At the conclusion of Saturday’s Maryland 2A state championship game against Carver Vo-Tech at the University of Maryland’s Xfinity Center, Ward’s final celebration was the one he’ll remember most. The 6-foot-8 junior buried his face in the shoulder of teammate Maleik Bias as his teammates swarmed around them, setting off a raucous celebration as the final buzzer sounded.
Ward finished with a game-high 29 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and six blocks in a 66-52 win, making up for a loss to New Town in last year’s state championship game on the same court.
“Last year … we didn’t have a smile on our face,” Ward said. “The whole summer, the whole preseason that was our goal, we’ve got to get back here and win and that’s what we did.”
A year ago, Ward lay face down on the Xfinity Center court, shrouded by his teammates who consoled him after their surprising state championship run fell just short of completion. The Lions (25-2) walked into this season knowing they were one of the favorites in the 2A classification, and they entered Saturday’s title game having won their previous two state tournament games, against Thomas Stone and C.M. Wright, by double-digits.
Led by Ward, that roll continued in the first half against the Bears (21-6). Ward started the game by grabbing a rebound, swishing a three-pointer and drawing a defensive charge, helping his team to a three-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
By halftime, Ward had already racked up 11 points, eight rebounds and five blocks as the Lions led by four. Both teams upped their scoring in a back-and-forth third quarter, but Ward and the Lions never let the lead slip out of their grasp.
“We handled business, we trusted each other,” Ward said. “[There’s] been times where we’re not always on the same page, but when it came down to it, we were the last team standing, so at the end of the day, we’re the state champs.”
Minutes later, Ward stood in a line with his teammates — many of whom he grew up playing youth basketball with in Prince George’s County — as each of the Lions received their state championship medal at center court. Ward looked down at the gold medal around his neck and smiled, his season-long goal of leading his team to the peak of Maryland public school basketball complete.