Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd) | Twitter
The latest Tweets from Kyle McFadden (@k_fadd). Freelancer covering college sports, preps & #nascar. ?: @WashPostHS @BaltSunSports @frednewspost. @FrederickCC student. 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. Views=mine. New Market, MD
FREDERICK — All Tuscarora needed was a reminder of their capability. Trailing to Linganore at halftime, 29-27, and right after an 8-0 Lancers run, Titans coach Darryl Whiten fired an energizing but simplistic message before the third quarter began.
The “wake-up call,” as four-year varsity player Jaylen Washington described, propelled the Titans on a 22-6 third quarter stampede, pushing No. 12 Tuscarora to a 61-52 road win over No. 14 Linganore.
“[Coach Whiten] got on us,” senior guard Obe Noel said, who finished with a game-high 22 points. “He said to tighten up or we’d have to face the consequences tomorrow.”
It was a subpar first half for Tuscarora (6-0), trailing by two on 44 percent shooting (11-of-25). On paper, Tuscarora had a clear advantage — with three starters over 6-foot-3 (Noel, 6-foot-3; Washington, 6-foot-3; Kyle Lepkowski, 6-foot-6), compared to Linganore’s one (Harry Rasmussen, 6-foot-3).
Tuscarora used an 8-2 run the final one minute and 20 seconds of the first quarter to take a 17-13 lead going into the second. Right after the Titans held their largest lead of the first half — 27-21 with 2:35 until the intermission — Linganore (4-1) responded with an 8-0 run out of a timeout. Junior guard Drew Twillman, in a three-play sequence, drilled a 3-pointer in the left corner, then swiped a steal on the ensuing defensive possession, and buried another 3-ball to tie it at 27-27.
Austin Lohneis’ floater to beat the first half buzzer gave the Lancers a two-point advantage.
Noel, a transfer from St. John’s Catholic Prep, sparked the momentous third quarter with a pull-up 3-pointer from the top of the key, and then dropped in two put-backs, which pushed Tuscarora to a 32-31 lead (5:23 mark) and a 43-33 lead (1:25 mark). Noel capped the sizeable run with a 3-pointer as time expired in the third to give the Titans a commanding 49-35 lead.
Along with Noel’s third quarter outburst, Tuscarora’s defense held Linganore scoreless for four minutes and 25 seconds (5:05 to 1:25). Nothing changed schematically. The Titans just clamped down with a hard-nosed demeanor on the defensive end.
“I thought we came out in the third quarter and we really started to play like we’re capable of playing,” Whiten said. “They started believing in each other. … As we always say, they began to trust the process.”
Linganore slowly chipped away at the 14-point deficit, cutting it to single-digits (56-48) on a Michael Rajnik lay-up with three minutes and 52 seconds left in regulation and then to six (56-50) on a Rasmussen (eight rebounds) put-back with two and a half minutes to go, but that was the closest they got.
Tuscarora, however, went four minutes and 22 seconds without a point in the fourth quarter (4:57 to 0:35), and only made three buckets in the final eight minutes. But it was all the Titans needed, as Washington (11 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals) slammed the door on a Linganore comeback, producing Tuscarora’s final five points.
“He’s the oil in the engine,” Whiten said of Washington. “If he’s synthetic, we’re pretty dag-on good.”
In total, Tuscarora held Linganore to 37 percent shooting (19-of-51) while forcing 13 turnovers. When the Titans went dry for four minutes and 25 minutes, Linganore went 2-of-7 during that span.
“Our defense, it’s good,” Washington said. “When we’re playing and talking and clicking, our defense, we can stop anyone.”
Tuscarora hosts Mervo on Wednesday while Linganore travels to South Carroll.
“It’s always good to not only get off to a good start, but a smart start,” Whiten said. “We’ve been thankful and blessed to be playing the way we’ve been playing, but we’re not satisfied. We still have some things to work on. We’ll continue to work and put the pieces together.”
Lohneis finished with a team-high 12 points and five assists for Linganore. Nick Lang added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Alex Morrow registered 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Lepkowski notched eight points and eight rebounds.
