Down by 13 points at the half against the best team in the conference on senior night, South Lakes needed a spark.
Instead, South Lakes’ leading scorer, DJ Christian let his frustration boil over toward the officials on his way into the locker room, and was assessed a rare, halftime technical foul. The incident earned him a spot on the bench for the entire third quarter and South Lakes’ didn’t have enough firepower to mount a comeback, as Langley (15-7, 13-1) powered past them 67-49.
After suffering their first district loss of the season on Tuesday night, a one point shocker at home against Madison (5-9 in the conference), Langley wasn’t about to treat its final regular-season game as a scrimmage, even though they’d already wrapped up the No. 1 playoff seed. They dominated every facet of the game against South Lakes and left no question that they’re the team to beat heading into the playoffs.
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“Langley played real well. They shot the ball well, they defended us well, they deserve a lot of credit,” said first-year coach Andrew Duggan. “They’re well coached. They’ve established a really good program and their kids execute what they’re asked to do."
Langley took control early in the second quarter with an 18-6 run that was largely orchestrated by junior guard Daniel Dixon, who hit two layups and a 3-pointer, and Langley’s leading scorer, David Adams, who hit two jump shots during the run and finished with a team-high 16 points.
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Already down 31-18 at the half, South Lakes suffered another blow when Christian, who averages 14 points per game, was given a technical foul for “disrespecting the officials,” as they walked to the locker room at the half.
"It was a teaching moment for all of us,” said Duggan. "Sometimes it’s good to move onto the next play. You have to let it go very quickly."
Adams converted the free throws, Christian was benched for the entire third quarter, and Langley put a stranglehold on the game with an 8-2 run to start the half that expanded the lead to 39-20.
Langley capitalized on numerous Seahawks' turnovers, while getting strong play from junior guard Austin Vasiliadis (10 points) and senior forward Brenden Dwyer.
JD Wallace (16 points) had an outstanding game for South Lakes, creating space for his teammates with creative play, and knocking down open shots when he had the chance.
“This might be one of my best games I’ve had, but Langley always plays us tough. They get every board. They’re a good team,” Wallace said.
It was the last regular-season game for Seahwak seniors Joe Daye, Darius Smith, and Brendan Galbraith.
“These kids have given a lot of effort and I’m very appreciative of it, so I hope we can do something for them in the playoffs,” Duggan said.
The Seahawks will have a chance to wipe the slate clean on Tuesday night, as they square off against either Madison or Stone Bridge in the first round of the playoffs at home. “We’ll come back strong and I think we’ll get a pretty positive response out of our guys,” Duggan said. “If we play our game, I still like our chances.”
