Eighth-ranked Arundel (14-3) won its second straight game on the road at the buzzer last night by 74-72 over North County (9-8).
North County squandered a 17-point third-period lead and Arundel outscored the Knights 29-16 in the final period with Kevin Higgins providing the Wildcats' latest buzzer beater.
Higgins' driving double pump at the top of the key went in as time expired. Friday night, Bakari Ward's 50-footer at the buzzer lifted the Wildcats over then-No. 7 Broadneck, 68-67.
"Yeah, it was my turn," said Higgins, who beat Annapolis 64-62 with a final-second shot. "I knew I had to get it down there and make something happen."
Higgins (17 points, four steals) took an outlet pass from Marquise Farmer (13 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals) as time was running out.
North County coach Brad Wilson had called a timeout with 24 seconds left and the game tied at 72. Maurice Bowie missed a shot underneath with seven seconds on the clock, and Farmer pulled it in and kicked it out to Higgins.
With Knights on both sides of him, Higgins shot the ball with his right hand and less than a second after it went in time expired.
"We might have taken the shot too quick," said Wilson, whose Knights are vying for their first winning season and first playoff berth. "We missed our opportunities to beat them."
It would have been a huge win for the Knights, who were tied for fifth (six teams qualify) with Old Mill (3.86 playoff points average) in the 4A East Region entering into last night's game. Arundel was second (6.36) to Northern (6.42) of Calvert County.
"The ones who win handle adversity and always find a way to win," said Arundel coach Gerald Moore. "We always find a way to win.
"We're up there, we're the team in this county and emotions are not going to beat us. North County was brave and smart on a night we were flat."
Coming off the win over Broadneck, the Wildcats played an uninspired first half while North County was revved up, consistently beating Arundel down court.
The Knights out-rebounded (20-10) and outshot (38 percent to 32) the Cats from the field, to gain a 39-31 lead at the break. Their full-court game dominated the Cats in the first half.
Senior guard Lou Brown and junior forward Maurice Bowie (10 points, six rebounds) scored eight points each and Tweety Barton (nine points, seven rebounds) chipped in with seven in the first half for the Knights.
Going one-on-one with Ward (25 points), Brown scored 10 of his 26 points in the third period. Brown scored 10 of the first 12 points by the Knights in the third period to key a 12-3 run for a 51-34 lead.
Higgins' three tied it at 66 with 2:43 remaining. Some 40 seconds later, Ward gave the Wildcats a 68-66 lead, but Brown's pair from the line with 1:57 to go tied it at 68.
Arundel's Mitchell Martin hit two field goals, but Brown matched them by sinking four at the line in the ensuing minute.