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Langley seized control with a blistering first quarter and never let Oakton recover, rolling to a 54-37 victory Friday night, Feb. 28, for the Saxons’ first girls basketball region championship since 2017.
The title was the second in program history for Langley, which improved to 24-3 and extended its winning streak to 16 games. Oakton dropped to 23-5, but both teams advanced to the state tournament opening this week.
Oakton scored first in the 6D North Region championship game at Wakefield High School. Langley then surged ahead, building a 21-5 advantage by the end of the opening quarter.
Senior guard Anya Rahman powered the fast start, sinking three three-pointers and scoring 11 points in the first period. She added two more shots from beyond the arc in the second quarter, made her first seven attempts overall and finished with 19 points, four rebounds and three steals.
“We did what we have been doing for a while in this game by keeping things simple and sticking to our game plan,” Rahman said. “We trust each other, and this team has good chemistry.”
Rahman has scored more than 1,000 points during her high school career and will play at Carnegie Mellon University.
Langley carried a commanding 34-10 lead into halftime and remained comfortably in front, 43-27, after three quarters.
Freshman Alice Allen hit two three-pointers and contributed 15 points and three rebounds. Junior Maddie Shamloo recorded seven points and five assists, while freshman Mariah Armah added seven points and four rebounds. Senior forward Peyton Daley finished with six points, five rebounds and two assists.
“We played defense really well tonight,” Langley coach Amanda Baker said.
Oakton committed 13 turnovers during the first half and struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. Its 37 points marked a season low, and the loss ended a six-game winning streak.
Brooke Chang led the Cougars with 12 points and three rebounds. Jocelynn Kinlaw recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, Sophie Toole supplied eight points and three assists, and Bailey Zimmerman made two three-pointers while collecting six points, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Baker entered the season believing this Langley team could make a deep postseason run.
“I thought this team could be one of the best we’ve ever had,” she said. “Our players are so focused, have good chemistry. They play good defense and they do not panic in games.”
Langley completes unbeaten region run
The Saxons went 3-0 in regional play. They opened with a 61-44 victory over Madison before defeating defending champion Centreville 54-47 in the semifinals.
Allen scored 20 points and made two steals against Madison. Rahman hit three three-pointers and finished with 17 points, while Daley produced 11 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Armah added 11 points, six rebounds and five steals, and Shamloo handed out five assists.
Armah led the semifinal victory with 20 points and three steals. Allen had 15 points, four rebounds and two steals; Rahman recorded nine points and three steals; and Daley collected two points and seven rebounds.
Baker credited freshmen Allen and Armah with making the offense more balanced and dangerous, reducing the scoring burden on Rahman and making it harder for opponents to focus their defenses on her.
Oakton reached the final after two comeback victories. The Cougars beat Yorktown 49-43 in the opening round, then edged Chantilly 38-37 when Kinlaw made two free throws with two seconds remaining in the semifinal.
Before regional play, Oakton captured its 21st Concorde District championship, while Langley won the Liberty District tournament.
The Cougars have now finished as the region runner-up for three consecutive seasons. Oakton last won the region championship—its seventh—in 2016.