Omarr Smith Jr. already had a fine do-everything performance working in the first half to help City boys basketball earn a comfortable lead against visiting Edgewood in Thursday’s Class 3A North Region II championship game.

When the Rams got close midway through the third quarter — cutting the Knights’ double-digit advantage to three points — the All-Metro senior guard went to another level.

Smith scored nine of his game-high 25 points in the final 2:48 of the pivotal third quarter, helping restore order for the No. 12 Knights on their way to a 55-43 win over Edgewood.

“They really cut into the lead and I knew it was a time when I had to take over the game. My teammates were getting me the ball and I knew I had to find them at the same time to keep us going,” said Smith, who also finished with 12 rebounds and five assists.

City (20-5) advances to Saturday’s state quarterfinals with its opponent yet to be determined. The eight region champions will be seeded based on their regular-season winning percentage with the schedule coming out Friday.

Edgewood, which got a team-high 16 points from Josh King, had its six-game winning streak ended to close the season with a 17-7 record.

Edgewood struggled offensively against Poly in the previous round, but the Rams were still able to grind out a win. They were feisty once again, but it wasn’t nearly enough against the Knights.

“Early on, we had our opportunities, but missed a bunch of wide-open shots that could have given us some momentum. We just didn’t have it,” coach Terry Maczko said.

Other boys basketball scores:

Patterson Mill 69, Joppatowne 47: Thursday night was coach Jeroud Clark’s fifth time cutting down the nets in his gym after a regional victory, as Patterson Mill topped Joppatowne for the Huskies’ third Class 1A North Region II title in four years.

The Mariners opened the nightcap with a difficult full-court press defense that took Patterson Mill time to solve. The Huskies spent much of the first quarter learning how, hunting for occasional lapses in coverage that allowed easy transition baskets.

The home team led 18-14 after the opening quarter as Joppatowne remained close. That advantage grew to 11 at halftime, then a quick run in the third quarter that stretched Patterson Mill’s lead to 17 forced a timeout.

— Taylor Lyons

Atholton 51, Centennial 46: Offense was hard to come by for Atholton and Centennial in Thursday night’s Class 3A South Region II final.

Trailing by four inside the final minute, the Eagles swarmed the Raiders’ Bryce Inabinet in the corner, forcing a turnover. Colin Smith rose up for a layup that would’ve made it a one-possession game, but Inabinet recovered and swatted the shot away, leading to an outlet pass to Emmanuel Potier.

Potier made the layup through contact and finished off the three-point play with 57 seconds remaining that effectively sealed the game. That sequence epitomized No. 2 seed Atholton’s defensive commitment as it grinded out a victory over top-seeded Centennial and clinched the region championship.

Atholton advances to the 3A state quarterfinals, where the eight regional champions are reseeded based on regular-season record.

— Jacob Steinberg

Liberty 66, South Carroll 53: Those who have watched Liberty throughout the season knew one thing: Never make the mistake of writing off the Lions too early.

With Liberty down 10 points, some in attendance did just that as South Carroll guard Walker Fowble led a charge that stunned the Lions at the start of an intense regional final matchup.

In typical Liberty fashion, not only was that 10-point advantage gone in the blink of an eye, but the Lions never trailed again after regaining the lead by the end of the first half as they pulled away to secure the Class 1A West Region II championship.

— Timothy Dashiell

Milford Mill 47, Franklin 44: Milford Mill rode its defense, free-throw shooting and a blistering-hot first half from Cam Johnson to a victory over host Franklin in the Class 3A North Region I championship game.

The win advances the Millers (15-6) to the state quarterfinals, while Franklin caps its season at 17-4.

After a baseline jumper by Jordan Young (nine points) pulled Franklin within three, 47-44, with 1:07 left, two free throw attempts with 27 seconds left and two jumpers in the final 10 seconds were off the mark.

Milford Mill’s defense was strong throughout, but it picked up the intensity late. That defense held Franklin to just seven points in the final quarter, which was enough despite the Millers scoring just six.

Franklin’s Reggie Asoluka, coming off a 19-point, 16-rebound performance in a 64-44 win over Towson in the semifinals, finished with nine points and nine rebounds, as the 6-foot-4 senior was hounded on the interior by 6-foot-7 Romeo Hart (three blocked shots, six rebounds) and 6-5 Harold Little.

— Craig J. Clary

Old Mill 55, Mt. Hebron 51: Most teams would feel a surge of confidence after getting up 20 on a higher seed. Old Mill did not.

For Patriots Zay Brown and Brian Poore, the third quarter equals a 0-0 game. They have to think that way or they’ll fall complacent. Their coach, Greg Smith, admittedly felt good midway through Thursday’s Class 3A South Region I final, but still, dread stalked in the back of his mind.

Fast forward to the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, and the Vikings trailed by just two points. Patriots junior Bryce Daugherty chased down Mt. Hebron’s Kenny Akinlosotu as he dished to senior Cole Willey. Together, the duo led the assault on Old Mill’s once-dominant lead. Willey’s first shot scratched the rim and he leapt for the putback.

A tying basket could be the last battering ram to Old Mill’s defenses. Mt. Hebron had the advantage of a packed home gym and was writing the greatest comeback story in program history.

That is, until Daugherty beat Willey on the glass. The recovery directly led to Old Mill’s victory and the Class 3A South Region I title. Defying Mt. Hebron’s height advantage for rebounds is why the Patriots are going to their first state quarterfinal since 2018.

— Katherine Fominykh

South River 57, Stephen Decatur 45: South River beat host Stephen Decatur in a Class 3A East Region I final. South River was led by Jaden McDuffie (24 points), Jamie Finn (15 points) and Jonah Hall (10 points).

C. Milton Wright 68, Elkton 58: The visiting Mustangs extended their four-point lead in the first half with a 17-9 run to start the second half and beat the Golden Elks in a Class 2A East Region I final. C.M. Wright was led by Jordan Ross with 24 points and Dylan Sander with 15 points and 23 rebounds.

Meade 84, Glen Burnie 49: The host Mustangs outscored the Gophers, 48-20, in the second half in the Class 4A East Region I final. Meade’s Ashton Turman scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers. Other standouts for the Mustangs included: Keon Scott (19 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds) and Lucaya Baldridge (16 points, 8 rebounds). The win was the fourth straight region title and 20th straight win.

Girls basketball

Patterson Mill 41, Havre de Grace 26: Thursday’s game came to be after school closures in Harford County postponed the girls game that was scheduled for Wednesday. That delay didn’t affect the Patterson Mill, as the Huskies led 24-13 at halftime then 37-18 after three quarters before putting the finishing touches on a 15-point victory, securing coach Richard Wilhelm’s third consecutive regional title.

— Taylor Lyons

South River 68, Stephen Decatur 22: South River beat visiting Stephen Decatur in a Class 3A East Region I final. South River was led by Kierra West (15 points), Karlee Hawkins (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Cami Burke (8 points, 10 assists, 8 steals, 7 rebounds).

Fallston 35, Rising Sun 34: The Cougars held off the Tigers to win the Class 2A East Region I championship. Brooke Bolesta led the win with nine points. Jadin Woods was right behind her with eight.

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