By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager
Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area

Usually, after an unexpected or close loss, teams like to get back on the floor quickly for a chance at redemption.

After Woodson suffered a one-point home loss to Marshall on Thursday, the defeat lingered through the school hallways the next day, leading into its night game with McLean.

But the Cavaliers rebounded well, fending off a heroic Highlander comeback to win, 54-49, and wipe the mental slate clean on Friday, if only for the weekend.

"I didn't sleep a whole lot last night," Cavalier coach Doug Craig said. "The last couple years, we've been a little spoiled. We've been able to front-run a little bit. We very rarely lost games to teams that are a lower seed than us.

"It's a credit to our kids that we're able to come back."

Added Woodson senior Stephen Stepka: "We've had three district losses this season, which is not what we expected. All three of those games have been by a total of four points.

"We've been in every game and it's nice to face McLean, hang tough and come back to get a good win."

Although the Cavaliers never trailed in the second half, the Highlanders cut the lead to four points twice and trailed 43-40 with just over four minutes remaining.

But Woodson leaned on clutch interior shooting and the steady hand of Stepka at the line.

The first-team All-Liberty District selection from last season scored five consecutive points to stretch the Cavalier lead, mixing in two timely blocks to stall any Highlander attempt at a response.

"He's our best player, everybody knows that," Craig said. "They try to box-and-one him, it's part of the game. He's such a good offensive player.

"Defensively, he's a very good shot blocker. He comes up with a lot of big plays."

Added Stepka, who tied with McLean guard Peter Brosnan for the game-high 21 points: "I've been on this team since I was a sophomore and I've looked up to seniors. This year, it's my turn.

"I feel like it's a responsibility of mine to pick up the team when it's close at the end of the game."

Though Woodson turned to Stepka in the fourth quarter, it looked to its standout sophomore, John Schoof, early.

The Highlanders led, 13-10, after the first quarter, but Schoof -- who Craig said was expected to come off the bench before junior Max Lenox tore the meniscus in his right knee before the season -- caught fire in the second period.

He scored 10 of his 14 points to spur Woodson to a 17-point quarter and a seven-point lead at the half.

McLean was never closer than three points in the final two quarters.

"I started out strong and was looking to attack early, which is key for me," said Schoof, whose mother was an All-American at East Carolina and father coached at both ECU and Iowa State. "I looked for my pull-up [jumper], which is my shot and I kept attacking the basket."

While McLean hopes to bounce back against Madison on Monday, Woodson advances to a marquee match-up with first-place South Lakes on the road.

The Cavaliers beat the Seahawks, 59-46, on January 9 at home. It was South Lakes' only district loss until it fell to Langley, 46-44, on Friday.

That loss to the Saxons brings the Seahawks within a half-game of the Cavaliers, who sit alone in second place in the Liberty District with four games to play.

And regardless of South Lakes' result in its make-up game at Madison on Saturday, Monday night's winner will move into first place in the district.

More importantly, the winner controls its own destiny for locking up the top-seed heading into the Liberty District tournament, which also guarantees a berth in next month’s Northern Region tournament.  

"It's great news that they lost," said Stepka, who scored a game-high 26 points in the January 9 win. "But we play South Lakes on Monday. We have to come out and play just as hard.

"Every game is the same and we have to win from here on out."

Agreed Schoof: "It's good to hear, but we still have to go into South Lakes on Monday and take care of business."

Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com

McLean (5-12, 2-8)       13   7   10  19   --   49
Woodson (11-7, 7-3)    10  17  13  14   --   54

McLean -- Brosnan 9 2-3 21; Symonds 3 1-2 7; Glauber 2 1-2 7; Fitzgerald 2 1-1 6; Gjino 1 0-0 3; Baruch 1 0-2 3; Rogo 0 2-2 2. Team totals: 18 7-10 49.
Woodson -- Stepka 6 6-8 21; Schoof 7 0-0 14; Robeson 1 3-4 5; Boehling 2 0-0 4; Johnson 2 0-1 4; Noe 0 3-4 3; Pochekailo 1 0-0 2; Huling 0 1-2 2. Team totals: 19 13-19 54.
Three pointers -- McLean 6 (Glauber 2, Brosnan, Fitzgerald, Gjino, Baruch); Woodson 3 (Stepka 3).