It was simple for Edmondson boys basketball on Saturday: Beat visiting Dunbar to earn a chance to defend the coveted Baltimore City championship.
The No. 14 Red Storm kept it simple.
Possession by possession, they stayed in the moment, with a good start offensively providing a lead and strong defense keeping it.
Charles Hodge III provided the outside scoring and Jordan Andrews did the quality work inside, as both scored 14 points to lead Edmondson to a resilient 52-49 win over the Poets in the teams’ regular-season finale.
Edmondson (19-3) will take on No. 7 City for the Baltimore City crown at 7 p.m. Monday at Morgan State University. The Red Storm beat the Knights in the big game the past two years.
But City made a huge statement at Edmondson on Wednesday, claiming a thorough 72-46 win.
After limiting the Poets — who also would have reached the title game with a win — to one basket in the final five-plus minutes to escape with the win, the Red Storm’s attention immediately turned to another chance at City.
“Our defense has been there for us, so we just got to make some shots, cut down the turnovers and hopefully we’ll come out with a better outing than the other day,” Edmondson coach Darnell Dantzler said.
Playing their fourth game of the week, the Red Storm got early 3 pointers from Hodge and Tyler Harper and then converted two steals into transition baskets from Robert Price and Harper in taking a 19-9 lead late in the first quarter.
Up 30-23 at the half, the Red Storm called on Andrews to score inside in the third quarter and, make after make, he responded with their first 10 points to help fend off the Poets.
When Jalen Gause finished a tough follow, the Poets cut the lead down to 40-37 before Hodge hit a key 3 from the left corner. When Nayshawn Williams beat the third-quarter buzzer with a putback, Edmondson’s lead was back where it started the half at 45-38.
In their bid to rally in the fourth, the Poets got consecutive 3-pointers from James Foster. And when Jordan Moody nailed one with 5:26 left, the Red Storm’s lead was down to 51-47.
Despite only mustering one more free throw the rest of the game — Andrews made one to push the lead to 52-47 with 4:14 to play — Edmondson’s defense would have the final say.
Williams had a big blocked shot and guard Carter Brown was substituted for during defensive possessions to help guard Foster.
The Poets got an inside basket from Jordan Battle with 32 seconds left to cut the lead to 52-49 and then got the ball back on a tie-up, but Foster’s fiercely defended 3-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer was well off the mark to secure the Red Storm’s win.
“Defense, effort and playing together got us the win,” Hodge said.
Although Andrews’ shots weren’t falling in the first half, Dantzler saw an opportunity for points to go inside to him and Andrews responded with the big third quarter. In an intense game with points often tough to come by, Andrews was happy to contribute.
“I went into halftime dejected because I’ve been in a slump. So I was like, ‘OK I really got to turn up for my team because if I don’t we’re going to lose this game,’” he said.
The Poets, who got 18 points from Foster and 16 from Moody, will take a 14-5 record into the Class 2A state playoffs.
“Well played game,” Dunbar coach Donte Pretlow said. “We fought back, but every time we got it down to a possession or two, we seemed to give up a 3 to the best shooter on the floor. It’s little things and I’ve been teaching them all year how we got to lock into the big moments.”
D: 12 11 15 11 — 49
E: 19 11 15 7 — 52
D: Battle 6, Moody 16, Gause 4, Foster 18, Harrison 3, Beverly 2
E: Price 10, Williams 6, Harper 8, Hodge 14, Andrews 14
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