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GREENBELT – In Day 2 of the inaugural Prince George’s Challenge, the Bladensburg High School boys basketball team simply outplayed Friendly High School in every facet of the game, cruising to a comfortable 66-56 win on Jan. 26 at Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Forward Aman Measho recorded a double-double, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead Bladensburg over Friendly. Measho impressed the crowd with his ability to shoot off the dribble with his six-foot-nine frame. The junior lauded his teammates and coaches for trusting in his skills as a scorer and playmaker.
“My teammates trust me. My coaches you know, in practice, it’s great. They trust me a lot,” Measho said.
Friendly started on fire, and could not miss. Layups, floaters, 3-pointers, free throws and so forth connected to give the Patriots a 22-17 lead after the first. But from there, Bladensburg turned up the tempo and rallied back, outscoring Friendly, 22-10 in the second to hold a 39-32 lead at halftime.
The rebounding, suffocating defensive traps and foul-drawing enabled the Mustangs to gain and retain control of the game for the final three quarters.
Sophomore guard Damion Harris recorded 15 points, five rebounds and three steals to help Bladensburg take home the win.
Since winning their season opener, the Mustangs (5-9) struggled with finding any rhythm or consistency. This win, they hope, will be the start of a strong regular-season finish.
Head Coach Antonio Williams said depth was a significant part of the win and was glad to have his team participate in the inaugural tournament, which was presented by the Prince George’s Basketball Coaches Association.
“The key was buying in. The coaches always elaborate on that in practice,” Measho said. “The win was big…We needed this win. It was a hostile environment, but [I have] great teammates, a great coaching staff, and that’s what I like about it.”
Guard Noah Campbell scored a team-high 17 to lead Friendly, which falls to 6-7 on the season. Senior Demond Cook added 11 points and three boards for the Patriots.