Darnell Dantzler Jr. takes over for No. 2 Edmondson boys basketball in 58-49 win over Dunbar
One of Darnell “DJ” Dantzler Jr.’s best attributes playing for Edmondson boys basketball is his lightning speed.
The All-Metro junior point guard has shown he can take over a game just as fast, with Dunbar the latest team to find out Thursday. The visiting Poets were matching the No. 2 Red Storm point for point midway through the fourth quarter before Dantzler found another gear.
Two 3-pointers came 35 seconds apart. A steal led to another point at the free throw line and then a crafty assist to a teammate. Edmondson’s nine unanswered points came in a little more than a minute, paving the way for a 58-49 win over Dunbar in Baltimore City League play.
Dantzler finished with 15 points, while 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Chase Foster scored 13 points, dominated the boards and blocked shots. The Red Storm improved to 8-1 on the season, while Dunbar fell to 6-2.
“We came out slow so I felt I owed it to my team and owed it to myself to come out and make big shots at the end,” Dantzler said. “We lost to Dunbar last year, so we didn’t want to go back to that moment and we came together and fought through the adversity.”
The Poets, playing strong zone defense and controlling the tempo for chunks of the game, didn’t make it easy for the defending Class 1A state champions.
A 3-pointer by Todd Taylor at the first-half buzzer gave the visitors a 24-20 lead. Then the Red Storm appeared primed to pull away late in the third quarter when Xavier Davis (11 points) scored five straight points and Foster added two free throws to build the game’s biggest lead to that point at 35-28 with 2:35 to play in the frame.
The Poets weren’t deterred. They closed the quarter on an 8-0 run, with Khalil Montgomery converting a three-point play with two seconds left to give Dunbar a 36-35 advantage entering the fourth.
Early in the quarter, Foster helped the Red Storm keep pace with a tough fadeaway jumper followed by a thundering dunk off a pass from Dantzler. With the game tied at 42 midway through the quarter, Dantzler took hold and didn’t let go.
“Dunbar played well and it’s always a rivalry game, so they always play us real hard,” Edmondson coach Darnell Dantzler Sr. said. “DJ hit some big shots down the stretch and Chase played real big and that’s what it’s all about. Basketball is about a bunch of spurts and then who’s going to make plays and who’s going to want it at the end.”
Tyler Taylor led the Poets with 12 points, while Montgomery scored 11 and Todd Taylor added nine.
Dunbar coach Dana Johnson saw well-executed play at both ends from her team until the all-important end.
“In the fourth quarter when it was tight, we lost our composure and started doing things we didn’t do in the first three quarters. Turning over the ball. Not talking and rotating on defense. Taking bad shots. We lost our composure and that’s what happens,” she said. “But it’s part of our growth and we have to play games like this to get to where we want to go. Our goal is to get to College Park. So I’ll take this one because it’s going to prepare us for what our end goal is.”
Both teams will play in Saturday’s Baltimore Hoops Festival at St. Frances. Dunbar takes on Glenelg Country at 3:30 p.m. with Edmondson facing the host Panthers at 9 p.m.
D — To. Taylor 9, Ty. Taylor 12, Suite 6, Montgmery 11, Collins 8, Ellis 2, Presely 1. Totals: 19 6-9 49
E — Dantzler Jr. 15, Foster 13, Brown 4, M. Davis 7, X. Davis 11, Sherrod 1, Stepney 5, Price 2. Totals: 18 18-26 58
Halftime: D, 24-20