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McLean entered its final Liberty District test with a perfect 5-0 league record, but a decisive Yorktown run after halftime helped the Patriots secure a 45-36 victory.

The Highlanders hoped to disrupt a Yorktown program that had controlled the district for the previous two years.

“We have been practicing for this game and want to come out hard and fast to catch them on their toes,” senior JW Riggins said.

Neither team found much separation early. Yorktown held an 11-9 advantage late in the first quarter, and McLean missed an opportunity to tie or take the lead on the final possession.

The back-and-forth struggle continued in the second quarter. Senior forward Roman Ludwikowski powered McLean inside, repeatedly scoring against Yorktown’s defenders.

A late three-pointer gave the Highlanders a lift before halftime, but Yorktown still carried an 18-17 lead into the break.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted too; we got complacent,” Riggins said. “We weren’t scoring where we needed too and had got sloppy.”

The game shifted sharply at the start of the third quarter. McLean’s unforced errors fueled a 12-0 Yorktown run as the Highlanders struggled to generate offense.

Head coach Mike O’Brien responded with a dramatic lineup change, replacing an all-senior group with five sophomores. The younger players provided an immediate spark and helped bring McLean back into contention.

The starters later returned, and the Highlanders trimmed Yorktown’s lead to 34-29 by the end of the quarter.

The teams resumed trading baskets in the fourth. Yorktown began creating distance late, but consecutive three-pointers from Ludwikowski and senior guard Nick Karageorgos cut the deficit to 39-35.

McLean scored only one more point. A deep Yorktown three forced the Highlanders to foul in the closing minutes, and the Patriots finished with a nine-point win.

“We came into this game without the readiness that we needed,” sophomore guard Max Liu said. “We weren’t ready for the physicality that Yorktown brought to the game.”

The loss dropped McLean to 5-1 in the Liberty District and 7-10 overall. The Highlanders remain well positioned in district play, but their attention now turns to protecting the ball and matching their early success when the playoffs arrive.

“We’re looking ahead to being able to handle pressure better,” Liu said. “We have to make sure we are safer with the ball and taking better care of it.”