On Jan. 9, the McLean boys basketball team took on Marshall on the road. Coming off of a two game losing streak including a triple overtime loss, the Highlanders looked to return to winning ways.
It was a defensive battle to start the game. Senior guard Nick Karageorgos hit an early three, allowing McLean to take an early lead 5-2. However sloppy offense from both teams would ensure, and Marshall exited the first quarter up 9-7.
The Highlanders started the second quarter with a 10-0 run capped off by a 3-pointer from senior guard Jake Bell. Marshall would respond with a 7-0 run of their own to make it 17-16, forcing McLean into a timeout. The first half ended with a buzzer beater 3-pointer from Bell to put the Highlanders up 21-17.
The third quarter was all McLean. Bell capitalized on a Marshall turnover with an and-1 layup to make the score 29-23. After baskets from both teams, Bell got the ball again and cashed in a 3-pointer to extend McLeans lead to 34-26 to end the third quarter.
The Statesmen started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run forcing the Highlanders to take a timeout and reset. However this didn’t help much, as Marshall would score another four points and take the lead 37-34, forcing McLean into their second timeout of the quarter with under 3 minutes remaining.
The Statesman came out of the timeout strong with a 3-pointer, causing senior center Roman Ludwikowski to take matters into his own hands. He hit a 3-pointer, then scored a layup while drawing a foul to tie the game at 40. The last minute involved both teams trading baskets until it was 44-43 Marshall with just a few seconds left.
With one final play in regulation, the Highlanders called their final timeout. The ball was inbounded to Karageorgos, who dribbled around a screen all the way to the basket and hit a layup with just 3 seconds left, giving McLean the win.
“The original play we drew up was countered so we needed someone else to step up,” senior guard Logan Baldrate said. “We were all super excited about the shot, Nick stepped up when he needed too much.”
The Highlanders move to 5-9 on the season where they look ahead to Marshall, trying to remain undefeated in district play.
“The key for us is to remain focused,” senior JW Riggins said. “As long as we keep the same mentality through wins and losses, we will go far.”
