***Be sure to click the VIDEOS link above for video highlights and interviews***James A. McCray IIIPrince George's County, Content ManagerMonday night as the
Largo Lions hosted the
Forestville Military Academy Knights in a 3A/2A/1A boys' basketball contest, the Lions showed the Knights its inside-outside game.
Largo's
Malik Thomas slashed, dunked, and attacked the rim on his way to a game-high 31 points, and teammate
Rashaud Richardson stopped, popped, and hit the bottom of the net from three-point range six times on his way to 22 points.
The inside-outside combo of Thomas and Richardson helped lead Largo to an 88-71 victory.
"All we had to do was attack the basket," said Thomas who played the part of 'inside'. "That is what [Largo head] coach [
Lewis Howard] has been stressing all year ... in practice, attacking the basket, and good things will happen for you."
"He can do that, and he can do that well," Howard said of Thomas' ability to get to the basket.
Good things happened for Thomas and the Lions throughout the contest, in particular the early stages of the third quarter, as a multitude of steals led to the 12-0 scoring run for Largo that took its eight-point halftime lead -- 41-33 -- to a 16-point 53-37 lead. The Lions were never threatened again.
The 'outside' of the combo was Richardson who knocked down six trey-balls including five in the first half. In fact, Richardson's first six field goals came from beyond the arc.
"As the game progressed, I got the ball more and knocked down my shots," Richardson explained. "In the second half I felt it, but I didn't get the ball that much."
"We really enjoy him," Howard said of Richardson. "He has been one of the most consistent players we have had since the summer. He will shoot 200 to 500 shots a day and gets great results from it and is able to do it in the game.
"It's a good thing ... it stretches the defense out and that allows
Aaron Martin (18 points) and Malik Thomas to do what they do on the inside."
Forestville (5-7 overall, 3-7 3A/2A/1A League) looked to start its comeback efforts going on a swift 4-0 out of the locker room to cut the eight-point deficit at the half to four. That would be as close as the Knights would get to within tying the game or taking a lead.
"[Largo] just came to play tonight," Forestville head coach
Irvin Hay said, "and we just were not up for it. We didn't rebound well, we didn't do anything. The effort wasn't there tonight at all.
" ... This season has been up and down. We started off pretty good and have been winning most of our games at halftime. ... We are just trying to get them to play, we are competitive, but we play some good teams. They work hard, though. Sometimes you are up and sometimes you're down."
Branden Waters led the Knights with 15 points as teammates
Marquis Forte and
Antonio Belt each added 12 points, respectively.
Largo climbed back to .500 (7-7 overall) with the win as the Lions were able to bounce back after a loss to one of the top teams in Kentucky, Holmes High School, Saturday.
"We were really pleased our play," Howard said of his Largo team. "We have been progressively trying to get better each and every game."
tmccray@digitalsports.com
Largo 88, Forestville 71Forestville -- 19 14 13 25; Waters 15, Forte 12, Belt 12, Bannister 11, Gaines 8, Ragland 6, Graham 4, McClary 3
Largo -- 22 19 25 22; Thomas 31, Richardson 22, Martin 18, Lane 7, Olumese 6, Markham 4
