Meade High School was two years old and Sharon Loving was head coach of the girls basketball team that went 17-7 in 1978-79 and qualified for the state tournament.

That was the last time the Mustangs won a region title and advanced to the final four until last night.

No. 7-ranked Meade (22-4) routed host Chesapeake-AA for a third time this season, 84-31, to win the Class 4A, East Region title in Lake Shore under fifth-year head coach Phil Popielski.

Meade meets South Region champion Suitland (21-6) of Prince George's County at 3 p.m. Thursday at UMBC in the state semifinals.

Suitland knocked off the state's top-ranked 4A school, Largo (18-3), 58-52, in Monday's quarterfinals and won the region final over Laurel (18-7) yesterday.

The Meade boys also won their region, marking the first time since 1995, when Arundel pulled it off, that a county school sent its boys and girls teams to the state semifinals.

Meade, 9-70 in the four years before Popielski took over, has gone 65-13 over the past three seasons.

Seniors Angie Creek and Katie Netherton capped off spectacular individual region tournaments, as the Mustangs dominated from start to finish, shooting 51 percent (32-for-63) from the field and out-rebounding the Cougars, 52-23.

"It's a good win for the girls, " said Popielski.

"It's just too bad that the way the system is set up [blind draw] that the finals didn't have the two best teams [Arundel being the other] playing."

Popielski's team actually celebrated after its 77-69 semifinal victory over nemesis and No. 9-ranked Arundel (20-6).

The Mustangs cut down the nets after that win and not the region final.

Meade raced out to a 31-11 lead after eight minutes and was up 49-18 at the half. At the end of the third quarter, the lead had ballooned to 64-25.

Creek, who runs the show from her guard position, scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds to go with four assists and eight steals. She scored nine straight points during one stretch and finished with 11 in the first quarter.

Creek totaled 63 points in three region games.

The 6-foot-3 Netherton had game-high totals of 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots to go with three assists.

"We're playing very well right now. Playing good defense, rebounding and taking care of the ball," said Creek.

Sophomore Nicole Dailey had 15 points and junior LaTanya Eldridge chipped in nine points and four steals for the victors.

Senior Kristen Bland, a four-year varsity player, led the host Cougars (11-13), who were making their first appearance in a region final, boys or girls, with eight points and 10 rebounds.

Bland scored the game's first basket in the early seconds and the Cougars never led again.

Two other Chesapeake seniors in Kareem Falcon and Jen Browning had six points each, as did junior Justine Wagner.

Pub Date: 3/07/99