Quince Orchard Shows Clutch Play Ahead of Playoffs

With the postseason fast approaching, Quince Orchard spent last week getting used to pressure situations. It appears the Cougars did just fine.

Quince Orchard won all three of its games last week by a combined six points, with two of the games going into overtime. Heading into this week, 11 of the Cougars' 18 games had been decided by single digits, with Quince Orchard winning seven of those games. It's particularly impressive, considering that the Cougars have just two seniors, one of whom is among the team's top six scorers.

"We're feeling real good right now," Cougars Coach Paul Foringer said. "We just play relentlessly, going and going, and trapping and fighting. Pulling games out like this is nerve-racking, but it's gratifying when you see a young team like ours doing it."

Quince Orchard (13-5) began last week at home against Magruder, the Cougars' third game in four days. Quince Orchard went up 19-3, only to see Magruder force overtime at the buzzer with one of its 12 three-pointers.

After the Cougars went ahead in overtime, Magruder set up for another game-tying three-pointer, but Quince Orchard's Mac Kennedy, who had a game-high 16 points, made a steal and dribbled out the clock for a 64-61 Cougars victory.

Kennedy made two three-pointers in the fourth quarter against Churchill two days later, Feb. 4, and then broke a tie at 47 by making two free throws with 8.7 seconds left, giving him a game-high 22 points. A wild scramble under the Quince Orchard basket resulted in officials calling a jump ball with 0.6 seconds left, giving the Bulldogs a chance to inbound the ball from the baseline. But they couldn't get a shot off, and the Cougars held on for the 49-47 victory.

The Cougars missed a chance Friday to win at the end of regulation at Walter Johnson. But in overtime, Kennedy, despite having a tough shooting night, came up big, making a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left to put the Cougars up 65-64. Walter Johnson had a chance for a layup with the clock running out, but Quince Orchards' Andre Gaines appeared to come from out of nowhere to block the shot. The Cougars grabbed possession and ran out the clock. . . .

Seneca Valley sophomore forward Jordan Goodman has been reinstated after he completed additional work at the end of the recent marking period to regain academic eligibility, Screaming Eagles Coach Tom Sheahin said.

Goodman sat out Seneca's 73-68 victory over Rockville on Feb. 4 but returned to the lineup Friday. He scored 11 points in a 74-40 victory over Clarksburg.

The 6-foot-8 Goodman, who transferred from Wise over the summer, leads the Eagles in scoring at 17.5 points per game. Seneca entered the week with a 16-2 record, having won 10 straight. . . .

What many probably saw as one of the most startling results of the season came Feb. 4, with Wheaton's 65-63 victory over Paint Branch, ending the Panthers' 13-game winning streak. Look closely, though, and the Wheaton Knights' 6-11 record might be a bit deceiving.

After winning its opener, Wheaton lost nine straight, eight of which came by fewer than 10 points, including four by two points. Two of the games also went to overtime.