Trust is the pillar of Oakland Mills boys basketball’s resurgence and the lynchpin of its early season success. The Scorpions won their first three games, including a pair of one-point victories.
Wednesday at River Hill, Oakland Mills once again found itself in a game that came down to the wire.
Confident in themselves and one another, the Scorpions made critical plays down the stretch to preserve a 63-58 win and extend their unblemished record, now standing as Howard County’s last remaining unbeaten team.
While Oakland Mills was one of the county’s youngest teams in the past, it’s morphed into an experienced group with several valuable veterans. The Scorpions won two games in coach Kyle Harmon’s first season and seven last year. Now displaying their collective maturation and increased comfort with one another, they’re 4-0.
Senior center Hayes Bishop and junior guard Daniel Ndiritu are leading the charge and did so again on Wednesday. Each are multi-year varsity players and have evolved for the better, learning from some of the past struggles.
“It’s great because Year 1, we get into the program and they’re both babies. They’ve never played varsity basketball before and we threw them to the wolves,” Harmon said of the veteran duo. “They faced a lot of adversity those first two years, but they never stopped working hard. They kept showing up for each other.
“I think they’ve learned to play against older guys. Having that experience as puppies, getting beaten and banged on by the older teams. Now they’re the older guys, and hopefully they can continue to do the things that we try to stress in practice.”
Bishop finished with a team-high 18 points, while Ndiritu finished with 16, 10 of which came in the final five minutes. Ndiritu buried a pair of pivotal 3-pointers including one late in the shot clock to push the Scorpions lead to nine inside of two minutes remaining.
“It feels amazing to know that your teammates trust you with the ball and I know I trust them with the ball,” Ndiritu said. “When they put their trust in you, you know you can hit the big-time shots.”
Meanwhile, Bishop was a force for the Scorpions in the low post. At 6-foot-7, the veteran dominated the glass, grabbing 18 rebounds and creating numerous second-chance opportunities. He defined the Scorpions’ relentless interior effort. Oakland Mills finished with more offensive rebounds than River Hill totaled defensively.
While Bishop’s size certainly is vital to his rebounding success, the veteran’s worked on his footwork and positioning, which have aided his development as a player. Often fronted by his defender in the post, Bishop maneuvered and found ways to create space. He helped the Scorpions build a seven-point lead at the break, even showcasing his range with a 3-pointer from straight on in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, River Hill came out of the locker room a completely different team in the second half. The Hawks’ persistent backcourt traps led to some turnovers and sparked an 11-0 run that gave them their first lead of the game midway through the quarter.
With the Scorpions ahead by one early in the fourth, Bishop’s rebounding prowess delivered a much-needed spark. He capped off a sequence with multiple offensive rebounds and a 3-point play to give Oakland Mills some much needed breathing room.
River Hill wouldn’t go away without a fight. Ethan Makode continued his strong second half and connected on a triple from the corner to bring River Hill back within three with 44 seconds remaining.
Oakland Mills tightened its perimeter defense when it needed too most and prevented the Hawks from securing the game-tying 3-pointer. The Scorpions’ Keegan Rembert hounded Rylan Graves on the final shot attempt and forced a contested challenging shot.
Shortly after, Ndiritu stepped to the line for the game-sealing free throws. With that, the Scorpions passed another late-game test and leaned on the chemistry that’s been built through the trials and tribulations of the past.
“Being able to play with the same guys for the past couple of years, you know what their tendencies are,” Bishop said. “You know what their negative tendencies might be and how to get around it and move as a unit. Knowing how to save the clock and get the ball in our hands as much as possible, it definitely helps to play varsity for three years. It feels good to know that hard works pay off, but there’s still more hard work to be put in the rest of the season.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at [email protected], 443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
OM- 14 17 11 21- 63
RH- 13 11 17 17- 58
OM: Hayes Bishop 18, Daniel Ndiritu 16, Caleb Redd 12, Jonathan McCoy 9, Richard Owusu 5, George Owusu 2, Keegan Rembert 1.
RH: Mason Rooths 17, Rylan Graves 14, Ethan Makode 10, Jaden Moore 10, Dom Wheeler 4, Naveen Livezey 3.