Article Text
McLean stayed within striking distance of rival Langley through three quarters on Jan. 22, but a costly scoring drought in the fourth sent the Highlanders to a 50-40 road loss.
The defeat was McLean’s second in a row following a loss to Yorktown. The Highlanders entered the highly anticipated matchup with a 5-1 district record.
Senior forward Roman Ludwikowski gave McLean a quick start, winning the opening tip and scoring a layup. Langley soon seized control with nine unanswered points, building a 9-2 lead with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
After Ludwikowski was called for traveling, McLean stopped the Saxons at the other end. Jake Bell then ended the Highlanders’ scoring drought with a floater.
Langley stretched its advantage to 13-6 before McLean rallied. Senior guard Nick Karageorgos sank a 3-pointer, and a forced turnover led to another Ludwikowski layup that narrowed the margin to 13-11.
With Langley ahead 15-13 late in the quarter, Karageorgos created another turnover. JW Riggins missed a 3-point attempt, but Karageorgos collected the rebound and drew a foul with less than a second left. He made one of two free throws, leaving McLean down 15-14 after the opening period.
“We knew we had to start strong,” Riggins said. “We were happy with how we were playing after the first quarter, even after the slow start.”
The teams continued exchanging baskets in the second quarter, with McLean moving ahead 23-22 with four minutes left in the half. Both offenses then stalled amid a string of turnovers and traveling violations.
Ludwikowski finally broke the drought by completing a three-point play with two minutes remaining. McLean carried a 26-25 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter remained tight, although turnovers continued to disrupt the Highlanders’ offense. With about 10 seconds left, Langley missed a shot but recovered the ball under the basket and converted a layup. The second-chance score gave the Saxons a 36-33 lead entering the final period.
“We were down but not out,” senior guard Logan Baldrate said. “We knew if we wanted to come out with the win, it had to be our best quarter yet.”
Instead, McLean went scoreless for the first four and a half minutes of the fourth quarter. Langley used the opening to establish a 43-33 advantage and maintained a lead near double digits for the rest of the game.
“The loss was obviously disappointing,” Riggins said. “But we still have a good district record, and a long season ahead of us.”
McLean will try to end its two-game skid at Herndon on Jan. 27.
“We know we can play better than we did today,” Riggins said. “It’s just a matter of staying consistent in practice, and the results will follow.”