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Girls basketball: Milford Mill ends Catonsville's run with 2 OT triumph

Milford Mill's Dionna White scores two of her game-high 31 points as Catonsville's Lauren McDonald, left, tries to defend in the Comets' 66-61 double-overtime loss to the unbeaten Millers.
Milford Mill's Dionna White scores two of her game-high 31 points as Catonsville's Lauren McDonald, left, tries to defend in the Comets' 66-61 double-overtime loss to the unbeaten Millers. (Staff photo by Brian Krista)

For the past three years, Catonsville has controlled Milford Mill on the basketball court. It appeared that mastery would continue Friday night at Milford Mill.

The Comets built a 40-28 lead early in the fourth quarter and maintained a 53-50 lead when Rachel Schwaab made two free throws with 9.3 seconds left in regulation.

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But freshman standout Dionna White swished a three-pointer to send the game into overtime at the buzzer and the Millers eventually won in double overtime, 66-61.

In the first overtime, White's free throw was answered by a 5-0 Comet run fueled by three points from Deb Milani (11 points, 7 steals) and a fast break basket by Maddie Hunt (6 points, 4 assists).

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Catonsville led 58-54 with 59 seconds left, but White senior Kayla Boyd hit the first of two free throws with 44 seconds left and White rebounded the second one and dropped it in, cutting the deficit to 58-57.

Milani canned the second of two free throws for a 59-57 lead with 30 seconds remaining, but White tied it with 7.2 seconds left and sent it to double overtime.

In the end, White and the unbeaten Millers (18-0) pulled away for the win over the visiting Comets (16-4).

White scored 29 of her game-high 31 points after halftime and hit her only three-pointer when the Millers needed it most.

"We trusted she could do that," Milford Mill coach Detoiya McAliley said. "That's her game. She's a big time player and for a freshman to have the guts to take that shot, that shows her skill set."

"I just felt it at the time," said White, who came into the game leading the Millers in scoring (17.8 points a game).

She only scored two points in the first half after picking up two fouls in the first quarter and sitting the rest of the way.

"She said, 'Coach, you have to trust me,' and I said 'you can't foul out,'" McAliley said.

Catonsville's leading scorer Schwaab (15 points, 9 rebounds) fouled out with under a minute to go in the first overtime and Milani joined her in the second overtime.

Senior Sierra Naylor (10 points) hit her third three-pointer to give the Millers a 62-59 lead early in the second overtime, but Hunt's fast break layup cut the lead to 62-61 with 1:10 left.

Sophomore Akiri Lewis scored her only two points of the game from the free throw line with 17 seconds left and White's steal finished the scoring.

During regulation, Catonsville had built a 40-28 lead early in the fourth quarter using a 3-2 zone defense and getting solid inside play from Danielle Francy (10 points, 4 blocked shots) and Taylor Barton (10 points, 8 rebounds) and slick ball handling and hustle from freshman Lauren McDonald (4 assists, 4 steals).

"Catonsville is a fundamental team and they are going to bring it every single game so we had to bring it as well," McAliley said.

White picked up her fourth foul with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter, but was still on the court and able to hit the crucial game-tying shot.

The win was redemption for former and current Milford players who lost twice last season, including in the regional quarterfinals.

"One of them (former players) was in the locker room and she said 'We finally got over the hump,'" McAliley said. "That was good for our program because we've been on a three-year skid with Catonsville."

Catonsville took the lead 11-9 on two fast break baskets by freshman McDonald in the final 35 seconds of the first quarter and never trailed again until the first overtime.

With White out of the lineup in the second quarter, the Millers converted only two field goals against Catonsville's zone and trailed 24-13 at halftime.

Barton had six points in the quarter and Milani hit a three-pointer and had a pair of steals.

Francy had two blocked shots and six points and Schwaab contributed five points in the third quarter and the Comets led 37-28 going into the final eight minutes.

Two free throws by Schwaab and one by Milani gave the Comets their largest lead at 40-28 with 6:31.

That's when the Millers mounted the comeback that was fueled and ended by White.

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