands Dispatch - the online newspaper

'Desperation, almost'
* Rams get much-needed win over Bishop Walsh in contest between former top-ranked teams

By Kevin Spradlin
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
OAKLAND, Feb. 22 -- It's about time.

Having lost six of their last eight games, the Southern Garrett Rams were beginning to wonder if they'd ever post a quality win again.

Turns out all they needed was Bishop Walsh. The last time these two teams played, the Rams forced overtime before escaping Cumberland on Jan. 18 with a 78-76 win. The victory came in the middle of a very successful 11-2 start for Southern Garrett.

Things have been quite different in recent weeks. The Rams have lost six of their last eight games and needed a boost before hosting a Class 1A West Region sectional game next Monday.

They got it, in the form of a 50-43 win over visiting Bishop Walsh in a contest between two teams that each have held the top spot in the PhDispatch.com Weekly Power Rankings.

In fact, it was that Jan. 18 win that earned Southern Garrett, then No. 2, the top spot in the rankings over then-No. 1 Bishop Walsh. The following week, though, the Rams lost to Preston and Mountain Ridge - the first of two losses to the Miners. The Rams dropped to second, behind BW - then fourth and, subsequently, sixth.

The Rams hope Tuesday's win gets them going in the right direction before the playoffs begin.

"We really need this," said senior D.J. Ritchie after the win.

Coach Jon Hegeman, for one, agreed.

It was "desperation, almost," Hegeman said. A loss "wasn't an end to our season, but we had to taste that victory" and "get that confidence, that swagger back. We got a little complacent there after we started out 11-2."

There was little time for complacency Tuesday night. The Spartans took a 13-19 lead late in the first quarter on a 3-pointer from Pat Jones. As it turned out, it was Jones's only field goal of the game. Calvin Hilliard answered with a layup to close out the first-quarter scoring. BW led, 13-11.

The tables finally turned in the Rams' favor in the second quarter. Hilliard scored four of the team's first six points and Southern Garrett opened the period on an 11-2 run. Wyatt McBee hit a 3-pointer to give the Rams a 20-15 lead and Joey Kisselovich took a pass and converted it into two points with 2:10 to play before halftime.

The Spartans climbed back into the game in the first part of the third quarter. Point guard Richie Mann hit two 3-pointers, the second of which made it 30-25 in favor of the Rams with 3:39 left in the third. About 85 seconds later, Mann stole the ball and traveled the length of the court and hit the layup. Fouled on the play, Mann hit the free throw to complete the three-point play and pull BW within 30-28.

The Rams were starting to get down, but a timeout by coach Jon Hegeman reminded the team it was not out of it - not by a long shot. Southern went on a 7-0 run to close out the third quarter, highlighted by a quick-action play in which BW's Quincy Redmon blocked a shot - earning the visiting crowd's admiration. But D.J. Ritchie grabbed the loose and shot - and made - a bucket from beyond 3-point range. The Rams led by nine, 37-28.

Kurt Gangler sank two free throws 3:18 into the fourth quarter to put Southern up 43-32. The next three minutes, though, belonged to Bishop Walsh. Dylan D'Atri grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back for two points with 4:21 to go. Some 40 seconds later, Redmon did the same thing and hit the free throw earned on the foul to make it a six-point game.

The Jones, limited to just three points for the game, dished off to Kammari Powell with 1:35 left to pull the Spartans within 43-39. Hilliard hit the first of two foul shots 20 seconds later to increase the Rams' lead to 45-39. Redmon, 4-for-5 on the day from the charity stripe, hit two with 59.3 seconds to play to pull BW within 45-41.

Spartans coach Bob Boyle took a full timeout. His instructions were clear: foul the Rams. In the final minute, Hilliard hit two more free throws and Kisselovich made all four attempts to put the game away.

Southern shot 15-of-28 from 2-point range and made 2 of 7 from 3-point range on the night. They had 19 total rebounds, including six each by Ritchie and Kisselovich. Ritchie added three assists and three steals while Gangler and Kisselovich each had four assists.