Oakland Mills men’s basketball’s Daniel Ndiritu buried the game-winner in a 45-43 win over Guilford Park
Daniel Ndiritu did not hesitate.
While things were moving quickly around him, the Oakland Mills junior acted as if he had been in this position before. The reality is he did, just not in a high-pressure home environment against his rival.
In practice, the Scorpions repeat this end-game scenario many times where the ball handler starts in the coach’s box, takes a few dribbles and lifts between the foul line and the elbow. Friday against Guilford Park, Ndiritu followed a practice plan, catching the ball on the wing in front of the bench with 5.5 seconds remaining in a tied game.
With Guilford Park guard Andrew Adams strapped to his hip, Ndiritu took three left-handed dribbles, each more targeted than the last. He creates the perfect angle and angles his body toward the basket. Preparing to hit a mid-range pull-up jumper, Ndiritu, like all great shooters, knows that nylon is nothing once it leaves his fingertips.
Backing up toward the Scorpion logo at midcourt, Ndiritu delivered a firm fist pump before being mobbed by teammates and a sea of Oakland Mills students after scoring the first game-winning goal of his high school career. A lively atmosphere throughout the night turned into complete chaos when Ndiritu’s heroics propelled the Scorpions to their seventh straight win, a 45-43 win over Guilford Park.
“We worked on those shots a lot in practice, so that really helped,” Ndiritu said. “It’s a phenomenal feeling. It’s truly a dream come true. I didn’t expect everyone to storm the pitch, but it really is a dream come true.”
The Scorpions (16-1, 5-1 Sierra Division) once again found a way to win a hard-fought game. Friday marked Oakland Mills’ eighth win by less than five points, routinely finding ways to dig deep in critical moments. Meanwhile, Guilford Park (9-9, 4-3 Sierra) is starting to play its best basketball of the season, with six straight wins.
Both teams have great size and athleticism in the frontcourt with the Panthers’ Chris Wood and Davion Davis facing off against the Scorpions’ Hayes Bishop and Caleb Redd. Oakland Mills has dominated most of its area opponents this season, but the Panthers have proven to be more than capable foes.
The first quarter matched the electrifying energy in the gym with a fast-paced style. Oakland Mills took a two-point lead after one, highlighted by a pair of Ndiritu 3s, while Justin Hall gave the Panthers a spark with five points in the first quarter.
The Scorpions maintained a one-point lead at the break as the physical play increased in the second half. Guilford Park took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter after Adams’ late 3-pointer and was eight minutes away from a road win.
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The final two minutes brought a sea of lead changes with free throw battles a theme for both sides throughout the game. The Scorpions finished 4-for-18 at the charity stripe, while the Panthers didn’t fare much better, shooting 5-for-16.
Ndiritu hit his first big shot in the final stages with a corner triple that put Oakland Mills up by one with 1:59 remaining. However, the Panthers responded on their next possession with a clever one-handed finish from Davis over Bishop to regain the lead.
Bishop returned the favor with 23 seconds left when he made a tough catch and hooked a shot into the arm of the Panthers’ Brayden Streets. Out of the timeout, Adams drove hard to the basket and drew a foul with 9.7 seconds remaining.
He made the first free throw to tie the game at 43, but missed the second, which left Oakland Mills’ door open. Although the Scorpions couldn’t achieve the initial set they wanted, Ndiritu seized the moment and turned practice into perfection.
“The fact that he was able to stay low and get a little drive left at the end of the game. He made some good shots,” Oakland Mills coach Kyle Harmon said. “He’s a great player. He’s been making those shots for us all year. Whenever we need a big shot, he’s sure to come to the table and take it upon himself to knock it down.”
“Daniel’s work ethic is incredible; this is his third year in the program. He’s usually the first one in the gym, the last one out. When he’s down, he finds a way to be positive with others. Then, when moments like this come, they trust him to do it because he’s shown his ability in training time and time again.”
It was Senior Night for Oakland Mills, the man of the night was a junior and the chutzpah he showed in sending the Scorpions faithful home happily and the visiting Panthers stunned.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Steinberg at jsteinberg@baltsun.com443-442-9445 and x.com/jacobstein23.
OM- 14 10 9 12- 45
GP- 12 11 13 7- 43
OM: Daniel Ndiritu 16, Caleb Redd 11, Hayes Bishop 8, Jonathan McCoy 4, Richard Owusu 4, George Owusu 2.
GP: Andrew Adams 12, Davion Davis 9, Chris Wood 8, Logan Hairston 7, Justin Hall 5, Venerable Adebayo-Lewis 2.
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