In a game filled with streaks, Rocky Newton and Glen Burnie struck last.
Newton scored five of his game-high 22 points in the final 45 seconds to spark a late Glen Burnie run, and the Gophers rallied for a come-from-behind 69-63 victory over host Meade in the championship game of the Meade Christmas Tournament last night.
Laurel (2-5) held off a late Edgewood rally for a 68-65 victory in the consolation game. Edgewood (2-4) missed two chances to tie in the final 15 seconds.
Glen Burnie (4-3), which won the tournament last year, scored 11 of the game's final 13 points.
The Gophers held Meade (2-5) without a basket in the final 2:40.
"Basketball is a game of streaks," said Glen Burnie coach Terry Bogle.
"Whoever puts together the most streaks is going to win."
Glen Burnie trailed, 61-58, after D'Andera Hiers (14 points) made a three-point play with 2:40 left.
Dan Griffith then made both ends of a one-and-one and tournament Most Valuable Player Desmond Dailey (18 points) sank a three-pointer for a 63-61 lead with 1:47 left.
For Glen Burnie, its biggest break came with 48 seconds left when Meade coach Butch Young was slapped with a technical foul for arguing a foul call.
Young thought Levar Robinson's basket should have counted, but the officials disagreed.
Robinson made two free throws to tie the score at 63, but Newton and the Gophers took over.
Dailey made one free throw from the technical, and Newton added another after being fouled three seconds later for a 65-63 lead.
Newton then added a big basket with 28 seconds left.
After missing a 10-foot shot, he grabbed his own rebound and made a bank shot from the lane for a 67-63 lead.
"That just iced the game," said Newton. "We just had to keep on hitting our shots. We just had to keep executing."
Newton and teammate Terry Gaither executed one final time to seal the victory. Gaither made a steal and fed Newton for an uncontested layup and a 69-63 lead with 12 seconds left.
Both teams agreed the technical was a key.
"It was a stupid technical foul to get at that time," said Young.
The Mustangs led for a good portion of the game, but could not blow it open.
Turnovers hurt the Mustangs, especially in the fourth quarter. They turned the ball over seven times in the final period, and Glen Burnie took advantage of several for baskets.
Meade struggled the same way on Thursday in the first-round game against Edgewood. The Mustangs led by 20 at halftime but won only by five. Last night, they lost their lead for good.
L Glen Burnie used good shooting to supply its knockout punch.
The Gophers trailed, 33-29, at halftime thanks to hitting only 12 of 37.
But the Gophers came out hot in the second half.
They made their first four shots and hit nine of 14 in the third quarter to tie the game at 49.
And, despite struggling for part of the fourth quarter, the Gophers hit three of their final five to take the victory. They made 15 of 31 in the second half.
* St. Frances 61, Spring Grove 57 (Pa.): Mark Karcher scored 26 points and added 13 rebounds as No. 5 St. Frances (10-1) defeated Spring Grove in the championship game of the Rocket Roundball Classic in Pennsylvania.
Karcher was named MVP of the tournament. Alfonzo Jones contributed seven points, four assists and four steals for the Panthers.