Johnson's Layup Is Golden Ticket For Prince George's Men's Basketball In Double-Overtime Thrilling Victory Against CCBC Catonsville

LARGO, Md. – The game was on PGCCTV, but if ESPN would have been broadcasting the game it might be considered an instant classic. On a night where Prince George's Community College was celebrating 50 years of athletics and the squad unveiled its commemorative gold jerseys, sophomore Mykal Johnson (Seat Pleasant, Md./Charles H. Flowers) ended a double-overtime thriller by scoring the final three points of the game to lift Prince George's past CCBC Catonsville 106-103 in Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference (MD JUCO) men's basketball action on Wednesday.

After the Cardinals tied the game at 103 with 86 seconds left, Johnson scored in the lane with 51 ticks left to give the Owls (8-4, 1-2 MD JUCO) the lead it would not relinquish. James Hagins (Roanoke, Va./William H. Fleming) then corralled a defensive rebound on a missed CCBC Catonsville 3-point attempt and Johnson made the front end of two charity tosses with 16 seconds remaining. A 3-point attempt by the Cardinals for the tie did not fall and Gus Stone (Baltimore, Md./North County) pulled in the carom as time expired to clinch the victory. 

Stone paced the Largo program with a career-high 33 points along with seven rebounds and three assists. The sophomore went 9-for-17 from the floor and 15 of 18 from the free throw line to notch his first career 30-point performance. Stone, who has six 20-point games this season and 13 for his career, has scored double figures for the 10th time this season.

Johnson added 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Owls. The sophomore has registered 20 points in three of his last four games, four times this season and 16 times in his career.

It was also a career night for Hagins, who finished the game with a career-best 23 points and 15 rebounds. The sophomore demolished his career best of 14 points with his first career 20-point performance and registered his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career. Hagins also added five rejections on the night. Kennith Ford (Pleasantville, Md./Friendship Collegiate Prep) chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds in the winning effort.

CCBC Catonsville held a 38-34 lead at halftime and extended its advantage to 58-46 with 11:50 remaining. With 9:39 left, the Cardinals held a 62-54 lead before the Largo program went on an 18-5 run to take a 72-67 advantage with 5:46 left. Johnson and Hagins sparked the surge with a combined 13 points.

Prince George's would extend the lead to 80-74 with 1:47 left in regulation after a pair of Stone free throws, but the Cardinals scored nine of the final 12 points in the period including the game-tying trey with 16 ticks on the clock. Stone had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his jumper missed as time ran out.

In the first overtime, Johnson handed the Owls an 86-83 lead with 2:26 left after two charity tosses. CCBC Catonsville scored the next four points to take an 87-86 edge before Stone tied the game with a free throw with 1:44 on the clock. The Cardinals went up four points with 39 seconds left, but Ford scored in the lane with 27 second left and Stone converted two at the line with 19 seconds left to even the score at 91. CCBC Catonsville this time had a chance to win in the waning seconds of the period, but missed a 3-pointer to send the game to double OT.

The two teams traded the lead six times and was tied four times before Johnson scored in the lane and converted a free throw to prove to be the difference in the contest.

The game was a part of the Prince George's athletics 50th Anniversary celebration and the squad unveiled commemorative gold jerseys with the letters PGCC on the chest for the game.

Prince George's returns to the hardwood at Chesapeake on Dec. 14. Game time is 7 p.m.