COLLEGE PARK -- From the standpoint of composure, execution and savvy, Lake Clifton displayed poise over the first three periods of last night's 61-49 Class 4A state semifinal victory over Montgomery County's Sherwood at Cole Field House.
In that time, the Lakers (20-5) committed only two of their seven turnovers for the game and rolled up a 41-28 lead. They committed just one of their three fouls on the night. And against a taller team -- one boasting starters Tank Wahlman (6-foot-9), Sean Prather (6-7), and Brian Hill (6-5) -- Lake Clifton had a 19-18 edge in rebounding.
Coach Mel Laughner's Sherwood (18-9) team was in its seventh playoff appearance, but its first in 12 years. The Warriors last won a state title in 1979.
Sherwood had developed a habit of overcoming fourth-period deficits in each of its four previous playoff games, including a 14-2 run over the final four minutes of last Friday's 42-33 upset of Gaithersburg, last winter's Class 4A state champ. And after Hill (13 points) nailed a three-pointer to bring the Warriors to a 53-45 deficit with 1: 10 left, hope seemed to glimmer again.
However, a pair of free throws by Dale Byrd (13 points) stretched the Lakers' lead to 10, and the Warriors got no closer than eight over the remaining moments. Lake Clifton earned a spot in tomorrow's 8 p.m. title game against last winter's state runner-up, Oxon Hill (24-2), a 68-56 winner over No. 3 Meade (24-3) in last night's other semifinal.
"They had -- what? -- three or four turnovers, they took care of the ball, they hit their foul shots [13 of 17]. That's the name of the game," Prather said. "We came out terrible, couldn't step it up until late in the game. If we'd have played better early, we might have had a chance. But they were pretty much flawless."
As Lakers second-year coach Herman Harried said afterward, "We're a team -- balanced scoring straight across the board."
Kenneth Purnell and Teione Carroll scored 11 points each, the latter going 5-for-6 at the free throw line. Lake Clifton's 6-8, 285-pound Brandon Haughton scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half and won his rebounding battle with Wahlman (14 points), 11-10.
"People don't know what I do to push these kids," said Harried. "I'm real demanding, and tonight they produced."
Mixing up an inside-outside game and getting help from all five starters, Lake Clifton took early leads of 5-0, 7-2, 9-4 and, 11-6.
The Lakers led by as much as 24-14 in the first half, turning the ball over for the only time of the half with 1: 46 left. Lake Clifton also did not commit a foul in the first half, after which it led, 26-16. Lake Clifton fouled for the first time at 2: 15 of the third period.
Pub Date: 3/12/99