by Derek Toney

Brandon Simms said he gets frustrated when he's struggling offensively. The Douglass High senior didn't have that problem a couple of weeks ago at Basketball Academy at Morgan State University, suspended for the Ducks' matchup with Randallstown after being ejected from the prior game.

Simms was on the floor for Tuesday's key Baltimore City game with Northwestern, and it was the Wildcats who was left frustrated and bewildered. The No. 4 Ducks dismantled the defending City champ and 11th ranked Wildcats, 73-47, in Division II action.

Simms led all scorers with 19 points for Douglass (10-4, 1-0), and senior guard Omar Strong had 18. Junior guard Terrence West had nine points to lead Northwestern (8-3, 1-1).

The Ducks dominated from the opening tip, leading by as many as 29 points in the second half. Douglass coach Rodney Cofield said it was his team's best performance of the season to date.  

"I still think we got some growing to do," said Cofield. "We have some kids stepping up lately and hitting big for us."

Simms got the Gwynns Falls Parkway school off to a fast start with 10 first quarter points, and had three three-pointers. The Ducks have won three straight decisions since a 43-37 loss to two-time defending state Class 2A champ Randallstown in a rematch of last season's North Region championship game.

"Everytime we go against them, we want to play our best," said Simms, who was ejected in the fourth quarter of Douglass' game against Prince George's County champ Largo (Douglass won game). "We lost by six, and I thought if I'd played, we would have won."   

"He brings aggressiveness and can also shoot the 3, that gives us another dimension," said Cofield. "He also gets to the glass really well and rebounds the heck out of the ball. He gives us three or four dimensions that we don't have without him on the floor."

After being blown out by Digital Harbor early last month, the Ducks committed theirselves handling zone defenses. They picked apart Northwestern's 1-3-1 defense Tuesday with outside shooting, and played solid defense.

Simms started an 11-2 run in the third quarter with a three-pointer as the Ducks began pulling away at 42-27 midway. A follow up by Robert Eubanks gave Douglass a 51-34 advantage after three quarters. It was 73-44 in the final quarter after a layup by Dominick Lambert.

"I was just feeling it and came out with my A-game and so did the team,"  said Simms. "We could score at will, stopped them on defense and we produced after the stops. Everybody played their parts."
    
While Douglass relished its A-performance, Northwestern had another poor showing in its remodeled gymnasium. The closest the Wildcats got Tuesday was three points in the opening half as they suffered a second double-digit loss in three home dates.

"I feel like the New York Giants, my team is more focused on the road than in their own house," said Robertson referring the National Football League franchise which has won 10 consecutive road games to earn a spot in the Super Bowl. "We played hard, but not hard enough because Douglass got every loose ball. They showed that they wanted it more than us."

The Ducks will get a chance to atone for their worst showing Friday afternoon when they host No. 12 Digital Harbor. Simms said Douglass wanted to make a statement Tuesday.

"They got us last year and it went to down the wire," said Simms, whose team lost 60-52 last season to the Wildcats. "We got this one this year."

Douglass 73, Northwestern 47
Douglass: Strong 18, Simms 19, McCray 5, Gardner 2, Berry 15, Eubanks 6, Brewer 6, Lambert 2. Totals 24 16-26 73.
Northwestern: West 9, Brown 8, Brightful 8, Price 1, Lee 6, Willis 5, Banjoman 7, Brown 8, Garner 3. Totals 18 11-18 47. Halftime: Douglass 31, Northwestern 23.

Douglass             15 16 20 22-73
Northwestern       8 15 11 13-47