Briar Woods had a solid 2024-2025 season, finishing .500 in the deep Potomac District, and winning 13 games. This season though, after returning virtually their entire roster, the Falcons’ expectations are higher.
So far the expectations have been met. On Monday night at home, the #19 Falcons scored another impressive victory to remain undefeated, 42-37 over Loudoun County.
“I think this year our chemistry as a team has grown significantly,” said Briar Woods senior forward Brianna Zaher. “We had a bunch of great new adds to the team as well which definitely improved us, pushing us in practice and even on the bench with more energy.”
Zaher was a first team all-district selection last year. Monday night she contributed 14 points, going a perfect 6-6 from the line. Sophomore guard Tanisha Srinivas, who jumped right into the starting lineup last year as a freshman, had 16 points and buried four three-pointers.
“We’ve all gotten closer off the court, which contributes to how we play on the court,” said Srinivas, whose team also boasts a win over defending Class 4 state champ Heritage this season. “It all works to our team chemistry.”
Briar Woods showed its mettle by beating back several Loudoun County runs throughout the game. The Falcons went up 13-8 after a quarter and expanded their lead in the second quarter, but the visiting Captains rallied to take the lead.
Falcons senior point guard Tanvi Kancharla found Zaher open for a three-pointer to close the half, however. Right after halftime, Kancharla dished to Srinivas who delivered another three. The hosts eventually expanded their lead to 37-27 early in the fourth quarter.
Loudoun County (3-1) didn’t quit. The Captains started to find their groove from long range and were successful pressuring the ball, rallying to make it 40-37 and even getting a possession to try and tie it up. A three-pointer was no good, however, and Srinivas made two free throws to provide the final margin of victory.
Briar Woods (4-0) was in fact a perfect 12-12 from the line in the game. That was the difference in the contest, as the Falcons’ zone kept Loudoun County off the charity stripe and generally away from the basket. The Captains only got to the line four times the entire evening.
Kancharla added four points and four assists for the Falcons, and Sadie Auch also had four points in the victory. The news was not all good for Briar Woods, however, as starting junior guard Nina Keltz went down with an injury in the fourth quarter after playing a solid defensive game. Her injury if serious may test the Falcons’ depth, as they are already down promising freshman forward Tana Buffalo.
Despite the loss, Loudoun County also seems like a team that will enjoy success this season. Sophomore guard-forward Sami White scored 18 points, and the Captains shared the ball admirably, garnering 12 assists on their 15 field goals.
–Chris Jollay