Boys hoops: No. 7 Bladensburg downs No. 9 Douglass-PG in renewed rivalry, 66-62

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UPPER MARLBORO — With one brief phone call, a long-time Prince George’s County rivalry was renewed.

Outside of Bladensburg coach Antonio Williams and Frederick Douglass coach Tyrone Massenburg, it probably didn’t mean a lot to anyone else. The neighboring schools clashed for the first time since 2005 on Monday night, and it provided no shortage of late-game fireworks.

No. 7 Bladensburg, led by 6-foot-6 forward Daniel Oladepo, who “didn’t know” about the 24-home-game win-streak No. 9 Douglass holstered, prevailed, 66-62, with a stifling 1-3-1 zone defense and clutch offense.

“When Coach (Massenburg) called me, I took it as a privilege because I know how tough it is to play over here,” Williams said of the conversation with Coach Massenburg this past year to renew the Bladensburg-Frederick Douglass rivalry. “I wanted something early to get a road test, to see where we are.”

Bladensburg (2-0) beat Douglass (2-1), 69-61, the last time the two played 11 years ago. Oladapo, who exploded for 28 points and nine rebounds, six being offensive, was in elementary school at the tim

The Mustangs led 16-14 after the first quarter and led by as much as five in the second before the Eagles erupted on a 10-1 run that spanned a little over two minutes. Eagles point guard Donald Carey (14 points) heaved an alley-oop pass beyond the arc for Demerius Pitts, who finished with a thunderous flush to spark the momentum-swinging run.

Along with a 37-33 halftime lead, Douglass led for nine minutes and 32 seconds — from the 4:42 mark in the second to the 3:09 mark in the third — after taking a 23-21 lead during the 10-1 run.

After what Williams termed as “poor shot selection,” the Mustangs tightened up on offense while alternating between a 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone defense to go on a 10-0 spurt lasting only one minute and 27 seconds. Bladensburg’s zone anchored by Oladapo in the middle held the Eagles scoreless from the 6:15 mark to the 1:41 mark in the third.

The Mustangs led 47-41 before Savion Word (14 points) knocked down a 3-pointer to halt the Eagles drought.

“It killed them,” Oladapo said of the 1-3-1 zone. “They didn’t know what to run.”

Bladensburg led 51-46 after three quarters and only trailed twice in the final eight minutes. Douglass opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, with Word accounting for all seven points (two 3-pointers and one free throw).

Oladapo and senior guard Amin Sanya (13 points on three 3-pointers and nine rebounds) accounted for 12 of the Mustangs’ 15 fourth quarter points. Oladapo broke the Eagles’ 7-0 run to open the final quarter with a gritty layup, dropped in a putback to give Bladensburg a 60-57 lead with 4:19 to go and converted a three-point play with 1:09 to secure the win.

Sanya knocked down a 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper to give the Mustangs a 56-55 and 58-57 lead in the deciding minutes.

After clutch buckets from Oladapo and Sanya, they iced the staple win on the defensive end, and held Carey, Douglass’ horse, to one bucket in the second half.

When it was knotted at 60-60 with under three minutes left in regulation, Sanya, placed on the left side of the 1-3-1, deflected an alley-oop pass intended for 6-foot-9 Howard commit Zion Cousins (14 points). On the next defensive stand, Oladapo stuffed a routine layup.

“We needed this more than anything else,” Williams said. “To start our season off right, getting our crowd behind us, our community, our town, it’s great.”

Coming off its first winning-season since 2009-10, Bladensburg will bottle Monday night’s win in attempt to get the program over the hump in the ultra-competitive 4A South as they travel to Laurel on Friday.

“Blade’, man,” Oladapo said. “Blade’ rising.”

NOTES: Sterling finished with 13 points and five rebounds for Bladensburg