A remarkable performance by DuVal's inside game spoiled No. 9 Milford Mill's plans for a state title last night.
The Tigers shot 50 percent from the field and dominated the paint en route to a 73-38 victory in the Class 3A title game at UMBC.
The Millers (22-5) were hot from outside early, but after the first quarter, the Tigers took control with their inside game. Since losing their top inside player, Chante Alexander to torn knee ligaments three weeks ago, the Millers have had trouble stopping teams with a solid post game.
The Tigers, who won a Prince George's County record fifth state championship, got big games from 6-foot center Chineze Nwagbo (21 points, 13 rebounds), 6-1 forward Yolanda Jefferson (14 points) and 5-9 forward Vanessa Neamo (24 points, nine rebounds).
"It just got away from us," said Milford coach Pam Wright, who has brought the Millers to the state final two straight years. "I don't feel they are 40 points better than us. It just got like that, where we couldn't do anything about it."
At times, the Millers seemed powerless to stop the Tigers, especially in the second quarter when DuVal (23-5) blew the game open by hitting 12 of 18 shots.
"It wasn't really that tough, but we weren't communicating," said Millers 5-9 forward Tamika Rogers. "If we were communicating, we would have done much better."
Wright started an all new lineup in the front court -- Rogers, Tracee Cheek and Folake Adeyemo -- since Thursday's semifinal win over defending champ Wheaton.
"They were the most impressive on defense [Friday] night [in practice]," said Wright. "I knew we had to play good defense and that's what was killing us, too. We weren't doubling down on them."
Adeyemo, a sophomore who came up from the JV for the playoffs, led the Millers with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Millers guards Mandakova Clark and Quante Toney had a rough time after the first quarter. Clark, who got in foul trouble early and fouled out with 4: 34 left, finished with nine points and Toney, with six. Neither scored in the second half.
The Tigers, usually a second-half team, broke away in the second quarter, emerging from a 15-10 deficit to pull ahead 36-23 with 21 second left in the half.
Neamo and Nwagbo each scored seven points in the quarter as the Tigers began to spread the Millers' zone and opened up the inside. Their zone also stifled the Millers' outside game.
Milford shot just 3-for-16 in the quarter, maintaining the lead early with a Toney 20-footer and a Dana Galloway layup on a terrific pass from Clark. The Tigers then tied it at 20 when Nwagbo hit a layup and took the lead when Jimmien Strong banked in a 10-footer.
MILFORD MILL -- Clark 9, Toney 6, Johnson 4, Adeyemo 13, Carter 4, Galloway 2. Totals 15 4-9 38.
DUVAL -- Neamo 24, Nwagbo 21, Clark 9, Jefferson 14, Strong 6. Totals 31 10-23 73. Half: DuVal, 36-24.
Pub Date: 3/14/99