With No. 5-ranked Western and defending champ Suitland running their way to more than 60 points a game this season, yesterday's Class 4A championship clash figured to be a high-scoring nail-biter.
Instead, only Suitland hit its offensive stride en route to a 53-28 victory at UMBC.
With such a low final score, the game would appear to have been a defensive battle, but it was actually an offensive struggle for both teams.
The Rams, who edged Western, 68-67, last year in the semifinals, held the Doves (23-4) to their lowest point total of this season. Their previous low was 58, in a regular-season meeting with No. 19 Walbrook.
Yesterday, the Doves, who averaged 75.5 points per game coming into the tournament, shot 19.6 percent from the field, hitting only 11 of 56 shots. Their top scorer, Lillian Drumgold, finished with just eight points.
"We never really got into the game," said Doves coach Artie Uhlich. "Nobody wanted to take the shot and we started forcing crazy shots."
Still, the Doves weren't out of it until the second half. They trailed only 20-9 at the half, despite hitting just four of 25 shots before the break.
Most of Suitland's halftime edge came on eight free throws. The Rams struggled just as much with their offense, hitting only three of their first 30 shots. They came in averaging 61 points per game.
But Western paid a price for putting the Rams (23-1) on the line so often. The fouls mounted up quickly -- none more devastating than two on 5-foot-11 center Crystal Falline (six points, two rebounds) in the first 1: 47 of the game. That put her on the bench until the second half and left the Doves without their best inside threat.
"It was tough when Crystal went out, because I couldn't play both the big girls by myself," said Doves 5-8 forward Joy Gorham, speaking of Rams 6-2 center Christina Strother (11 points, 10 rebounds) and 6-0 forward Candice Phelps (nine points, eight rebounds).
"Their height was nothing, because I can jump, but they were just throwing me around in there. In the low post there's a lot of physical action and they were double-teaming me."
Melanie Harrington, a 6-foot center, came off the bench for Falline and picked up some of the slack, grabbing eight rebounds and adding four points. Gorham, who had come on strong in the postseason, did not score but managed four rebounds.
The three-time Baltimore City champs rallied to open the second half, pulling within 20-14. Delena DeShields hit two free throws, Falline hit another and Drumgold added a short jumper. That was as close as the Doves got.
Suitland then hit five straight shots in an 11-2 run that started to break the game open. The Rams extended their lead to 36-20 by the end of the third quarter and used a 12-4 spurt to run up a 50-25 lead with 3:08 to go.
The Rams, who hit just five of 32 shots in the first half, made 14 of 23 in the second.
WESTERN -- Falline 6, DeShields 6, Drumgold 8, Few 4, Harrington 4. Totals 11 6-14 28.
SUITLAND -- Wimbush 18, Phelps 9, Strother 11, Luckett 3, Hollingsworth 3, Stellmacher 6, Middleton 2, Blue 1. Totals 19 12-28 53. Half: S, 20-9.
Girls basketball playoffs
At UMBC Fieldhouse
State finals
Yesterday's results
Class 4A
Suitland 53, Western 28
Class 3A
DuVal 73, Milford Mill 38
Class 2A
Parkside 60, Urbana 59
Class 1A
Glenelg 70, Allegany 57
State semifinals
Thursday's results
Class 4A
Suitland 60, Meade 58
Western 47, Frederick 42
Class 3A
DuVal 68, Northern-Calvert 51
Milford Mill 69, Wheaton 66
Friday's results
Class 2A
Parkside 81, Central 62
Urbana 61, North East 51
Class 1A
Glenelg 61,
Cambridge-S. Dorchester 45
Allegany 63, Hereford 42
Pub Date: 3/14/99