'Cats beaten at own game with rebounding, pressure | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

While the stat line was a clear oversight by the scorekeeper, Wilson might as well have grabbed one, because it seemed as if anybody and everybody in a black uniform were crashing the boards.

Usually the aggressors when it comes to rebounding, Arundel was overwhelmed on the glass by Roosevelt, 50-34, in Monday's two-point loss to the Raiders, who won the state title for a record fourth consecutive time.

Out of the Raiders' rebounds, 26 were of the offensive variety.

"Rebounding was a big factor for us, and we just couldn't get it done this game," said Arundel junior center Simone Egwu. "We didn't box out, we didn't execute the way you're supposed to and it was a big part of the game."

Egwu, who is the centerpiece of Arundel's frontcourt, was mired in foul trouble for the final three quarters and eventually picked up her fifth foul with 3:13 to play in the game.

When she was on the court she was effective, making all three of her field goal attempts and finishing with seven points and six rebounds, but when she was off the court Arundel struggled to fill her void.

"If there was a worse feeling than coming to the state championship and getting second place, that was it," said Egwu about having to sit on the bench. "I want to be on the floor with my team."

No play symbolized the Wildcats' rebounding struggles more than what happened on the game's penultimate sequence.

With 9.6 seconds remaining in the game and Roosevelt leading 52-50, Raiders junior guard Elashier Hall missed the back end of two free throws.

Had the Wildcats been able to grab the rebound, they could have called timeout and would have had time to set up a play to either tie or win the game.

But instead the ball was deflected back to Hall, who was able to dribble out about six seconds before being fouled again with 3.7 seconds left.

"The key plan was to box out, because if we boxed out they were going to go over our back," said Raiders junior forward Olivia Applewhite, who tallied a game-high 14 rebounds. "We had to continue to box out, and we all just cleared the rebounds, and that was the key to this game."

Arundel, which normally lives off points in the paint and second-chance points, was outscored 20-12 by Roosevelt in each category.

The Wildcats also typically win the turnover battle by running a smothering full-court press; however, last night they were only able to score nine points off of 14 Roosevelt turnovers and didn't score a single fast-break point.

Instead it was the Raiders, who, despite shooting an anemic 27.6 percent from the field and making just 16-of-37 free throw attempts, were able to win not only by rebounding, but by dictating the game's pace and pressuring the Wildcats guards as soon as they crossed half-court.

"Throughout the game we controlled the tempo," said Raiders junior forward Ahjah Hall, who hit the eventual game-winning lay-up and hauled in 10 rebounds. "We wanted to put pressure on their ball handlers, and that forced them to turn it over."

The pressure and physical play, which Arundel coach Lee Rogers admitted the Wildcats don't see a lot of playing in Anne Arundel County, clearly affected the East Region champions.

Arundel guards shot a combined 9-for-29, and committed 16 of the team's 21 turnovers.

Junior sharpshooter Ashley Davis, who scored 13 of her team-high 17 points in the final 8:02, was constantly on the Raiders' radar, as evidenced by Roosevelt coach Roderick Hairston shouting, "Shooter!" nearly every time she touched the ball in the offensive set.

Instead of celebrating its first state title since 2004, Arundelis left with another offseason to ponder what could have been. The Wildcats will welcome back everyone next season except seniors Danielle McFadden, Kiersten Jauschnegg and Ayanna Randolph, who missed this season with a knee injury,

"It was a great season, but it's a disappointing ending," Rogers said. "We worked hard from last year when we didn't get here. That was a feeling that we talked about, that we didn't want that feeling again, and now we're experiencing it again in such a short time, another year later."