By Ben Spector
IJAMSVILLE- After seeing their undefeated season coming to an end with a 54-49 loss to the Tuscarora Titans just three days before their contest Friday night against Oakdale, the Linganore basketball team was at a crossroad. They hadn’t been playing their brand of basketball, and finally, Tuscarora got to them on a night where nothing seemed to fall through the bottom of the net.
So, with their undefeated season gone, the Lancers had a choice to make.
They could dwell on their loss, not turn things around, and risk losing more; which would have put them at risk of losing a number one playoff seed and previously built-up confidence.
The Lancers knew that wasn’t an option if they wanted to keep state championship aspirations alive.
“Every game this season is too important to be dwelling on losses,” Linganore head coach Tom Kraft said.
After a relatively easy 25-point win against Brunswick on Wednesday, No. 7 Linganore regrouped themselves once again to avoid a second loss in a matter of four days to squeak past host Oakdale from down the road, 53-51.
At the start of the game, Linganore appeared more than up for the task as they jumped out to a 11-3 lead which was extended to 18-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Lancers were finding open looks and making them count making it seem like they were headed to an easy victory.
Oakdale then strung together a 14-0 run to conclude the second quarter that gave a three point halftime lead going into the break. After that, momentum teeter-tottered back and forth to set-up a climaxed, nail-biting finish.
With 41.2 seconds left, and the Lancers in-bounding, the ball was given to a likely hero that’s come through countless of times before, Thomas Lang, for him to take one final shot and give his team the win. Once the clock hit 6.7, Lang made his move with a hard dribble-drive to his left, then spun sharply when Oakdale put a double-team on him. Turning to his right, Lang scooped under a pair of Bears defenders before putting up a lay-up that toyed with the front of the rim before falling through the bottom of twine.
Lang’s go-ahead layup gave the Lancers a two point lead that would stand after Sean Jodrie of Oakdale would have a good look at a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but ultimately clanked off the rim.
Fighting back was a pattern for Oakdale, but for them it wasn’t so much a sign of an insatiable spirit as it was of just them playing solid basketball.
“I’m proud of our kids,” said Connolly. “The truth is the reason we keep fighting back is because that is what happens with the notion that we’re gonna play hard.”
Lang’s bucket capped a win for Linganore in which they fended off multiple comebacks and managed to prove to everyone who was in the raucous gym at Oakdale High School that one loss wouldn’t define their season.
On the other hand, it defined a fighting spirit they hope will shine through for the rest of the year.
