The boys’ basketball team (21–3) defeated the Charles Herbert Flowers Jaguars (17–6) 55–44 on Saturday afternoon.
The game started close, with the score tied for most of the first quarter. On offense, the Vikings were able to move through the Jaguars’ weak defense on almost every possession, making easy lay-ups and second-chance points. Whitman dominated on defense, getting almost every rebound and stopping the Jaguars after one shot. The Vikings led most of the second quarter with senior Titan DeRosa and senior Evan Brown excelling in the paint. However, the Jaguars picked up their defense later in the half, quickly transitioning to offense and trailing Whitman on the board.
The second half was more of the same; while Charles Herbert excelled on both ends of the court, Whitman stayed one step ahead at each play. Fastbreak lay-ups and three-pointers extended the Vikings’ lead as they remained on top throughout the entire game. Ending the fourth quarter by a lead of 11 points, the Vikings claimed the state semifinal win.
The Vikings will now look to win the championship as they advance to the state finals against the Laurel Spartans at the University of Maryland at 6:00 p.m. If you can’t make it to the game, make sure to tune into The Pressbox where The Black and White will be broadcasting the game live.