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Highlanders senior point guard Shushan Krikorian prepares to attack the Broad Run defense Thursday night at McLean.

Highlander Tip-Off Invitational: McLean girls announce selves as contender

In their own “Tip-off Invitational,” the McLean Highlanders proved why they are contenders in the Liberty this season. Through balanced scoring and hot shooting, they handled the young Broad Run Spartans 77-32 to pick up their second win of the season.

Head Coach Jen Sobota praised her team’s fast pace: “When we played Westfield on Tuesday, we came out a bit slow, and didn’t get up and down the floor.”

That wasn’t the case last night. The hosts got out to a fast lead and never looked back, though the Spartans hung around them in the first half. A lot of teams can come out sloppy in their first few games of a season, but several long-court passes and fast break points from the Highlanders early on showed they are already clicking on the floor together well. Which makes sense, as they return almost their entire starting lineup from last season. You can tell they’ve been playing alongside each other for a while.

All-Liberty District senior guard Kara Bremser didn’t waste any time starting off the hot shooting, hitting a three in the first quarter and shutting down the Spartan guards early. Her big quarter came in the third when she connected on three triples to give her a total of 24 points for the game. She also contributed four boards and two assists.

In the Highlanders' long-range attack, Kara Bremser is the most dangerous weapon. (File Photo)
In the Highlanders’ long-range attack, Kara Bremser is the most dangerous weapon. (File Photo)

Three different Highlanders cashed in from beyond the arc, posts and guards alike, as players took turns showing off their different skills. Sophomore post Vilte Kacerauskaite showed off her talents, handling the ball quite impressively for a player of her length and size. Senior point guard Shushan Krikorian went on her own spree at the start of the fourth quarter for five points (11 total, three boards). Sophomore guard Tatum Olson stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a steal. Senior Brooke Thomas added 14 points. As a team, McLean shot 60% from three.

The Spartans (1-1) were led by junior guard Alex Gonzalez with 11 points, two boards and a steal. Sophomore post Claire Erny worked hard in the paint for eight points, seven boards, and two steals. Broad Run finds itself this season in rare territory without any seniors, so they will rely on their juniors and other returners for guidance and leadership as they navigate the season. They defeated Lewis earlier this week convincingly, 64-18.

Moving forward, the Highlanders (2-0) have lofty goals for a team that has made it to the district title game three years in a row—cut nets. “Two of my seniors played in each of those finals and their goal is to win the championship this year,” said Sobota of her team’s aspirations.

We won’t see any district competition until 2023 begins, but our guess is that the Highlanders have some very, very realistic goals. They will get a good test on Saturday when their invitational continues and they host defending state champion Madison. Broad Run will look for its second win of the season when they face Langley the same day.

–Max Nagle
@MaxWritesHoops

2 comments

  1. FYI, McLean made it to the Liberty District finals 3 of the last 4 years, not 3 years in a row (2019 – beat South Lakes; 2020 – lost to South Lakes; 2022 – lost to Yorktown). They were rebuilding in 2021 and one of their all-district players from 2020 was out with an injury all year.

    1. I think there were no districts in 2021 – they skipped right to regionals during the COVID season.

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