Fourth quarter comeback advances Reservoir in state girls basketball tourney opening round

Gators top Arundel for spot in 4A East semifinals; Fallston begins 2A title defense with victory

VSN Staff

Published 2/25/2023 4:20 p.m. EST, Updated 2/27/2023 9:16 a.m. EST

Alissa Young was the spark behind Reservoir's comeback win against Arundel in the opening round of the Class 4A East Region I playoffs Friday. The sophomore capped with a 14-0 surge with the go-ahead basket and a 3-pointer as the Gators eliminated the Wildcats in Fulton.
Alissa Young was the spark behind Reservoir's comeback win against Arundel in the opening round of the Class 4A East Region I playoffs Friday. The sophomore capped with a 14-0 surge with the go-ahead basket and a 3-pointer as the Gators eliminated the Wildcats in Fulton. (Reservoir Athletics)

The state girls basketball tournament kicked off Friday with 27 opening round matches involving Baltimore area teams. Arguably the best game was in Howard County as Reservoir rallied for a 48-46 victory over Arundel in a Class 4A East Region I quarterfinal.

Trailing 43-34 with 7 minutes, 12 seconds left in regulation, the Gators (7-13 overall) went on an 11-0 run, capped by Alissa Young’s drive for a basket, for a 45-43 lead with 2 minutes remaining. Young, a sophomore guard, buried a 3-pointer, extending Reservoir’s advantage to 48-43 with 1:19 to play.

Fifth-seeded Arundel (3-19) stopped the Gators’ surge as Janiyah Small’s 3-pointer got the visitors to within 48-46 with 1 minute left in regulation. Small, a sophomore, stole the ball with 45 seconds left, but, with 20 seconds remaining, missed a jumper.

Kourtnie Borns was fouled with 5.8 seconds left, but missed the front end of an one-and-one free throw. After a tie up, Arundel kept possession on the alternating jump ball with 2.6 seconds to play. Gabrielle Burian’s desperation shot from near half court fell short as the fourth-seed Gators (7-13) advanced to Monday’s region semifinal at 7th-ranked and top seed Glen Burnie.

MPSSAA GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Friday

First round

CLASS 1A

East

Region I

No. 4 Perryville 67, No. 5 Kent County 33

No. 3 Patterson Mill 50, No. 6 Joppatowne 23

North

Region I

No. 5 Green Street Academy 29, No. 4 Douglass 4

CLASS 2A

East

Region I

No. 4 Fallston 58, No. 5 North East 44

No. 3 Harford Tech 62, No. 6 Elkton 22

North

Region I

No. 4 Owings Mills 43, No. 5 Lansdowne 29

Region II

No. 4 Dunbar 57, No. 5 Overlea 55

No. 6 Chesapeake-Baltimore County 38, No. 3 Sparrows Point 37

West

Region I

No. 4 South Carroll 51, No. 5 Winters Mill 31

Region II

No. 3 Middletown 32, No. 6 Glenelg 28

CLASS 3A

East

Region I

No. 4 Mount Hebron 37, No. 5 Marriotts Ridge 32

No. 3 Westminster 49, No. 6 Centennial 11

Region II

No. 4 Long Reach 22, No. 5 Wilde Lake 20

North

Region I

No. 4 Patterson 62, No. 5 Milford Mill 4

No. 6 Woodlawn 50, No. 3 Digital Harbor 46

No. 2 City 55, No. 7 Franklin 22

Region II

No. 4 Edgewood 52, No. 5 Kenwood 24

No. 3 Aberdeen 43, No. 6 C. Milton Wright 24

No. 2 Bel Air, 53, No. 7 Patapsco 22

South

Region II

No. 4 Chesapeake-Anne Arundel 59, No. 5 James M. Bennett 20

No. 3 Crofton 35, No. 6 Northeast 27

CLASS 4A

East

Region I

No. 4 Reservoir 48, No. 5 Arundel 46

No. 3 Meade 66, No. 6 North County 29

Region II

No. 6 Broadneck 52, No. 3 Annapolis 46

North

Region I

No. 4 Perry Hall 54, No. 5 Mervo 16

No. 3 Catonsville 55, No. 6 Dundalk 23

No. 2 Dulaney 57, No. 7 Parkville 13

Monday

Region semifinals

CLASS 1A

East

Region I

Perryville at No. 1 Havre de Grace

Patterson Mill at No. 2 Colonel Richardson

North

Region I

Green Street at No. 1 Forest Park

No. 3 ACCE at No. 2 Edmondson

Region II

No. 4 Reginald Lewis at No. 1 Coppin Academy

No. 3 Benjamin Franklin at No. 2 Lake Clifton

South

Region I

No. 4 Western Tech at No. 1 Loch Raven

No. 3 Pikesville at No. 2 Francis Scott Key

CLASS 2A

East

Region I

Fallston at No. 1 North Harford

Harford Tech at No. 2 Rising Sun

North

Owings Mills at No. 1 Hereford

No. 3 Carver A&T at No. 2 New Town

Region II

Dunbar at No. 1 Eastern Tech

Chesapeake-Baltimore County at No. 2 Carver Vo-Tech

West

Region I

South Carroll at No. 1 Liberty

No. 3 Southern at No. 2 Century

Region II

Middletown at No. 2 Hammond

CLASS 3A

East

Region I

Mount Hebron at No. 1 Howard

Westminster at No. 2 Manchester Valley

Region II

Long Reach at No. 1 River Hill

No. 3 Atholton at No. 2 Oakland Mills

North

Region I

Patterson at No. 1 Poly

Woodlawn at City

Region II

Edgewood at No. 1 Towson

Aberdeen at Bel Air

South

Region II

Chesapeake-Anne Arundel at No. 1 Oxon Hill

Crofton at No. 2 Stephen Decatur

CLASS 4A

East

Region I

Reservoir at No. 1 Glen Burnie

Meade at No. 2 Old Mill

Region II

No. 4 North Point at No. 1 Severna Park

Broadneck at No. 2 South River

North

Region I

Perry Hall at No. 1 Western

Catonsville at Dulaney

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