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Class 1A West Region Championship
The Potomac Highlands Dispatch
Phone: 301-264-3147
Email: [email protected]
P.O. Box 651
Mount Savage, MD 21545
Concept Associates
Deep Creek Lake, MD
Phone: 301-501-4404
Gangler stars in a game Southern could have won
By Kevin Spradlin
PhDispatch.com
FREDERICK, March 5 - It appeared as if an upset was in the making.
The Southern Garrett boys basketball and even after going six minutes and 27 seconds between field goals from late in the third quarter to past the midway point of the fourth, the Rams trailed only by two points to Williamsport.
By then, though, momentum had shifted to the Wildcats in the form of a 12-4 run - a stretch highlighted by Steven Christy's seven points. Even after Kurt Gangler hit a 3-pointer for a 39-38 lead, the Rams committed costly turnovers and couldn't counter Williamsport's ramped-up second-half defense.
In the final minute, three different Williamsport players - Christy, Brandon McCauley and Conner Arnone - missed the front end of one and ones that helped keep the Rams in the game.
With 17 seconds left, though, the Rams were called for traveling. Williamsport couldn't take advantage of the free possession, but in the final seconds Southern couldn't execute a single play to move closer to the basket.
McCauley hit the go-ahead basket with 2:15 left to play. Arnone iced the win with two free throws with 17 seconds left on the clock.
Coincidentally, Williamsport's last Final Four appearance was in 2000, when the Wildcats beat the Rams for the 1A West Region championship.
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In-game updates
Southern Garrett vs. Williamsport in the Class 1A West Region boys championship game.
FREDERICK -- A defensive lapse in the fourth quarter, along with untimely turnovers and a questionable traveling call with just
1:53 p.m. - if the Northern Garrett girls team was buoyed to victory, at least in part, by the early arrival of fans o0f the Southern Garrett boys basketball team, the Huskies are thankful.
And they're showing they're thanks by sticking around at Frederick Community College to cheer on the Rams as they face the top-seeded Wildcats.
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after 1 quarter, Southern leads 10-8.
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Rams led 17-10 early in the 2nd quarter on a 3-pointer by Gangler. Williamsport pulled within 21-17 with 1:16 before halftime.
But McBee hit a 3-pointer with 1:04 on the clock and, with 28 seconds left, drove for a layup for a 26-17 rams lead.
Stephen Christy hit an NBA 3-pointer with 3 seconds to go to keep it a game.
Halftime, rams 26, Wildcats 20
scorers: Rams - McBee 7, Hilliard 5, Gangler 7
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3rd quarter
Rams lead 32-26 after 3 quarters. Hilliard's in foul trouble with 3.
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Williamsport 42, Southern Garrett 39
SOUTHERN GARRETT (16-9)
Gangler 4-6 0-0 10, McBee 3-8 0-0 7, Kisselovich 4-6 0-0 8, Ritchie 2-8 2-2 7, Hilliard 3-7 1-3 7. Totals 16-35 3-5 39.
WILLIAMSPORT (22-3)
Arnone 2-9 2-3 6, Green 0-3 0-0 0, McCauley 6-13 0-1 13, Christy 5-12 4-7 15, Wise 3-5 0-0 6, Aleshire 0-0 0-0 0, Butts 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 17-41 6-11 42.
S. Garrett 10 16 6 7 39
Williamsport 8 12 6 16 42
3-point goalsSouthern 4 (Gangler 2, McBee, Ritchie), Williamsport 2 (McCauley, Christy). ReboundsSouthern 27 (Kisselovich 12), Williamsport 19 (McCauley 6).
TurnoversSouthern 19, Williamsport 7.
Congratulations Rams on a great season!