Rarely do the great ones fail to show up for the final period. Unfortunately for Broadneck, Shawnta Rogers showed up late at UMBC yesterday.
Lake Clifton's guard took over in the last period and shattered No. 13 Broadneck's hopes of an upset in leading the top-ranked Lakers (4-0) to a 78-56 victory in the 13th Fuel Fund Classic.
The Lakers came in averaging 105.3 points with Rogers (28.6) pacing four players averaging double figures. Yielding only 66 points in their first three games, the Lakers had outscored opponents, 316-198.
The Bruins (2-1) had averaged 67.5 points while giving up only 47.5 and were on track until Rogers stepped up.
With eight points through three periods, Rogers turned an eight-point game into a 16-point advantage by scoring 10 of his team's first 14 points in the last minutes. He finished the period with two three-pointers and 15 of his 23 points.
"Shawnta had it in cruise control, then turned it on at the end," said Lake Clifton coach Charlie Moore. "He was coming off a 32-point and 20-assist game against City this week and started a little slow, but give Broadneck credit.
"I told Ken [Kazmarek, Broadneck coach] that his kids didn't quit.
Mixing a match-up zone and man-to-man defense to complement a strong game inside from 6-foot-1 junior Jamaine Young, the Bruins overcame a 38-27 halftime deficit with a
strong third period.
The 6-7 Guy Butler, 6-5 Reggie Frazier and guard Ron Byrd carried the Lakers in the first half by combining for 28 points.
At halftime, Kazmarek told his team to shoot from the perimeter.
"Once they did, the game started going our way," said Kazmarek. "That is, until Rogers started busting us with those three-pointers and they were back-breakers."
Eric Elston, with help from Jason Smith and Johnny Williams pestered Rogers, holding the 5-foot-4 guard to five points with the third period about to close.
Young, who had 18 points and matched teammate Josh Grover with eight rebounds had seven points in the third period. Young's two free throws with 2:38 left in the third made it 47-43.
Rogers hit the back end of two to make it 48-43 with 1:20 to go, but Smith (16 points, four rebounds and three steals) hit a pair of his own and cut it to 48-45 with 56 seconds left in the third.
A three-point shot from Rogers and no-look bounce pass in the paint to Jimmy Moore, who laid it in at the buzzer, sent a message that showtime was only seconds away.
In the first four minutes of the last period, Rogers hit three from thefloor, two from three-point range, and sank two from the line, and Reggie Frazier (17 points, three boards) tossed in four points, to turn a 53-45 lead into a 67-51 margin.
"That's what the great teams and great players do," said Kazmarek. "We were doing a great job on Rogers and keeping him out there, but then he started hitting 28-footers and they're pretty tough to defend."
What also cost Broadneck dearly was shooting 33 percent (16-for-48) from the floor.
"We needed a game like that," said Moore. "Up to this game, our games had all been runaways and we played a very patient team today.
"Being No. 1 we have a big target on our back and one bad game can make somebody's season. The pressure is not being No. 1, it's getting to No. 1 and we want to stay there for awhile."