It’s been nearly three years since the Eleanor
Roosevelt Raiders boys basketball team blitzed the Broadneck Bruins, 77-48, for the 2019 Maryland 4A state championship and the Raiders are still the defending state champions. The coronavirus pandemic erased the 2020 state playoffs and the entire 2021 season, and
Roosevelt is now looking to defend its crown. The Raiders lean on a strong senior class who gained valuable experience as sophomores until the 2020 season ended before it could finish.
Therefore, their 79-57 triumph over the Wise Pumas in the opening round of the state playoffs on February 28 came as no surprise. Senior James Rice – who finished with 25 points – electrified a crowd (limited due to Covid-19 restrictions) with four straight-made three pointers in the first quarter. Rice coolly cashed in three catch-and-shoot threes; he gathered a pass two feet inside the three-point arc after a Wise turnover, pulled his dribble backwards and sunk a step-back three, resulting in a Wise timeout and a euphoric reaction from the Roosevelt student section. Classmate Carlos Kinard followed Rice in the scoring column as the Raiders jumped to leads of 44-29 at halftime and 63-37 at the end of the third quarter before the starters rested on the bench in celebration for the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Roosevelt carries the region’s number-two seed after splitting their regular season series with the archrival Bowie Bulldogs, who defeated the Raiders with a buzzer beater on Valentine’s Day. Roosevelt returned the favor with a home victory the following evening in a game that started as a defensive struggle before the Raiders separated themselves in the second half, following a strong performance behind 6′7″ forward Jaylin Payne. Their tiebreaking playoff rematch is scheduled for Wednesday, March 2 at Bowie. Last Wednesday, February 23, Roosevelt lost another close contest in the county championship game. The Douglass Eagles overcame the Raiders, 63-61, in double overtime – the last game before the start of playoffs. After dealing with injuries throughout the season, the Raiders are as healthy as they have been, especially happy to have the return of junior point guard Bryson Whitley, a calming presence for their offense.
Lady Raiders
As for the Lady Raiders, they have endured growing pains with a largely new roster from two seasons ago. Sameera Smith, a four-year varsity player, is the go-to scorer, while classmate Jahnaiya Sutherland is a reliable defender and rebounder. Additionally, junior Ariana Phillips has stepped into a more prominent role after recovering from an ACL tear as a freshman. The Lady Raiders enjoyed back-to-back victories over the Bowie Bulldogs on February 14 and February 15. Coach Delton Fuller’s squad has demonstrated growth throughout the year; an early season matchup with C.H. Flowers resulted in a blowout loss for the Lady Raiders, but in their second meeting, Roosevelt led Flowers at halftime.
Their state playoff run begins with a contest against the Suitland Rams on Tuesday, March 1; with a win, the Lady Raiders would play again on Thursday, March 3, where they may face the Flowers Jaguars for a third time. Roosevelt will look to their state championship pedigree – with titles in 2018, 2015, 2014 and a five-peat from 2005-2009 – to guide their playoff journey.