Boys Basketball

Visiting Patterson ran with No. 13 Lake Clifton for one half. Then a change in defense and fast-break points allowed the Lakers (10-3) to pull away, winning 62-46, in boys basketball Thursday night. Lake Clifton broke the 23-23 halftime tie by switching to a 1-3-1 half-court trap defense in the second half. The Lakers forced low-percentage shots on the Clippers and scored easy baskets in transition. Derek Winder had a game-high 18 points for Lake Clifton.     Wednesday boys No. 4 Milford Mill 73, Kenwood 58: The host Bluebirds led after the first quarter, but the Millers took control for good in the second quarter.

It was just two weeks ago that the Dunbar boys basketball team finally settled on its starting lineup. All the while, the No. 3 Poets, defending Baltimore City and three-time Class 1A state champions, have found different ways to win. On the road against No. 8 Poly in a showdown of unbeaten league teams, Dunbar mostly relied on a tough zone defense and poised play in the closing minutes for a 55-43 victory. Senior guards Daxter Miles (15 points) and Kamau Stokes (12) led the offense, and the defensive scheme frustrated the Engineers most of the way. The Poets improved to 11-1 overall and 5-0 in Baltimore City's Division I, while Poly, which got a game-high 19 points from forward Darrion Stokes-Graham, is now 11-3 and 4-1 in league play.

Patterson Mill's Morgan Golec needed just eight points to reach 1,000 in her career and finished with a game-high 25, but the host Huskies fell to No. 2 Aberdeen, 60-57, Thursday in girls basketball. With 39 seconds left, Golec made a 3-pointer to pull the Huskies within three. Patterson Mill got a stop on the next possession, then missed what would have been a game-tying 3. The Eagles improved to 7-2, 4-0 Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference Chesapeake Division, and Patterson Mill fell to 7-2, 4-0. The Huskies' only previous loss was a 51-46 defeat Dec. 27 at the hands of W.T.Woodson (Va.)

Something looks familiar in the Howard County boys basketball scene these days. It was just two seasons ago that Oakland Mills ran the table in the regular season, going 22-0 and then winning the District V championship before falling in the Class 2A South regional final to finish with a 25-1 mark.  This season, eighth-year coach Jon Browne -- who has a 108-64 career record -- has the No. 12 Scorpions at 11-0 with a talented squad that features...

After losing the first quarter, the Glenelg Country School boys basketball team won the next two and had a seven-point lead heading into the fourth. Then host Maret (D.C.) woke up and went on a 20-2 run to beat the Dragons, 58-47, at the Butch McAdams Event on Saturday. Warren Powers had a game-high 23 points and Kevin Boyd added 14 for Glenelg Country (8-7). The Fighting Frogs (10-2) had a trio of double-digit scorers: Marion Beck (15), Steffen Davis (14) and Drake Goddard (10).

Nine days removed from its shocking upset of then-No. 1 Mount St. Joseph, No. 6 Archbishop Spalding took to its home court Friday night looking to topple another giant. This time, however, unbeaten St. Frances proved to be too big of an obstacle for the Cavaliers. The top-ranked Panthers dominated the glass, nabbing eight offensive rebounds in the second half, to break open a tight game for a 61-51 win. Junior guard Maurice White had 23 points and eight rebounds, 6-foot-8 junior forward Dwayne Morgan added 17 points and senior guard Tevon Saddler contributed 15 points and six rebounds for St. Frances (12-0, 5-0 in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference, 4-0 in the Catholic League)

The Lake Clifton boys basketball team had one of those special quarters when almost everything went right on Friday. It came against visiting Forest Park in the second quarter when the No. 11 Lakers were making the extra pass, converting the easy shots, causing turnovers and controlling the boards. They used a 15-0 run that covered most of the 8 minutes to comfortably separate themselves from the No. 14 Foresters, and the Lakers stayed on course in the second half to come away with a 58-35 win. Lake Clifton, which got a game-high 14 points from senior forward Cortell Henson, improved to 4-1 overall with the win. Forest Park (7-1)

The Milford Mill boys basketball team has set a lofty standard in Baltimore County, winning the past four county championships and claiming two state titles in that span. The foundation begins with playing smart and consistent basketball. The No. 5 Millers take care of the ball and find open teammates on offense, they rebound well at both ends and their defense has a knack for blocking shots. Together, those strengths leave opponents with little margin for error. On Wednesday night, New Town became the latest team to learn that.