The Arabia Mountain Rams used a 12-0 second quarter run to take control on the way to a 41-27 win over Lithonia to take the DCSD Junior Varsity Boys’ Basketball Championship.
A 12-0 run in the second quarter put the Arabia Mountain Rams in control on the way to a 41-27 victory over the Lithonia Bulldogs to capture the 2023 DeKalb County Boys’ Basketball Championship at Miller Grove on Saturday.
Lithonia trailed 14-9 heading into the big second quarter and cut the lead to 14-12 on a basket and a one-for-two trip to the foul line by Phillip Howard with 6:08 left before the half.
Tristen Anderson answered for the Rams (12-1) on a layup off a nice pass underneath by Jibril Abdur-Rahman to kickstart the 12-0 run. Boubacar Bah got a turnover and pull up from eight feet and Jaden Ward pulled down an offensive rebound and put it back up to make it six points in a row for the Rams 22-12 lead.
Abdur-Rahman picked off a pass for a bucket and the following another Lithonia turnover he fed Bah for an easy layup. Anderson finished off the run with a drive to the basket to make it 26-12.
Arabia Mountain’s Boubacar Bah shoots for two of his thirteen points in the win over Lithonia. Bah was named the game’s MVP for his 13-point, 4-rebound performance. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Lithonia’s Daniel Weekes hit one of two from the line to make it 26-13 at the half in favor of the Rams.
Arabia Mountain opened the second half with a 7-1 spurt with Bah getting things started with a short turnaround, fade-away jumper. Ward followed with a three-pointer and Tommy Palmer took a pass from Kameron Gribble for a layup with 4:05 left in the period to make it a 33-14 game.
Howard and Bah traded baskets in the final two minutes as Arabia took a 35-16 lead into the fourth quarter.
Lithonia put together a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter once again Howard was the catalyst to kick it off. Roderick Sanders hit a three and Weekes added a layup to cut the margin to 39-25.
The two teams traded lead in the first quarter before Abdur-Rahman’s steal and basket with 1:56 left in the opening frame put Arabia ahead for good at 8-6.
Boubacar Bah finished with 13 points and 4 rebounds to be named the Most Valuable Player. Tristan Anderson finished with 4 points and 9 rebounds.
Lithonia (10-4) was led by Phillip Howard with 10 points and 7 rebounds.