Edmondson-Westside pulls away from Southern, 66-56, in state quarterfinals

Mar. 5—BALTIMORE — Southern came storming back into the game in the second quarter, but it was the Red Storm that was just a tad stronger on Friday evening, as Edmondson-Westside defeated the Rams, 66-56, in Class 1A state quarterfinal action in Charm City.

Gabe Hebb led the Rams with 20 points on nine field goals, including a 3-pointer that dropped just before the final buzzer, and 1 of 3 at the free-throw line. Tanner Haskiell, who led the second-quarter charge, finished with 16 points, while Isaac Upole tacked on 13.

"I thought we played really hard," Southern head coach Tom Bosley said. "I thought the very thing that happened is what many thought could happen. We've had opportunities to get blown out in that situation, but we fought and fought until the end. We have nothing to be ashamed of. They were just longer, quicker, faster, better leapers. I thought we were a little more fundamental. We shot it really well. Isaac's really good inside was the equalizer for them a lot.

"Overall, I'm proud of this group. I think the overall difficulty of our schedule helped us compete in this game. This was a Great Mills type of team, maybe a little better. That team's not a whole lot away from the Lake Clifton team three years ago. But I was proud of our effort."

After tying the game at 2-2 on a basket by Haskiell, the Rams trailed by no more than three for much of the opening period, with Hebb getting a layup to fall 55 seconds before the end of the frame for a 12-11 deficit. Edmondson-Westside answered with a pair of baskets in the final 31.2 seconds for a 16-11 lead heading into the second.

Edmondson (20-3) opened a six-point 19-13 lead early in the frame, but Haskiell went on a personal 8-0 run with a layup followed by 3-pointers at the 6:20 and 5:07 marks to give Southern its first lead at 21-19.

The Red Storm responded with a 3-pointer before Southern re-took the lead, 23-22, with an offensive rebound putback by Hebb.

Edmondson-Westside answered with a 4-0 run, but Upole drove to the basket and got a shot to fall at 2:42 before Haskiell hit his third 3-pointer of the quarter for a 28-26 lead with 1:35 to go before the break.

Up to that point, the Rams had to feel pretty good about themselves matching up against one of the top teams in Baltimore. The final 1:35 of the first half proved why Edmondson-Westside is one of Charm City's best, as Landon Hinton Jr. answered Haskiell's 3-pointer with a 3-ball of his own, which gave the Red Storm the lead for good.

Edmondson then got a steal and a breakaway slam before hitting another 3-pointer from the top of the arc just before halftime for an 8-0 run and 34-28 advantage heading into the break.

"I think the way it happened was what was disappointing because we didn't do what we had done for the entire second quarter up until that last minute," Bosley said. "Up until then, we were still in pretty good shape. I wasn't happy about that. Did that change the outcome? I don't think. It's about the next possession. But I really think it was a matter of us having the confidence in our ability to do things up until that last minute. We weren't in foul trouble by any means, we just got mentally weak there for a little bit and they answered with a couple of things that really helped them."

A layup by Hebb midway through the third got the Rams within five, 39-34, but Edmondson-Westside responded with a 7-0 run to make it a 12-point game with just over two minutes to go in the third.

Southern cut its deficit to nine, 51-42, heading into the fourth, and got within seven a few times throughout the final frame, but an 8-2 Red Storm run sealed the game for the No. 3-seeded team.

"I think the most important thing that we all need to understand is that everybody had a COVID year," Bosley said. "But the COVID year affects us at least as much as everybody, or more, because we put so much time in and play so much ball. I don't want to offend anyone in our area because we played for our area tonight, for everybody back home we were trying to get a win in the city and didn't come through.

"But the thing about this team is they just competed. We competed more when we finally got healthy and finally got everybody in practice for a little bit. We got consistency and, I think our true team showed, and I think that showed in the last week-and-a-half. This is a nice group. Think about how good some of those seniors are if they had played their junior year. That would've been most of last year's team."

Southern finishes the season at 13-9, with Upole, Hebb and Glotfelty among the players graduating this year.

"It was a great atmosphere to play in," Bosley said. "It was a great trip other than we lost. It will be memories they take with them forever. Hopefully, they'll be proud of their basketball experience. And I've got a great coaching staff. And how about the number of fans again? Oakland is just incredible. Oakland is the best place, there's no better place to coach than at Southern High School."

Kyle Bennett is a sports reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @KyleBennettCTN.