by Alejandro DanoisIn a game of pronounced momentum swings, No. 12 City College High defeated No. 20 Dunbar, 81-71, in a Baltimore City non-divisional matchup Tuesday afternoon in front of a raucous crowd at Dunbar’s gymnasium.
Junior forward Adam Johnson notched a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Knights (7-1), and C.J. Fair added 16. Junior forward Sean Farr had 18 points and six rebounds to lead Dunbar (5-4), and sophomore Durrell Edwards added 16.
Trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, City went on a 16-0 run in the final quarter to pull away. Knights coach Mike Daniel said it was defense that delivered a quality road triumph.
"We took it up another level defensively, which we have the capacity to do," said Daniel, whose team's lone setback came at No. 2 Lake Clifton last month. "We knew we were down and had to pull out some drastic measures to get the job done."
The game arguably turned late in the third quarter when Carmon, a 330-pound six foot, seven inch center stopped a dunk attempt by Farr. Carmon, a standout linemen for City's football squad, exhorted his teammates to keep up the defensive intensity.
The Knights close the quarter with a 12-3 run, pulling to within 53-51. Johnson, who poured in his 23 points over the final three periods, started the Knights' fourth quarter surge with a pair of baskets.
"We needed to get some defensive stops and when James [Carmon] stopped Sean [Farr] from dunking, that got us going," said Johnson. City, which received 11 points each from Carmon and guard Malik Pack, outscored Dunbar, 30-18, in the final eight minutes of regulation.
Farr, the leading receiver the Poets' Class 1A state championship football team this past fall, was the spark on the hardwood Tuesday, scoring eight points in the opening quarter. Fair, City's 6-foot-7 swingman had seven, but Dunbar coach Cyrus Jones adjusted his defense, running two defenders at him each time he caught the ball on the wing.
Leading 36-30 at halftime, the Poets effective full court press kept the Knights out of any offensive rhythm, extending the lead to 50-39. The Poets forced a turnover and Farr elevated for a dunk in the crowded lane, but Carmon got between Farr and the basket and delivered a clean, hard foul.
"Their home crowd got into our ears early, but once we blanked the crowd out and played team ball, it was over," said Johnson. "Our guards found me with passes when I was open, came up big on defense with pressure and steals and our big men played strong with rebounds and blocks. I just fed off what my team was doing."
City College 81, Dunbar 71
City College: Pack 11, Ayers 2, Johnson 27, Fair 16, Lathan 7, Goodwin 8, Satterfield 1, Carmon 11.
Dunbar: R. Brown 4, Edwards 16, Farr 18, Johnson 5, Kelley 4, Mackall 8, Spence 7, Ziegler 2, Perry 1.
Halftime: Dunbar 36, City College 30.
