Long Reach rises over Northeast in battle of boys basketball unbeatens

During the summer, Long Reach High’s boys basketball team won the Glen Burnie League, laying the foundation for what the Lightning hoped would be a breakthrough winter season.

Wednesday, on Glen Burnie’s court, the Lightning scored their most impressive win of the season. The 13th-ranked Lightning defeated previously undefeated Northeast, 75-59, at the James T. Bogle Invitational in Anne Arundel County.

Junior forward RJ Barnes scored 16 points for Long Reach, and Christian Dean added 13. Cameron Albury finished with a game-high 31 points for Northeast.

Long Reach overwhelmed the Eagles in the opening 16 minutes, improving to 8-0 on the season. The Lightning defeated Broadneck, which they defeated in the Glen Burnie Summer League final, Tuesday on the opening day of the two-day mixer.

“Our guys have been working hard,” said Long Reach coach Andrew Lazzor. “It’s a journey for us, trying to get better, trying to implement one new thing at practice…it keeps on getting better.”

The matchup of undefeated squads was practically over in the first six minutes as the Howard County squad had a 15-1 advantage. Northeast (8-1) did not record its first field goal until 73 seconds left in the opening quarter.

“Our defense transitioned into our offense,” said Barnes. “Everybody knows once we start clicking on defense, the offense will come easy to us because we’re getting steals, layups and we’re right back into the defense.”

Long Reach gave no mercy to Northeast’s offense, pressuring the ball in halfcourt, cutting off driving lanes and getting to the defensive glass. The Lightning led 22-5 after the opening eight minutes.

That recipe continued in the second quarter as Long Reach converted defensive stops into high-percentage scores. The Lightning opened its largest lead, 44-17, on a 3-pointer from Brendan Diggs late in the first half before Ethan Maokamphiou’s dagger with a couple of seconds remaining made it 47-22 at halftime.

“We’re a pressing, trapping, fast break team and the help defense was amazing in the first half,” said Lazzor. “Guys were sitting in their stance and being athletic, it was great work.”

Northeast, behind Albury and solid bench play, was able to find offensive success in the second half. The Eagles from Anne Arundel actually had a chance to close the deficit to 10 with about two minutes left, but Hayden Johnson’s 3-pointer rimmed out.

“I like our character and how the kids came back and to do it with guys who don’t get a lot of playing time,” said Northeast coach Roger O’Dea. “Early in the game, Long Reach hit a lot of threes so we went to a zone in the second and it helped us a bit…Long Reach is a very good team and will probably contend for the 3A state title.”

Long Reach, coming off its best season in more than a decade last winter, has continued the momentum in the opening month of the regular season. The Lightning start the new year with Mount Hebron and River Hill in Howard County league play.

“We can’t look ahead, we have to always be in the present,” said Barnes.

BOGLE HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL

AT GLEN BURNIE

NO. 13 LONG REACH 75, NORTHEAST 59

Long Reach - Barnes 16, Dean 13, Reid 10, Maokhampiou 9, Valentine 7, Alston 5, Saunders 5, Etoule 4, Diggs 3, Nunez 3, McKinney 2. Totals 30 8-15 75.

Northeast - Albury 31, Fifer 7, Drummond 6, Savoy 3, Buttry 2, Johnson 2, Plowman 2, Sheehan 2, White 2. Totals 20 16-17 59.

Long Reach 22 25 11 17 - 75

Northeast 5 17 12 25 - 59