By Chris Stevens, Editor
Jezelle Banks was sensational all afternoon during Saturday’s DIAA girls’ basketball state championship game against Caravel, so it was fitting the game was literally in her hands at the end.
Banks hit the second of two free throws with 1.9 seconds left and a desperation heave by Caravel fell short in a 49-48 Raider triumph, the 18th state title in the program’s illustrious history and the first in the Banks and Taylor Brown era.
“I had total trust in my teammates on that last play,” said Banks, who finished with a game-high 29 points. “I knew Jaz [Wesley] was long enough to make that second pass and Emma [Anthony] making that first pass with a smart mindset. It was a lot going through my brain, but I knew I was either going to make it or get fouled.”
“We wanted to see how Caravel would defend out of the time-out,” Raiders head coach John Noonan explained of the play that led to Banks’ winning foul shot. “I wanted to give the kids ownership. I asked Jaz ‘Can you make that catch?’ She said yes. I said ‘Emma, can you make that pass?’ She said yes and GG said ‘I want the ball.’ We call it ‘Green,’ we practice it, and it works.”
Leading up to “Green,” Ursuline (17-6) and Caravel (19-4) traded punches like two heavyweight fighters going 12 rounds. The Bucs led 14-12 after one thanks to three-pointers from Anaya Price (team-high 19 points) and Jasiyah Crawford. Banks and Brown countered with a 16-point second quarter to pull even at 28 at the half.
Banks scored or assisted on every third quarter basket for Ursuline, including two incredible no-look passes to Brown and Olivia O’Hara to cling to a scant 39-38 lead going into the 4th.
Caravel took their final lead on a Speedy Wilson jumper with 2:24 to go. That lead was short lived as Banks fired another pass to an open O’Hara under the basket to tie it at 48. Caravel wanted to hold for the last shot, but turned the ball over, leading to the three-step play that got Banks a look at the rim. She was fouled and missed the first free throw, but made the second.
Price’s last second heave was off the mark and the team of the future officially became the team of today with a championship.
“We were kind of down after losing to Sanford and Caravel, but we knew we could beat them when it counted,” said Brown, who finished with 16 points.
“I knew we weren’t losing this year,” added Banks. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the tunnel and off the court, but we stayed focused, we locked in and that’s why we’re cutting down the nets.”
