HAGERSTOWN – Smithsburg had something cooking on Tuesday.
But Middletown ruined the Leopard’s “recipe” in the second half.
After withstanding a barrage of three-pointers in the first half, the Knights limited long-ranged shots by turning up the temperature on the defense to rally for a 63-54 win to claim the Central Maryland Conference Boys Small School Championship at North Hagerstown.
The game pitted to the top Class 1A team (Smithsburg) against the top Class 2A team (Middletown) in a winner-take-all game.
Smithsburg set the early tone and got everything it needed to take a 33-23 lead at the half. The Leopards came out firing outside the physical confines of Middletown’s defense, building the advantage by hitting seven of 10 three-point shots in the first 16 minutes of play.
“That was great to see us come out the way we did in the first half. That was kind of our recipe,” said Smithsburg coach Eric Gerber. “Our first half, we shot the ball extremely well.
“It is something we talked about we needed to do against them, because they’re just so big. They take away anything you try to do inside with their size. “We knew we were going have to knock out some shots.”
The Leopards knew by experience. Smithsburg defeated Middletown 65-61 on Feb. 4. Smithsburg was badly outrebounded by the Knights, but made the shots needed to pull out the win.
Smithsburg took a 9-8 lead on a pair of Noah Hegbe free throws with 3:28 remaining in the first quarter. The Leopards closed out the period with Camden Zeigler, Jaxon Teson and Maden Howe all hitting threes to build a 20-13 lead. Howe sank his shot out of the left corner on the buzzer.
Three more threes in the second quarter allowed Smithsburg to keep its distance from the Knights’ burly interior defense. Zeigler, Teson and Brady Snyder all converted treys to move to the 10-point halftime lead.
Smithsburg’s points came on seven three-pointers, six foul shots and three conventional baskets to help the Leopards keep their distance.
Middletown switched tactics in the second half.
The Knights started using a press to limit Smithsburg’ ability to get to the three-point line. Middletown upped its physicality with physical drives to the basket, while throwing its weight around under the baskets.
Middletown outrebounded Smithsburg 41-23 on the night.
The first crack in Smithsburg’s recipe came the Leopards’ committed five fouls in the first 3:16 of the third quarter, putting Middletown in the bonus at the foul line.
“I’m not sure what happened there,” Gerber said. “We, obviously, got in foul trouble really quick in the third quarter and it really took us out of some of the things we were trying to do with our aggressiveness.
“That was unfortunate. It really set the tone for the entire second half.”
Middletown’s Chase Beard ignited the Knights’ comeback with Middletown’s first seven points of the second half – five coming on foul shots – with three hard drives to open the half.
The Knights opened with a 14-2 run to start the third quarter to tie the game at 35 on a Mason Whipp foul shot before taking the lead on a Beard steal and layup.
Beard, who scored 16 of his game-high 23 in the second half, also was in charge of guarding Smithsburg leading scorer Jacob Tyler, limiting him to just three baskets and 14 points.
“They definitely ramped up the defensive intensity in the second half,” Gerber said. “We had some turnovers. (Tyler) never really got going the whole game. Beard did a great job on him the entire game.”
Smithsburg mounted a comeback, regaining a 43-39 lead with 1:31 left in the quarter with some defense by Teson, who fed Tyler for a layup. James Hare buried a three for the four-point edge.
But Beard led a 7-0 run in the final 75 seconds of the quarter with three-pointer and a follow shot to give the Knights a 46-43 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Smithsburg rallied one more time, tying the game at 50 on another Hare three-pointer and taking a one-point lead on Tyler foul shot. But Middletown closed out the final 3 ½ minutes with a 13-3 run, capped by scoring the final seven points of the game to win the title.
“I was pleased with how he battled,” Gerber said. “I mean, they got (their lead) up to five or six, and we came back to take the lead by one or tie the game, and so I was very pleased with that. The start to the second half just did not go at all how we would have envisioned.”
Middletown placed three players in double figures. Whipp followed Beard with 16 points, and Britt Poffenbarger scored 11, all in the second half.
Hare finished with 10 for the Leopards.
“When we got them the first time, we had such trouble getting them off the offensive boards,” Gerber said. “We’re undersized, and they do a very good job using their size to gain an advantage. And that ended up, of course, hurting us.”
