With a 10-point road victory over the McLean Highlanders, the Wakefield Warriors continued to increase their lead in the Liberty District boys high-school basketball standings.
Wakefield (14-2) won, 45-35, on Jan. 22 to improve to 6-0 in the district, owning a three-game lead over McLean (5-3) and the Yorktown Patriots (4-3). The victory was the team’s sixth in a row.
Wakefield has two more games this week, against district rivals Langley [tonight, Jan. 24], then plays at Yorktown on Thursday, Jan. 25. Both are at 7:30 p.m. The Warriors already have defeated McLean twice this season and topped Yorktown once.
In the Jan. 22 victory over McLean (12-6 overall), Wakefield took a 5-0 lead on a pair of baskets by Jeremiah Poole. Wakefield later fell behind for the only time in the game, 9-8, late in the first quarter, then regained the lead for a 10-9 period-ending advantage thanks to Gabe Henneman’s jumper.
Wakefield led 22-16 at halftime and 33-27 at the end of three quarters.
The 35 points were the fewest McLean has scored in a game this season.
Senior forward Carlton Young had 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals for Wakefield. Miles Hancock (four rebounds, two steals) and Poole (two assists) each scored nine. Henneman had four points, two rebounds and a block off the bench, with substitute Shane Morrison making a three-pointer and also scoring four.
Kevin McLinton, Jr. had two steals, two assists and a point and B.J. Willis had three steals.
For McLean, Isaac Bell had a team-high 14 points and Caffrey Eaton scored 12, with two three-pointers. Roman Ludwikowski scored seven off the bench.
Also in the boys Liberty District standings through Jan. 22 games, the Langley Saxons, Herndon Hornets, Marshall Statesmen and Washington-Liberty Generals all had four losses. Wakefield has to play Langley twice and those other teams one more time in regular-season action.
