COLLEGE PARK -- The Pikesville Panthers had a simple plan heading into yesterday's Class 1A state semifinal against South Hagerstown. Said guard Andrew Braver: "Our game plan really was to go inside and foul the big guys out."
Mission accomplished.
The smaller, quicker Panthers drew a staggering 28 fouls, outscored the Rebels 28-11 from the line, and used a 14-4 late run to erase a six-point deficit for a 66-62 win at Cole Field House, sending them to their first state final.
"We just knew we had to take it straight to them," said Pikesville's Jermaine Sawyer, who had 19 points and 17 rebounds to go along with teammate Clement Sorgho's game-high 23 points.
Said Sorgho: "Down the stretch, foul shots were the difference."
Pikesville (18-8), winner of seven straight, will vie for the Class 1A state title at 1 p.m. today against North Dorchester, a 53-50 winner over Oakland Mills.
Despite being shorter by an average of 2 inches along the front line, the Panthers continually took the ball inside, with 6-3 Sawyer, 6-4 Sorgho and 5-10 Tavon Cloude (12 points) scoring from short range, dominating the boards and, most of all, drawing fouls.
By game's end, four South Hagerstown players -- including leading scorers John Schnebly (12 points) and Mike Lee (eight) -- had fouled out, drawing the ire of veteran coach Bob Starkey.
"The bottom line was [Pikesville] got the ball inside, and [the referees] called fouls. We got the ball inside, and they didn't call fouls," said Starkey. "Why they send two incompetent referees down here I'll never know."
Trailing 52-46 midway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers stepped up their game, tying the score on Sawyer's layup and taking the lead for good on Sorgho's three-pointer to make it 57-56 with 3: 02 left.
Pikesville spent the rest of the game at the foul line, where they outscored the Rebels (23-4) 8-0 over the final 2: 27 to seal the win.
"We wanted to take it inside, and it really paid off," said first-year Pikesville coach Craig Amos, who will make his fourth appearance in a state final, including once as a player with Milford Mill in 1988 and twice as assistant Millers coach, in 1992 and 1994.
Unlike Milford Mill, however, Pikesville isn't known for its basketball tradition. The last time the Panthers made the state semifinals was 1985, when, led by future Maryland player Mitch Kasoff, they lost to Paint Branch.
Amos said this season's squad, which was bolstered by Sawyer's January transfer from the Catonsville Alternative School, has been a surprise.
"It's shocking to a lot of people and even to me," admitted Amos. "But if you watched this team everyday in practice, it shouldn't be a complete surprise. This team wanted it."
Pikesville controlled play in the first half, gaining a 14-6 lead by hitting six of its first seven shots. The Panthers led 36-30 at half.
Pub Date: 3/13/99