Boys’ Basketball: Oakland Mills Scorpions Edge Out Glenelg Gladiators in Battle of Howard County Powerhouses

The Glenelg Gladiators' record stood at 13-6 overall, 13-3 in Howard County, placing them in second place Thursday night with just three games remaining in the season.

They had no realistic chance at catching up in the standings with the undefeated Oakland Mills Scorpions, who were 19-0, including 16-0 in-county.

They still had plenty of motivation.

It was senior night at Glenelg High School, and the Gladiators wanted nothing more than to send their nine graduating players off not only with a win, but with a win that would both snap Oakland Mills’ perfect season and avenge Glenelg’s Dec. 20 loss to the Scorpions.

Oakland Mills had a different result in mind.

James Peters scored the Scorpions’ first basket just 12 seconds into the game to give Oakland Mills the quick 2-0 lead – a lead they would never lose.

The Scorpions completed the dramatic wire-to-wire win over the second place Gladiators, 57-53, to remain perfect on the season.

“At the end of the day, we are county champs,” said Oakland Mills coach Jon Brown. The win over Glenelg guaranteed his Scorpions the Howard County crown.

But Oakland Mills’ 20th victory of the season was nowhere near as easy as their first game against the Gladiators, in which the Scorpions routed Glenelg by 23 points, 82-59.

Oakland Mills did get off to a fast start again on Thursday, outscoring the Gladiators 20-8 in the game’s first eight minutes. The Scorpions' Joe Kiely led the way, scoring seven of his 10 points in the first quarter.

Glenelg sat poised to make a run.

“There was no doubt … that they were going to punch us and come back,” Browne said.

The Gladiators did just that in the second quarter.

Glenelg started the quarter on a small 7-3 run, started by a three-point play from senior Scott Setzer.

It was not much, but coupled with the Gladiators' stifling defense – which allowed just nine points in the quarter – it proved to be just what Glenelg needed to get back in the game.

The Gladiators finally had some momentum.

Oakland Mills’ Greg Whittington – who finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocks despite facing constant double and triple teams – would hit a 3-pointer to cap off his own personal run of six straight Scorpions’ points.

And then Glenelg went on another second-quarter run.

This time the Gladiators rattled off 10 consecutive points, seven of which came from senior Shane Kellaher, who scored 13 points in the game.

Glenelg had pulled to within one point of the Scorpions, 26-25, and appeared to have all the momentum.

Then, with time winding down in the second, Marcellus Ajiboye, an Oakland Mills guard not normally known for his shooting, hit a clutch 3-pointer to end the quarter.

“Those are momentum breakers,” Browne said.

The Scorpions clung to a slim four-point lead at halftime, 29-25.

Oakland Mills began the third quarter strong with a 7-4 run, starting with an Ajiboye layup and capped with five straight Whittington points. Ajiboye finished the game with seven points.

The Scorpions had increased their lead to as many as nine points, 38-29.

Then, after trading a pair of 3-pointers – one from Glenelg senior Ryan Griffin (15 points) and the other from Oakland Mills junior Kurtis Coleman – the Gladiators went on a 7-0 run to pull within two points of the Scorpions, 41-39.

But the Scorpions once again answered right back with a 3-pointer, just like they had before the first half ended.

This time it was Peters who hit the clutch three to extend Oakland Mills’ lead to five points, 44-39. He would score 14 points on the night.

Though the Gladiators outscored the Scorpions 14-13 in the fourth quarter, they came up just short. Oakland Mills pulled out another close win late in the season, 57-53.

With the loss, Glenelg fell to 13-7 on the season, while the Scorpions improved to 20-0 and clinched the Howard County title.

It is hard to believe that an undefeated team could get any better, but Oakland Mills is doing just that with the addition of a familiar face, junior forward Kerry Bethea.

Bethea had left the team after their Jan. 12 win over Wilde Lake. He was back on the bench Thursday, however, and has rejoined the Scorpions after what Browne called a “heart to heart.”

And the Scorpions could see Bethea back on the court sooner rather than later.

“Kerry Bethea will be at practice tomorrow [Friday] afternoon and will, in all likelihood, be suited up next Tuesday,” Browne said.