The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons were in control for three-and-a-half quarters of Thursday’s Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association regional semifinal basketball game against fourth-seeded Quince Orchard High from Gaithersburg.
With less than 20 seconds left, the Barons were clinging to a three-point lead in their own gym in Bethesda and senior Zamir Brown, who had yet to score a point all game, had two attempts at the free-throw line.
The first clanked off the rim.
With supporters from both teams cheering at maximum volume, Brown swished home the second free throw, his only point of the game, clinching what became a 45-43 victory and a spot in the 4A West II Regional Final for the second-seeded Barons.
“I knew the second one was going in when it left my fingertips,” Brown said.
In its own unique way, Brown’s lone offensive contribution in Thursday’s game was a moment of culmination. By his own admission, he was the team’s least reliable free-throw shooter last season. After a summer spent training with both college and professional athletes, fixating on improvement from the free-throw line, he converted on a crucial free-throw in a moment packed with pressure.
“We need him in there [in] late-game situations because he is a good free-throw shooter and he has that experience, having been through the playoffs before,” Bethesda-Chevy Chase head coach Sean Tracy said.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase will be the road team for the March 5 regional final against Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High, the No. 1 seed in the 4A West II bracket.
These two teams split a pair of regular season matchups. On Jan. 12, Walt Whitman defended its own home court with a 58-53 victory. Bethesda-Chevy Chase took the second game 74-62 on Feb. 16.
“It’s going to be a tough game, a rivalry game, so I’m looking forward to it,” Tracy said. “It’s going to be a great game, we just got to execute the game plan and we should be fine.”
The regional semifinal was the second consecutive game the Barons relied on free-throws in a pivotal spot to escape with a victory. In the Montgomery County Championship game on Feb. 23 against Rockville’s Magruder High, Nate Bromberger converted a pair from the line with 20.8 seconds in the fourth quarter to push the game to overtime. Bethesda-Chevy Chase outscored Magruder by 10 in the extra period, winning its first county championship.
The Barons have an eight-game winning streak, last losing Jan. 29 against Burtonsville’s Paint Branch High. Bethesda-Chevy Chase is undefeated this season in five games decided by less than two possessions or that go to overtime.
“In situations like this, in the county championship it was close. We were able to come together, get stops, hit free throws and win the game,” Brown said. “I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Bethesda-Chevy Chase dominated the opening minutes of the game Thursday. On the game’s first possession, center Adam Strong-Jacobson gathered his own offensive rebound and earned a trip to the line on the follow-up attempt, setting the tone for the first quarter.
The 6-foot-6 center had seven points, including a buzzer-beater, during the opening quarter as the Barons opened up a 17-6 lead.
“Getting off to a good start gives you a little bit of cushion,” Tracy said. “Not that we were looking to relax, but it just gives you a little bit of room for error, which we needed apparently.”
Bethesda-Chevy Chase largely maintained its double-digit advantage until the final quarter.
A string of turnovers, fouls and a couple empty possessions brought the difference to a single possession in the waning moments of the game. However, Brown’s free-throw silenced any chance of a comeback.
Quince Orchard scored a consolation basket in the final seconds, but when the buzzer sounded moments later, it was the Barons who met at midcourt to celebrate victory.
“We have really good chemistry, we’re a great group,” Brown said. “We’ve been around each other for a while. I think it’s good we’re able to come together and close games when the time is needed.”
The Barons were led by Lucas Allen and Strong-Jacobson paced the team in scoring with 15 and 13 respectively, while Josiah Teasley led Quince Orchard with 19 points.
Bethesda-Chevy Chase has escaped with a pair of statement wins in the past week. If the Barons earn a third against Walt Whitman on March 5, it will mark the program’s first regional title since the 2014-2015 school year.
“I think we’re just able to get things done throughout a lot of games,” Strong-Jacobson said. “Just being clutch, hitting big shots in big moments, that experience carries over to the playoffs and has prepared us to do big things in big moments.”