On Jan. 5, the McLean Highlanders varsity boys basketball team defeated the Chantilly Chargers 68-48 with a small but lively student section dressed in all gray.
“The team had been rolling off of the last few wins before the game,” junior Isaac Bell said. “We were confident going in and came out strong.”
The Highlanders started out the game with high intensity, as Bell won the tip off and the offense kept the Chargers on their heels for the early stages. McLean kept a fast-paced offense as well as an aggressive and lively defense, forcing Chantilly’s half-court offense into a jumbled mess.
Within the first eight minutes of the game, the Highlanders had several fast breaks. One play drew the student section into a frenzy, in which senior Davis Sawyer stole the ball from a Charger and passed it up to senior Daniel Fimbres, who made the layup while drawing a foul for an and-one.
Scrambling to close the gap McLean had created, Chantilly’s offense only declined as the end of the quarter drew near, with plenty of incomplete passes and failed shot attempts. McLean used the offensive ineptitude to their advantage, with players like Sawyer snagging rebounds from the Charger’s missed shots to fuel the Highlander’s offense and ending the first quarter with a strong 17 point lead of 22-5.
Coming into the second quarter, Chantilly’s overall control and accuracy improved. Junior Hershey Samala for the Chargers was able to drain back-to-back three-pointers, which heightened the team’s fervor.
However, it was not enough to hold down the Highlanders, as they continued with their intense pressure on both sides of the ball. Along with drawing multiple fouls from Chantilly’s defense and making the consequent free throws, Fimbres was able to steal the ball from Samala during the tail end of the first half and make a fast break for an easy layup.
Though the Chargers were clearly gaining their footing after their disaster of a first quarter, McLean was able to maintain their lead and end the second quarter with a score of 40-21. Fimbres had outscored the entire Chantilly squad, with 23 points of his own in the opening frames.
“The first half of the game, our team came out with a good amount of intensity on both ends of the floor,” Coach Mike O’Brien said.
Returning to the court after halftime, the Highlanders had lost a little of their aggressive spirit and Chantilly started to close the gap between the two teams. However, the Highlanders quickly adjusted to the Chargers’ offensive moves.
Chantilly came out strong on defense, but McLean regained control, as Fimbres scored the first points of the half, making the score 42-21. While the Chargers did move the ball down the court shortly afterwards, junior Isaac Bell blocked a shot and helped the Highlanders take control of the court once more. The McLean student section brought the energy in the gym up again with cheers in support of the Highlanders, and just like that, the game was a certain win for the McLean boys.
As the clock ran out for the third quarter, the Chargers put all their effort into scoring any points they could get. With a rush of passing to try and get a clear shot, the Chargers ran down the clock for themselves and the quarter ended with a 53-28 Highlander lead.
While the scoring slowed down in the third and fourth quarters, the Highlanders remained at a noticeable advantage throughout the game. Chantilly started with the ball in the fourth quarter and worked to score, but fouls from the Chargers started to add up, and Fimbres scored for the Highlanders once again on a free throw.
Though the Chargers were at a disadvantage, they fought hard and brought the score to 58-40. As Chantilly brought the ball back to their offense, McLean recovered it and put a stop to their momentum. As the clock counted down to the end of the quarter and the game, Chantilly’s plays became increasingly frantic and rushed as they struggled to close the gap between the Highlanders and the Chargers.
These moves were to no avail, and McLean controlled the court, allowing the clock to run down and ending the night with a 20 point victory. After the win, the Highlanders look to keep up their winning streak, this time against John Lewis High School.
“Our next game is an opponent we haven’t really seen in a number of years,” O’Brien said. “We’re going to have to continue to play solid defense like we did in the first half, and we’re doing a much better job of scoring the ball.”
