CUMBERLAND — A sea of red painted the stands at Bob Kirk Arena on Tuesday, and Southern gave the partisan crowd plenty to cheer for.
The Rams’ defense executed the game-plan to perfection, holding down Smithsburg’s heralded guards, and their offense came to life with a 22-point third quarter to turn the game into a rout.
Abi Teets exploded for a career-high 16 points off the bench, powering top-seeded Southern to a 60-37 romp of fourth-seeded Smithsburg on Tuesday in the Class 1A state semifinals.
“I’m just so happy for our girls. They could not have performed defensively any better,” Southern head coach Landon Todd said. “With four minutes to go, Smithsburg had 28 (points) maybe. That’s a team that averages 58, with two girls with Division 1 talent. That’s just a huge credit to our defense.
“Credit to Abi Teets for having the game of her life in one of the biggest games of her life. She came to play.”
Southern (24-2) advances to play third-seeded Pikesville (23-3) in the state championship game on Saturday at noon at the University of Maryland in College Park.
The bout is a rematch of last year’s final when the Panthers won 48-39 for their fourth consecutive title.
Smithsburg was a worthy Final Four opponent on paper, led by its lanky guard duo of Skyla Mastronardi and Claire Bono, who both own multiple Division 1 offers — most notably from James Madison.
But Southern’s swarming defense limited the pair to just nine points through three quarters. Mastronardi caught fire in the fourth, scoring seven of her team-high 14 points in the period, but the Rams led by more than 20 at that point.
“Their pressure really affected the way we got into our offense, or didn’t get into our offense,” Smithsburg head coach Todd Bono said. “It created turnovers, forced and unforced. Their defense, their ability to rebound, crash the offensive glass, they got good looks at the basket, and they’re deep.
“They’re going to be a tough out in the finals.”
Teets was joined in double figures by Jayden Weaver with 13 points and Kelsey Ward with 10. Emelee Parks added nine.
Southern had a 22-8 advantage in bench points.
The Rams used their balanced offense to separate midway through the third period.
Parks, Weaver and Joycelyn and Kelsey Ward all hit from the field soon after halftime to push Southern’s lead to 19.
Smithsburg clawed to within 41-28 after a Jayda Tyler 3-pointer with 2:03 left in the third, but that’s the closest it’d be the rest of the way.
Weaver drilled a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left in the third, and, after a defensive stand, the sophomore guard buried a midrange jumper at the buzzer to cap a 7-0 run for a 48-28 edge.
Impressively, the Rams built that margin with their leading scorer Carly Wilt held scoreless to that point.
Teets picked up the slack with a career-high 16 points, scoring 10 more than her previous season-best. It was her first double-figure game of the season.
The officiating allowed for physical play, with only 16 fouls being called in the game and only three on Southern.
It was a game made for a scrappy player of Teets’ style.
“I felt it,” Teets said. “Offensively and defensively, I felt the (physicality). They were aggressive back, and you just had to play with the same aggressiveness back.”
Wilt, a 1,000-point scorer, sunk a jumper 44 seconds into the fourth quarter to get on the scoresheet, a bucket that fittingly came after a pair of offensive boards.
Southern was first to seemingly every 50-50 ball once it made its move in the third quarter.
“It all goes back to the Mountain Ridge game (in the region semifinals) where they killed us, 50-50 balls, offensive rebounds, just the physicality side of the basketball game,” Todd said.
“It’s been our eye-opener. … The girls continue to bring the fight to the other team.”
The Rams’ depth also came into play. Todd subbed early and often, and it appeared to wear on Smithsburg in the second half.
The Leopards, trying to find an answer against the Rams’ defense, moved Mastronardi off the ball in the second half, but it was much of the same.
“Usually when they pressure Skyla like that, I like her on the ball to create more,” coach Bono said. “We were trying anything at that point. Her and Claire (Bono) are both interchangeable.”
Claire Bono, who was in and out of the lineup after getting in early foul trouble, fouled out with 2:34 to play. She averages 14.6 points per game but ended with two.
A minute later, Southern emptied its bench and cruised to the finish line.
A 10-0 run spanning the first and second quarters and a strong finish to the half gave Southern a 26-16 halftime lead.
The Rams scored eight straight to take a 12-5 edge after a quarter. Weaver punctuated the period by stripping Mastronardi in the backcourt in the final seconds and scoring.
Bono picked up her second foul with 2:46 left in the first quarter and was in and out of the lineup the rest of the half.
Smithsburg’s Jill Malott hit a corner 3 to give the Leopards some life to get within 19-16 midway through the second period.
However, Todd took a timeout with 2:33 left in the half after a Weaver 3, and the Rams responded by scoring the half’s final four points for a double-digit edge.
Southern now turns to its shot at redemption in the state title game against Pikesville.
The Panthers won their semifinal 59-30 over second-seeded Forest Park on Tuesday at New Town High School.
“If there’s a team that wants to make sure they don’t get their fifth state title, it’s right here,” Todd said. “I’m glad Pikesville beat Forest Park because we want that chance to redeem ourselves.”