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By James A. McCray III
Prince George's County, Content Editor
For one final time, eight senior-members of the No. 2 ranked Eleanor Roosevelt Lady Raiders basketball team walked out of the locker room, turned left and walked up two sets of stairs.
For one final time, the eight seniors crossed the threshold of the gym that already is home to three 4A state championships won by the current senior class.
For one final time, the graduating class of 2009 walked out of the gym with a win after a 43-31 victory over the C.H. Flowers Lady Jaguars Wednesday night.
"It was really exciting," Roosevelt senior Ahjah Hall said. "We were really excited before the game and it is just crazy to think that this is our last high-school game in our own house."
"My seniors have been dedicated for four years," Roosevelt head coach Rod Hairston said. "I definitely love every one of my kids here. They are the fabric of the program."
The fabric that materialized a win for the Lady Raiders on Wednesday night was defense.
Both teams struggled mightily to find the bottom of the net, as each often found lay-ups or open shots barely rimming out.
That fact was very much evident in the second quarter as neither team converted a field goal.
Roosevelt (17-1 overall, 17-0 4A League and ranked No. 2 in the DigitalSports Beltway Ballers girls top-10 poll) scored all of its eight second-quarter points from the free throw line and Flowers failed to score in the second period of play. Roosevelt went into the half leading 20-6.
"That was great," said Roosevelt senior Alexis Mulloy of the second quarter. "Our defense; we did a really great job on defense. ... Since we couldn't get our shots to fall, we made [it] up big on defense, and we were really excited about that."
"That has been our signature," Hairston said, "defense has been our signature. ... I think we had a little bit of luck, too. The rim was unkind not only to us but to Flowers as well."
Although the rim was unkind to both squads as a whole, Hall managed to become friends with the net enough to score 13 points on the night to lead all scorers.
"I had to do what I had to do," Hall said. " ... I just had to step up and do what I could do to help out."
Roosevelt senior Olivia Applewhite was the additional scorer to put up double digits with 10 points, respectively, in the win.
Despite Flowers (15-5, 14-3) scoring 14 points through three quarters, the Lady Jaguars remained within striking throughout, including cutting the lead down to nine points, 35-26, with 3 minutes, 28 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a Lauren Brown basket, but to no avail.
Flowers will host Laurel for its senior night on Friday.
Roosevelt closes its season on the road at Parkdale Friday night and that is what remains on the mind of Hairston and the Raiders before thoughts of an attempt at a fifth consecutive state title begins.
"Right now, we are doing one game at a time just like we always have," he said. "The next game is Parkdale, and that is what we are thinking about, Parkdale. ... The playoffs will be here soon so, we'll let that get here and take care of that when it gets here."
E-mail: James A. McCray III
Eleanor Roosevelt 43, C.H. Flowers 31
Flowers -- 6 0 8 17; Brown 9, Waters 8, Person 6, Gorham 3, Yelder 3, Tucker 2
Roosevelt -- 12 8 13 10; A. Hall 13, Applewhite 10, E. Hall 9, Malloy 6, Bullock 3, Chioma 2
