Severna Park Boys Oust Arundel In Playoff Win, 44-36

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Having already beaten Arundel twice this season, including most recently on the Wildcats’ senior night on January 23, the Severna Park boys basketball team faced the always-treacherous third meeting for its 4A East playoff opener on Friday.

The host Falcons were not about to let any Wildcat confidence bring an end to the season.

Severna Park jumped out to and early lead, staved off an Arundel comeback in the second half and sank their free throws down the stretch to oust the Wildcats, 44-36, and advance to Monday’s 4A East Section I semifinal against Old Mill.

Senior Colin Wolfe led all scorers with 15 points, including seven free throws in the final four minutes, as Severna Park improved to 8-14 on the season and got an all-important playoff win to punctuate its season.

Senior Jordan Hallet said the home playoff win is a fitting accomplishment for a Falcon team that has faced its share of trials.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity, but us seniors, working through it all, there have been Saturdays that have been hard, weeks that have been hard, but getting this one was really worth it,” Hallet said.

Early, the Falcons looked as though they might run the Wildcats out of the gym. After Arundel took a 2-0 lead and the Falcon offense played a few fruitless possessions, senior Josh Horgan banked in a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock to put the Falcons up 3-2.

The play broke the ice, and the Falcons started playing loose. Horgan slashed to the hoop for a layup, and Wolfe got free for a baseline layup and another on a fast break. Horgan made a steal and fed Jacob Goodman for a score, Jerry Jennings drove the middle of the lane for a layup and the foul (he made the free throw), and Evan Dill scored on a press break to make it a 16-6 Severna Park lead after the first quarter.

The Wildcats began clawing their way back into the game. They held the Falcons to just two points in the second quarter and opened the third quarter playing a zone defense, giving Severna Park a different look. Dill answered a Wildcat 3-pointer with a 3-pointer of his own, and the Falcons led 21-16, but Arundel rattled off six unanswered points to take a 22-21 lead midway through the third.

The zone initially gave Severna Park problems, but the Falcons continued attacking the gaps. Hallet ran the baseline for a left-handed layup, then fed a cutting Horgan for a basket that gave the Falcons a 25-24 lead after three.

Said senior point guard Matt Simms of Arundel’s defensive schemes, “They’re a good team, they’re long and athletic, and I knew if we stuck together for the whole game, we were going to find an answer, and that’s what happened in the second half.”

After Arundel took a 27-25 lead, Wolfe hit a corner three to put the Falcons ahead 28-27, passed to Hallet for a layup, and Hallet scored inside again to make it 32-29.

Holding a precarious 32-29 lead, Wolfe attacked the basket off the dribble and had his shot blocked, only for the referee to call a foul on Arundel. The offending Wildcat was assessed a technical foul for arguing, giving Wolfe four free throw attempts.

The senior hit all four attempts, turning a one-possession game into a three-possession game by making it 36-29 in favor of Severna Park.

Arundel never recovered.

“I knew that it was a close game and we had to capitalize off their mistakes,” said Wolfe. “Those free throws were important, so I had to sink ‘em.”

Wolfe, Simms, Horgan, and Hallet all made free throws in the waning minutes to end Arundel’s winter and advance to Monday.

Horgan had 8 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Wolfe finished with 5 rebounds to go with his 15 points. Hallet scored 7 points, and Dill had 5. Orion Young, Joe Harrington and Ethan Mills all played minutes in the victory.

The win was the second in a row for Severna Park, which banked the memory of a basketball lifetime just eight days ago. On February 21, Severna Park’s senior night, the Falcons rallied from deficits of 10-0 and 16-5 to defeat Glen Burnie 53-52 on Horgan’s game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Horgan said coach Paul Pellicani drew up a play to get the ball in his hands.

“Coach P just told me to get the ball and go to the hoop and make sure I got a good shot up,” he said. “I dribbled down to the baseline and got a floater. On senior night, it was awesome to go out like that with all the other seniors.”

Hallet concurred, noting the program’s improvement over the past three years and how much enjoyment the team has gotten out of playing and growing together.

“That’s why we don’t play scrub,” Hallet said, referring to the Severna Park’s casual weekend league that in the past has drawn potential players away from the varsity program.

With consecutive wins, Severna Park has played better and better as the season has progressed. The Falcons are 8-14 overall but 7-10 against county competition and 6-5 in their last 11 games.

Pellicani echoed sentiments expressed previously this season, praising the team’s work ethic and commitment.

“This group all year has just been so coachable and so willing to do whatever it takes,” said Pellicani. “They bought into the system. I think the fact that we don’t have a star actually helps the guys in practice and in games knowing that, hey, everyone’s a contributor,” he said.

“And that’s actually a fun way to play.”

Purchase high-resolution prints and downloads of photos in this gallery. Photos by Colin Murphy

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