Talk about overall consistency.
Through their first four games of the girls high-school basketball season, the undefeated Langley Saxons (5-0) scored 49 points in one contest, 48 in two and 44 in another. As for points allowed, the Saxons yielded 44, 43 and 41 twice.
The numbers changed just a bit in game five, won by Langley, 52-46, on Dec. 9 over the Forest Hills Rangers from Pennsylvania in the She Got Game Classic at the St. James indoor facility in Springfield.
"We have played well and our early-season schedule has been difficult," Langley coach Amanda Baker said. "This team [Forest Hills] was good and they played a trapping defense that gave us problems."
Prior to playing Forest Hills, host Langley defeated the four-time defending Class 6 state champion Madison Warhawks, 48-44. Other wins were over perennial playoff teams Broad Run, 48-43, Meridian, 49-41, and West Potomac, 44-41.
Langley recorded fourth-quarter comebacks over Forest Hills and Madison.
Against Forest Hills, Langley led 29-21 at halftime. Hurt by seven third-quarter turnovers, the Saxons trailed 35-30 entering the final period as the Rangers scored 14 answered points in the third. Langley was outscored in that period, 14-1.
"Their trapping defense gave us problems in the third, then we showed more patience against that in the fourth," Baker said.
In the fourth, junior Anya Rahman scored eight off her team-high 19 points (four three-pointers). Her five-foot follow shot of her own miss gave Langley the lead for good at 42-40 with 4:04 to play. The lead climbed to 50-42, helped by a steal and layup by Rahman.
The Saxons had just two fourth-quarter turnovers.
Langley made 9 of 12 shots from the floor in the fourth quarter and shot well for the game - 54 percent.
Bri Borcherding had nine points and eight rebounds for Langley. Maddie Shamloo also had nine points to go with five rebounds, three assists and two steals; Vicky Zawisza scored nine and had three assists; and Peyton Daley had six points, five rebounds and three steals. Rahman added seven boards and three steals.
In the win over Madison, Langley trailed, 31-29, entering the final period. Rahman scored 20 and made three threes to go with five steals and five assists. Daley had nine points and as many rebounds, Borcherding had seven points and 13 rebounds and Serena Gul made two threes and scored eight.
Langley won the rebounding battle, 40-33 and outscored the Warhawks, 19-13, in the final quarter.
For Madison, Stella Gougoufkas (12 rebounds) scored 12, Avery Griepentrog and Sara Becker 10 each and Lilian Perkins six.
In Madison's earlier 44-41 loss to Georgetown Visitation, Gougoufkas had 14 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Madison also has played a tough schedule and had a 1-4 record after nipping host Meridian, 58-57, on a last-second running jump shot by Gougoufkas (25 points, eight assists, five steals) off an assist from Griepentrog off a long inbound pass on Dec. 9 for its first win. Becker scored 16 and Griepentrog seven.
In Langley's win over Broad Run, Rahman scored 25 and made four threes and Borcherding had 11 rebounds.
