The Atholton Raiders continue to dominate the conference after a Friday night victory over the Wilde Lake Wildecats. The win marks their fifth straight and gives them a firm hold atop the standings in Howard County.

 

     The Raiders got the ball at tip-off, and Senior Guard Shane Brown put the first points of the game on the board in what became a back and forth battle. Wilde Lake relied on the quick feet of Junior Dylan Chaney to shake off defenders as he put up 5 in the first. Chaney was complimented by Sophomore Ben Harvey, who connected on a three pointer en route to an early 10-8 lead. However, the Raiders answered quickly with the deft shooting of Brown and a trey by Senior Guard Tom Hart. This surge put the Raiders on top 22-14 as the first quarter came to a close.

 

     The Wildecats' Senior Guard Trey Cole sank a three to begin the second quarter, as momentum slowly shifted to Wilde Lake's side. Behind Senior Forward Juma Richards nine points in the quarter, they were able to close the gap within three; yet, Brown and Senior Arthur Hairston provided a quick one-two punch at the end of the half with four points and a 37-30 lead.

 

     The second half of the game saw an offensive show on both sides of the ball. After falling behind by 13, the Wildecats scored 12 unanswered points to bring themselves back in the game as the third quarter ended at 50-46 with the Raiders holding a slim lead.

 

     Wilde Lake trailed for most of the game, but Atholton could not put it away as three-pointers from Cole and Richards set the tone for a Wildecat offense that miraculously tied the game at 60-60 with only two minutes left of play.

 

     As the minutes ticked down to the end of the game, the two teams were neck-and-neck. The Raider’s Arthur Hairston then shook off the Raiders lull on offense by taking advantage of an open court, delivering a crowd pleasing dunk. A wound up Raiders team fed off this energy to a 72-65 victory.

 

     The win puts the Raiders at an unheard of 13-1 record. Against the Wildecats, Hairston put up his fourth 20+ point game, and continues to lead the Raider offense in that category. Senior Kenneth Settle also showed his offensive prowess in the night's game as he added 15 of his own. They will look to continue this dominance as they will host the 8-5 Oakland Mills Scorpions in their next match-up.

 

     Despite a disappointing loss, Wilde Lake saw great individual performances from Richards and his 16 points, as well as Harvey and Senior Jessie Martin who each had 15 apiece. They will play the out-of-county Cavaliers of South Carroll as they hope to rebound from a 5-8 hole.