McLean battled for four quarters but came up short in a 56–46 loss to South Lakes on Monday night in a game that was much closer than the final score shows.
The Highlanders struggled early as South Lakes caught fire in the first half, knocking down shots from all over the floor and building a sizable lead. McLean could not find a rhythm offensively and went into the break trailing by double digits.
Coach Mike O’Brien was trying different schemes all half long. He started two sophomores Finn Hare and Nahom Kidane who haven’t seen the court much this season. This was caused by many injuries and the willingness to try new things in a pressure moment.
The second half told a different story. McLean tightened up defensively, pushed the pace and slowly chipped away at the deficit. The comeback peaked midway through the fourth quarter when the Highlanders cut the lead to just two, energizing the bench and the crowd.
“We just started trusting each other more,” sophomore Nahom Kidane said. “Once we got stops, everything felt easier on offense. We knew we could hang with them.”
The amount of turnovers lessened and McLean looked poised for a comeback. South Lakes called a quick timeout in the early third quarter which got the crowd excited for a new beginning.
Senior Jack Bell started heating up, drilling mid range after mid range. Sophomore Lucas Van Order pointed to the team’s resilience after a tough opening half.
“They were hitting everything early, but we didn’t panic,” he said. “We came out after halftime ready to fight, and that’s something we can build on.”
The South Lakes shooters proved to be too much to handle in the fourth quarter as they went on many scoring runs and got into a strong rhythm. Senior Logan Baldrate made the game close by accounting for scrappy plays and defensive efforts.
South Lakes weathered the storm and took smart shots on possession after possession. Time was dwindling down and the highlanders could not sustain the success they found early in the third.
McLean played without senior Nick Karageorgos, who was sidelined with an injury, forcing younger players into larger roles. Even in defeat, the Highlanders showed flashes of growth and competitiveness that carried them through much of the second half.
While the loss does hurt McLean, the bigger takeaway came from the way the Highlanders responded. They matched South Lakes’ intensity for most of the second half, proving they could close the gap against a hot-shooting opponent.
“It hurts to lose, but this is something we can learn from,” Kidane said. “If we play like we did in the second half for a full game, we’ll be in a good spot.”
