By Phil Murphy
DigitalSports.com
For ALL highlights and video interviews, visit Basketball Sports Central for Girls or Boys.
GIRLS
Langley 45, McLean 38 (OT)
Langley freshman center Audrey Dotson and McLean senior forward Rebecca Altmeyer battled for the entirety of Friday night’s opening game of the doubleheader between the two McLean-based high schools. In the end, it was Dotson’s game-high 17 points that edged Altmeyer’s team-high 15; and the Saxons who outlasted the Highlanders, 45-38, in overtime.
“It was really competitive because we were both straight up on each other and we both were trying not foul each other,” Altmeyer said. “But as you can tell we couldn’t really stop each other — it was a really tight battle.”
Langley (3-2) led 22-19 at half time, but the two teams combined for just 10 total points in the third quarter, including just one field goal in the frame’s first seven minutes. The margin was still three in favor of the Saxons after three quarters, and never grew in the fourth quarter.
Tied at 34 with 1 minute, 30 seconds remaining, Altmeyer put the Highlanders (3-3) in front with a basket. She was fouled on the play, but her free throw rimmed out and the Saxons made the most of their opportunity to even the score. Senior guard Kate Hansan hit Dotson with a pinpoint entry pass, and the freshman center coolly made the lay-in to knot the score again at 36.
On the defensive end, Dotson rejected Altmeyer’s would-be, go-ahead jumper with seconds remaining to force overtime.
“[Altmeyer] is really, really good,” Dotson said. “She was doing a great job of sealing me, so I couldn’t get around. She is really strong, but I kept pushing and pushing. But she is awesome.”
On Langley’s first possession of the extra period, Dotson was left alone with the ball on the perimeter and — after some coaxing from the saturated Saxon cheering section — shot and hit a three-pointer to spark a decisive, 7-0 run.
“At first when I shot it, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what did I just do?’ ” Dotson said. “But it turned the game around, I think. It got us the momentum back.”
Langley never looked back.
The Saxons will play in the Bookjammin’ Tournament at Flint Hill over the winter break, opening against Robinson at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. McLean, meanwhile, hopes to end its two-game losing skid in the Cougar Invitational at Oakton. The Highlanders’ first opponent is West Potomac, who they will face at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday.
BOYS
McLean 50, Langley 48
McLean baseball Coach John Thomas said during half time of the Highlanders’ boys’ varsity basketball game at Langley that the game was, “the closest, non-close game I have ever seen.” That might not make much sense to those not in attendence — but to those who witnessed the second segment of Friday’s varsity double-header between these two rivals it was the perfect description.
That’s because the Highlanders had just turned a 12-point, second-quarter deficit into a two-point game at half time thanks in large part to McLean junior guard Peter Brosnan’s five points in the final :11.3 seconds. The last three of those came on a mid-court heave from the hip that somehow found the bottom of the net as the horn sounded.
And that was not his biggest shot of the night.
After a lay-up by Langley junior guard Barrett Hunter had put the Saxons ahead, 48-47, with just seconds remaining in the game, Brosnan sank another three-pointer — this one from the baseline — to give McLean back the lead at 50-48 with time apparently run out.
“As a kid, I knew I would be going to McLean and I knew about the big McLean-Langley rivalry,” Brosnan said. “I always thought about what it would be like to hit a big three to win the game.
“It’s nothing like imagined. It’s awesome … I’m just kind of in shock right now.”
When McLean’s fans tried to storm the court, though, they were re-directed back into the stands. Langley Head Coach Travis Hess had called a time out immediately after Brosnan’s shot — and the game was not yet over.
First-year Highlanders’ Coach Kevin Roller directed his team to foul, as they were still under the limit and could run a few more seconds off of the clock by doing so. The foul was whistled just before Saxon senior forward Ryan Davenport hit a half-court shot of his own that sent the Langley supporters into a frenzy.
The officials convened again and ruled, correctly, that the foul had come before the shot attempt, leaving Langley to inbound the ball — again — with :1.7 seconds remaining.
“I was anxious,” Brosnan said. “I just wanted the buzzer to go off and see zeroes on the clock so I could go to the locker room and just be happy.”
Langley had one more shot at a half-court heave, but Davenport could not recreate the magic of moments prior as his second long ball missed, propelling McLean to a 50-48 win.
“We have to forget about this,” Highlander senior guard Peter Kanellias said. “We have to practice hard tomorrow, practice hard Monday … forget about the past and keep getting wins.”
Kanellias, among McLean’s leading scorers on the season, recorded all 12 of his points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter. His three-pointers on back-to-back possessions with just under three minutes left effectively countered the heroics of Davenport (game-high 21 points) and kept the Highlanders in striking distance.
The Highlanders (3-3) are winners of three straight and will host the McLean Holiday Tournament next week. McLean will open against Fairfax at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Langley (4-1) must re-group quickly as it travels to the west coast to play in the elite Torrey Pines Holiday Classic that features 55 teams from nine states and Canada. The Saxons open against Ponderosa (Shingle Springs, Ca.) at 7 p.m. (Pacific Time) Wednesday at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, Ca.
For ALL highlights and video interviews, visit Basketball Sports Central for Girls or Boys.
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