Edgewood boys basketball outplays Bel Air from start to finish in 65-25 blowout
Jan. 11—By Sam Cohn — scohn@baltsun.com
PUBLISHED:January 11, 2024 at 7:35 p.m.| UPDATED:January 16, 2024 at 12:13 p.m.
Breaking out of the huddle at the three-minute mark of the first quarter, Edgewood coach Terry Maczko drew up a simple sideline out-of-bounds set for the shot clock's waning ticks. Daniel Zipper caught the ball from the wing while a down screen freed up Sean Kellum in the left corner.
When Kellum's 3-pointer dropped through the net, back over at the Rams bench, Maczko turned back with a bit of finesse in his step offering a fist pump like Tiger Woods sinking an improbable putt.
It put Edgewood up 11-0. Host Bel Air wouldn't score a single point for the game's first 7 minutes, 45 seconds.
It was clear from the game's opening minutes, and by that after-timeout set, that this matchup would chart only one course: a 65-25 blowout.
"We came out ready to play," Mazcko said. "We haven't had the greatest of seasons so far. ... We're just talking about trying to stack better games."
A four-game losing slump from mid-December through the new year dug Edgewood into a well. Taking a positive reframe, a second win in a row — The Rams edged out Harford Tech on Jan. 5 before Thursday's dominant showing — could provide a spark of confidence. With that being said, "We won. Now we're 4-6. Big whoop. ... And we have Patterson Mill tomorrow night; that won't be easy," Mazcko reminded.
Edgewood made its living with a firm grip around Bel Air's backcourt, forcing a slew of turnovers before the Bobcats could advance the ball much beyond half court. Steals turned into transition buckets.
The adage, "a good defense is the best offense," rang true for the Rams, suffocating a reeling Bel Air team.
"We press. That's what we do," Mazcko said. "We're trying to create turnovers to get layups."
Bobcats coach Brian Jagdman jokingly asked Mazcko pregame what kind of defense Edgewood might throw at them. It doesn't require deep film study to find that's the Rams' calling card. Eliminating fast-break points alone would have kept the game competitive.
When it wasn't a poked ball or intercepted pass turned up the floor, Edgewood settled into its ever-evolving offense. Its ability to execute sets by way of efficient screen setting like that sideline play gave Mazcko a sense of relief in his team's progress after 10 games.
"We probably had half a dozen pick-and-rolls for layups," the third-year coach said. "If we don't get anything on the press, we have to run a set to get someone as easy a shot as possible. Tonight, we did that. I don't care who you're playing, if you hold a team to 25 points, you're doing something right."
Senior guard Jahmir Torres and junior forward Jaydon White led the Rams with 14 points each. Neither were needed on the floor beyond the third quarter. Kellum was next with 11 in the win.
Bel Air, meanwhile, struggled to string together anything productive. The Bobcats beat themselves with turnovers and listless defense. Jagdman and assistant coach Sean Simmons each dejectedly pointed to the basics following the loss.
"What you saw tonight is not the team that we are," Simmons said.
Bel Air underwent a shakeup less than two weeks ago with longtime coach Alex Darko stepping down after taking a new outside job, making it tough to juggle both responsibilities. Jagdman and Simmons have had limited practice time in their new roles but were adamant postgame about looking forward to a hard culture reset.
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