George Mason High School Girls Basketball

Mustangs Secure Non-District Win

The Mustangs withstood a late rally by host Briar Woods High School in non-district action Monday night, holding on to defeat the AA Dulles opponent, 45-37.

Mason solidified one of its best defensive efforts of the season by holding Eagle standout Kim Bell to a season-low six points.

Bell, who reached the free-throw line 11 times in a 26-point outing against the Mustangs on Dec. 9, was held to two field goals and as many trips to the charity stripe, as Mason frustrated the junior guard throughout the night.

Aided by the hot shooting of freshman Lauren Kane (19 points), the Mustangs surged to an early seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter and used a 13-4 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Briar Woods’ 20-point final period was three more points than they scored in the first 24 minutes combined, but was not enough to deny Mason its eighth win.

Kane’s classmate, Bria Platenburg, tacked on eight points, while junior Nicole Mitchell added seven. Senior Kim Kenny, in her first game back from an exchange trip to China, nailed all four of her free-throws. As a team, Mason shot 65.5 percent from the line to avenge its earlier loss to the Eagles.

With the win, Mason entered district play on Wednesday night at Madison County in defense of its Region B title. Results were not available at press time. The Mustangs return home on Thursday with a 7:30 pm match-up with AA Dominion High School before a Jan. 14 meeting with Strasburg High marks Mason’s first home Bull Run contest.

J.E.B. Stuart High School Boys Basketball

Raiders Win Bluffton Bobcat Classic

The Raiders took South Carolina by storm over Winter Break, winning the Bluffton Bobcat Classic with a 47-39 victory over Statesboro High School (Ga.) on New Year’s Eve. Stuart withstood a lengthy comeback attempt by Statesboro to hold on, aided by Antonio Harris’ game-high 22 points.

Stuart jumped out to a 21-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, but was held to just two points in the second period, allowing the Blue Devils to steadily climb back into the contest. Statesboro eventually tied the game at 29 points in the third period, but a 6-0 Raider run secured the tournament trophy.

Senior guard Will Ford tacked on eight points to compliment Harris’ four-three pointers, while classmate Mo Ibrahim and junior Hamza Kaissouni each added six.

The Raiders opened 2009 with a National District contest against Edison High School on Tuesday night. Stuart used an 11-point margin to open the second half to surge ahead of the Eagles, withstanding a strong fourth-quarter Edison comeback attempt. The Raiders will continue conference play on Friday with a home game against Fairfax at 7:30 pm.

McLean High School Girls Basketball

Lady Highlanders Finish Runner-up in Florida Tournament

Journeying down the East Coast over their Winter Break, the Highlanders finished second at the Keswick Christian Suncoast Classic Tournament in St. Petersburg, Florida, earning a spot in the final game with a 54-31 win on December 27 against Mt. Dora High School.

For their efforts, sophomore guard Andie Romness and junior guard Catlin Baker were named to the All-Tournament team, as they helped lead McLean to an opening round win over Clearwater Central the day after Christmas, 49-31. However, the Highlanders fell just short of the tournament title, losing to St. Thomas Moore High (Canada), 50-33 in the championship round.

In the final, Romness led all Highlander scorers with 11 points, while every single player on McLean’s roster contributed to the blasting of Mt. Dora in the second round match-up. Senior Caity Flint led the scoring rout with nine points while junior Lauren Sutherland chipped in eight.

Against Clearwater Central, Romness led the scoring with nine points with junior Melissa Wilson adding on seven. Once again, the depth of the Highlanders proved to be too much for their opponent, as every member of the McLean team scored.

On Tuesday, the Highlanders suffered a loss in their first game of the New Year against Woodson High School, 59-46. Wilson led the McLean scoring with 13 points on five-of-six free-throw shooting, while Romness was the only other Highlander in double figures, adding 10 points. Sutherland rounded out the offensive with nine points. McLean will host its first game of 2009 Friday when it takes on Madison High School at 7:30 pm.

McLean High School Wrestling

Highlanders Place 5th in Christmas Classic

Even with half of its roster absent, McLean still managed to place fifth out of seven teams in the Christmas Classic at West Potomac High School on Dec. 30. Sophomore quad-captain Andy Chung led the Highlanders with a first-place finish in the 112-pound division.

Other notable performances for McLean included senior quad-captain Palmer Dickson, who took third in the 119-pound division, freshman Austin Miller (third in 125-pound), and freshman Marvin Garcia (third in 130-pound). Sophomore Chase Mills rounded out the solid individual performances for the Highlanders at the Classic by taking fourth in the 152-pound division.

McLean returned to the mat this Wednesday in a Liberty District dual meet with Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology before hosting a district quad-meet on Saturday at 5 p.m.