Lake Clifton/REACH High boys basketball coach Herman Harried said in the preseason he didn’t need senior Kris Mitchell to do anything unusual to overcome the team’s overall inexperience. In the Lakers’ biggest test of the young season Friday, Mitchell did what he does very well: gritty effort on both sides of the court.
Mitchell scored six of his team-high 16 points in the final frame as the No. 6 Lakers defeated visiting and eighth-ranked Edmondson, 50-46, in a rematch of last year’s Class 1A state and Baltimore City title games in East Baltimore.
“It was a hurricane and we weathered the storm,” said Harried. “Edmondson is a very good team…we made tough plays down the stretch. The difference was we never gave in.”
Down six early in the fourth quarter, Lake Clifton (3-1 overall) again found a way against its West Baltimore rivals, winning for the fifth straight time, dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. Zammari Dorsey finished with 16 points, including the game-clinching free throws in the waning seconds.
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With game tied at 44, Mitchell, with three Edmondson players around him, got an inbound pass from Ray Askins at the basket and scored, giving Lake Clifton a 46-44 advantage with 1 minute, 15 seconds left in regulation. The Red Storm answered with a 10-foot jumper from D.J. Dantzler, tying the game with a minute left.
After a Red Storm timeout, Lake Clifton was able to get the ball over Edmondson’s press. Dorsey got the ball to Mitchell, who powered in a shot off the glass over Edmondson’s precocious 6-foot-7 sophomore post Marcus Jackson and was fouled with 47.1 seconds to play, giving the Lakers a 48-46 lead.
“Everytime we play Edmondson they play really hard. Today, my main focus was playing defense and getting rebounds,” said Mitchell. “The intensity is always there.”
Mitchell missed the free throw for the 3-point play, but nabbed his ninth rebound after a Edmondson miss with about 32 seconds remaining. The Red Storm got another chance after Dorsey, pressured off an inbound entry, threw the ball down court and was intercepted with about 17 seconds left.
Montize Johnson missed a 3-pointer for Edmondson, and Dorsey got the defensive rebound and was fouled with 7.8 seconds to play.
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Dorsey, who got a tongue lashing from Harried after briefly losing his temper, regained his composure and converted two one-and-one free throws for the final margin.
“I got to make these (free throws). If not, it’s bricks,” said Dorsey, a senior transfer from Dunbar. “Lake Clifton basketball is different. I’ve never played in front of a huge crowd like this.”
Last season, Lake Clifton overcame a 9-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win at Edmondson in the opener of three high stake battles. The Lakers made the plays in the closing minutes to win, 57-52, in the city title game at Dunbar before overcoming an early deficit in the 1A state final (60-46) at the University of Maryland.
The Red Storm (1-2) established a 17-8 lead early in the second quarter Friday after a 3-pointer from Kyrie Sherrod. Lake Clifton trimmed the margin to 26-25 after a rebound and score from Mitchell to start the third.
Edmondson, which started all underclassmen Friday, stayed in control. Another 3-pointer from Sherrod and a 3-point play from junior Malik Davis helped push the Red Storm to a 38-30 lead with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter.
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Davis kept Edmondson afloat, getting a loose ball and driving to the basket for a score, making it 44-40 midway in the fourth. After forcing Lake Clifton into a 10-second call, the Red Storm gave the ball back after the 10-second violation, leading to an Askins’ transition score with 2:55 left in regulation.
Edmondson missed a shot, and Jermel Miles’ follow shot pulled Lake Clifton even at 44 with 2:19 to play. The Red Storm turned the ball over again, and Mitchell eventually gave Lake Clifton its first advantage since the 5-minute mark in the opening quarter.
Edmondson coach Darnell Dantzler said his team showed its inexperience in the fourth quarter Friday.
“We had some bad shots down the stretch, turnovers, and, of course, Lake is going to play til the end,” said Dantzler, whose team faltered in the fourth quarter of last Saturday’s loss to McKinley Tech (D.C.) at Lake Clifton in the annual D.C./Baltimore Basketball Challenge “We have to learn to finish games. This is on the job training for them.”
D.J. Dantzler, a sophomore guard finished with a game-high 19 points for Edmondson, which last defeated Lake Clifton in 2019 (73-67).
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The Lakers were able to manage Friday without starting point guard Jazae Jones, who’s been out due to illness.
“Playing with a new group of guys, I wanted to see if their energy was matching mine,” said Mitchell. “Once I saw it clicked, we were on a roll.”
NO. 6 LAKE CLIFTON 50, NO. 8 EDMONDSON 46
Edmondson - Dantzler 19, Brown 11, Sherrod 8, Jackson 6, West 2. Totals 18 6-12 46.
Lake Clifton - Dorsey 16, Mitchell 16, Miles 11, Monroe 7. Totals 19 12-18 50.
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Edmondson 14 12 12 8 - 46
Lake Clifton 8 15 11 16 - 50
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