By Chris Stevens, Editor
There were times during Saturday night’s DIAA boys’ basketball state championship game that looked like the big trophy would be just beyond No. 2 seed Dover’s grasp.
Of course Dorell Little Jr. and Denim Perkins reached out and grabbed the trophy for the Senators, scoring 47 of the team’s 56 points in a 56-53 win over Salesianum to give Dover High their first boys’ basketball state championship.
“It feels great. The alums had our back so it was good to win this one for them,” said Little, who finished with a game-high 31 points.
“Words can’t describe how I feel right now,” said Perkins, who filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds. “This is big for everybody.”
“It hasn’t had a chance to soak in yet,” admitted Senators head coach Stephen Wilson. “But this is what I dreamed of; my team celebrating, our fans celebrating, my family celebrating. I’m just very pleased with the way things turned out this season.”
The Senators, who finished the season 23-2, rallied behind Little and Perkins, who scored 32 of Dover’s 33 second half points – only a Tarrance Williams free throw late accounted for another Dover point.
“The coaches had the trust in us to put the team on our back,” said Little, who put on a scoring exhibition after missing his first eight shots. “It was the last game of the season, we had to go out fighting.”
“We said if we’re going to lose, we’re going to lose on our terms,” added Perkins. “We just had to step up and play how we’re capable of playing.”
“I told them at halftime, ‘We win it with you two,'” Wilson said.
Salesianum (15-9) led by as many as 11 points (20-9) after a Luke Brown three-pointer three minutes into the second quarter, but Perkins and Little used their grit to put a 14-7 run together to end the first half only down four points.
Dover finally caught up to Sals after a Perkins drive and scoop shot to give them a 38-37 lead and after Sals scored on their possession, Little went right and banked a shot off the glass for a 40-39 Senator lead after three.
Salesianum led by four points after an R.J. Johnson basket with 4-plus minutes to go, but a Perkins layup and two baskets by Little gave Dover a 50-48 lead. Justin Hinds scored on a putback to tie the game at 50, but Little scored the go-ahead basket on the next possession.
After Williams’ free throw made it 53-50 Dover, Kareem Thomas (Sals’ leading scorer with 18 points) got free for a tying three-point attempt in the right corner, but Little blocked it. After a Little free throw, Thomas’ finger roll spun off the rim and Perkins grabbed the rebound. He was fouled and made both shots. Thomas’ buzzer-beating three pointer wasn’t enough and the Senators had their long-awaited championship.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game, but it didn’t have to be,” Wilson said. “We just needed to have one more point than them. We proved we’re the best team in the state today.”
