Sports
Wolverines No-Show Huge District Game Against Annandale Atoms
D'Angelo Boyce's 23 points lead Annandale to victory
West Potomac boys’ basketball coach David Houston III knows his team can play better than it did in Friday’s 80-55 loss at Annandale.
He’s also not worrying excessively.
“We don’t need to go back to the drawing board,” said Houston, whose team saw its six-game win streak end. “It’s one of those games where we weren’t on tonight.
“I’d rather have this now than in the district tournament.”
The Wolverines (8-3, 2-2 AAA Patriot) never got their offense going. Senior guard Daryl Copeland scored 11 points, and classmate Jalen Dawson added nine points.
West Potomac did hold an early three-point lead, but it never led again.
One reason for that: Annandale senior guard D’Angelo Boyce.
Boyce, who entered the game averaging 16.7 points per game, scored 14 points in the first quarter alone. He had 19 points at intermission and finished with 23.
A couple highlights from Boyce’s first half: He buried one 3-pointer from deep in the far corner, hit a 25-foot shot while pinned against the sideline and converted three 3-point plays, thanks to driving to the hoop.
“He got going because he got to the basket,” Houston said. “He got three [3-point plays] in the first half. We helped him a little bit by giving up some easy baskets.”
The game was tied at 9 in the middle of the first quarter when Annandale (6-4, 2-2 Patriot) went on an 11-2 tear to take the lead and grab some breathing room.
The Wolverines rallied. Buckets from sophomore guard Brandon Pressley and junior guard Tamaric Wilson, and foul shots from Copeland and senior center Jesse Fico brought West Potomac back within three points — that was the closest it would get.
Annandale scored the final six points of the first quarter to take a 26-17 lead. “Twenty-six points in a quarter is not what we do,” Houston said.
The Atoms outscored West Potomac in the second quarter 16-11, opening up a 42-28 halftime edge.
By the end of the third quarter, Annandale was ahead 57-35.
After shooting 7 of 12 from the field in the first period, West Potomac went cold in the second and third quarters, shooting a combined 4 of 16.
Eighty points is the most allowed this season by the Wolverines. They’ve given up 73 points on three occasions.
Houston is glad his team has a chance to return to action quickly. West Potomac visits struggling West Springfield at 7:30 p.m. Monday. The Spartans are 2-8 after beating Lee, 62-48, on Thursday.
“This isn’t like football, where you have to wait a week. We can get right back in there,” Houston said. “This wasn’t one of our best outings. We’ve had good outings this year, but this wasn’t one.”
