By Kyle Melnick
With 2.5 seconds remaining in one of the most exhausting games they have ever played, the Eleanor Roosevelt boys’ basketball players stood on the opposite side of the Xfinity Center court and watched teammate Gio Sanford shoot free throws.
They felt tense throughout Saturday night’s game, but when Sanford made a free throw, that all changed — Roosevelt’s players hugged and chest-bumped one another on the other end of the court. Moments later, Sanford sprinted over to hug his teammates as the bench stormed the court, a player hung on a rim and students threw rolls of toilet paper onto the floor.
In a Maryland 4A title game that became an instant classic, Roosevelt outlasted Churchill, 54-49, in double overtime. The Raiders, who had won the most recent 4A title in 2019, claimed their fifth state championship.
“I was worried what a year-and-a-half off would do,” Roosevelt Coach Brendan O’Connell told his players after the game. “The basketball program that has been built here has been a powerhouse, and you guys just kept it going.”
Back in 2019, Roosevelt closed a dominant season by routing Broadneckin the title game. Continue reading at The Washington Post.
Photo: Eleanor Roosevelt players hold the trophy high after they beat Churchill in double overtime Saturday in College Park. (Doug Kapustin for The Washington Post)
