Arundel wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. Leading Centennial by one point with two seconds left in the District V championship game Wednesday, the Wildcats couldn't help but think back to two games earlier against Old Mill – when a buzzer-beating layup had spoiled their undefeated season.
So this time, as Centennial's Omari Ringgold (15 points) caught a length-of-the-court pass at the foul line and turned to shoot, Arundel made sure it was there with a hand up.
Ringgold's contested shot glanced off the rim as time expired, giving Arundel a 53-52 victory.
"We thought about what we did there (against Old Mill) and what we could do different ... we tried some different things down the stretch and I thought it helped us," Arundel coach Jeff Starr said.
"It's good to come out with a close win like that after coming out of a tough loss."
Senior David Nicholson led the way in the victory with 13 points for Arundel (22-1), including a trio of 3-pointers. Nicholson was joined in double figures scoring by Ryan Hill (11 points) and Austin Carroll (10).
Ringgold and Keonte Potts (15 points) were the leaders for Centennial (18-5).
In the early going, it was the Eagles that were in control. A quick 6-2 spurt to open the game blossomed into a 17-9 lead by the latter stages of the first quarter.
But Arundel, which was struggling from the floor, turned to Hill coming off the bench for a spark. The forward, who averages less than four points a game, scored all 11 of his points in the first half and helped the Wildcats get into the half tied at 28-28.
"If he didn't do what he did, we would have been in an even bigger hole than we already were," Starr said. "He played huge minutes and gave us big baskets at a time when we really needed them."
Both teams took turns with the lead in the third quarter, with the Eagles leading by as many as four points and Arundel as much as six. Once Nicholson hit a three with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter to make it 44-42, however, the Wildcats never trailed again.
Centennial certainly had a couple great opportunities late, including a pair of foul shots by Potts with five seconds left and Ringgold's try at the buzzer. None of the attempts fell, though, and the Eagles suffered their fourth loss this year by three points or less.
"We got a chance to win the game three times with our top two scorers, I think I'll take that 100 percent of the time," Centennial coach Chad Hollwedel said. "They didn't fall … but there's no doubt that this made us better."
Centennial enters the playoffs as the top seed in the 3A East region, earning a first round bye. They will play the winner of River Hill and Howard in the second round on Tuesday.
Last year the Eagles, also as the region's top seed, advanced all the way to the state finals before losing to Milford Mill.
Arundel 53, Centennial 52
A (22-1): Nicholson 13, Hill 11, Carroll 10, Bryant 5, Frazier 4, Campbell 4, Mack 3, Sellers 3.
C (18-5): Potts 15, Ringgold 15, Goldsmith 8, Tinuoye 5, Adams 5, Peterson 2, Klima 2,
Half: 28-28.