Who was that guy?
That's the question heartbroken Annapolis fans were asking as they filed out of Meade High last night after their second-ranked Panthers dropped a 59-56 overtime decision to the Mustangs in the Class 4A East quarterfinals.
Answer: JoJo Whitaker.
Whitaker, a 5-foot-6 junior guard playing just his ninth game with No. 5 Meade (22-2), made a pair of three-pointers in the extra four-minute session to lift the Mustangs over the Panthers (22-2).
His first three-pointer opened overtime and the game-winner came with eight seconds left.
"It's taken awhile for him to get in the flow with the guys, but he made a couple big ones tonight," said Meade coach Butch Young.
After Whitaker's second three, the Panthers' Marcus Neal (13 points, four rebounds) raced to the other end with a three-pointer on his mind and was interfered with by several fans who bumped him around midcourt.
Order was restored with the overflow crowd on its feet, and referees put four seconds on the clock. Neal dribbled and threw up a desperation three-point attempt that hit the right side of the iron as the buzzer sounded.
"It was a great win, but I don't want these guys to think the season is over," Young said. "We've got to be ready to play Wednesday."
Meade travels to Westminster (15-8), a winner over Arundel, for a 7 p.m. region semifinal tomorrow.
Both Meade losses had come at the hands of Annapolis this season, including a 73-66 defeat in the Anne Arundel County championship game, but the Mustangs won the one that counts the most. They returned the favor after defeating Annapolis twice last season, only to lose in the region semifinals at Annapolis.
Whitaker, who lives in Laurel and transferred at mid-semester from Riverdale Baptist, proved to be Meade's secret weapon. He played just a couple minutes in the county championship game and did not take a shot.
Coming into the game, Whitaker was 6-for-23 from the field in eight games. He missed his first two shots in the final period last night but made two steals that led to four points.
Whitaker put Meade up by three in the opening minute of overtime, but the Panthers' Travis Foster (seven points, ten rebounds) answered with a three-point play to tie the game at 56.
Thomas Hawkins (16 points, four rebounds) missed a pair from the line with 36 seconds left and Whitaker grabbed the rebound.
Terrell Ross (18 points, eight rebounds, three blocks) dribbled slowly, running the clock down. Suddenly, Ross tried to drive inside the paint, didn't have a shot and kicked it out to Whitaker on his right. Whitaker hit all nylon as the fans went crazy.
Pub Date: 3/02/99