The Flint Hill Huskies are having a solid basketball season, but there is one particular hurdle the boys squad has had trouble clearing.
The high-school team has lost a number of close games to non-conference state opponents, like falling to the visiting St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Saints, 64-59, on Wednesday night (Jan. 29).
There were other losses to Benedictine, Episcopal and Highland. Flint Hill had a 10-9 overall record after the Jan. 29 loss.
Such setbacks could prevent Flint Hill from earning a berth in the Division I postseason private-school state tournament. The Huskies were ranked tied for 11th in the most recent Division I state poll. The top 12 teams at the end of the regular season earn state-tourney berths.
Flint Hill has a couple of key opponents remaining on its schedule.
Against St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (18-3), ranked fifth in the most recent state poll, Flint Hill never led. The Huskies fell behind 10-0 and trailed 36-23 in the fast-paced first half.
As the tempo slowed in the second half, Flint Hill rallied to within four points a number of times in the fourth quarter, but got no closer.
Shooting guard Jack Loyd made two three-pointers and led Flint Hill in scoring with 19 points.
Blake Fitzgerald had 11 points and three steals off the bench. Ty Harris scored 10 and had five rebounds and three assists; Caleb West had four points, eight rebounds and five assists; Kendall Jones had five points and six rebounds; and Dylan Fletcher made two threes off the bench.
Kobe Davis, another top scorer for Flint Hill, missed the game due to illness.
For St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Devin Ainsworth scored 17 and made three three-pointers; Julian Burgdolf scored 13 and made two threes; Marcus Hancock made four threes for 12 points; and senior center Riley Jacobs had 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks. The Saints made 10 three-pointers.
Jacobs, a top player for the team, has committed to play Division I college ball at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
The Huskies had a two-game winning streak, with lopsided Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference victories over visiting Potomac School, 63-46, and host St. James, 67-42, prior to facing St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes.
In its home victory over neighborhood rival Potomac School, a foul shot by Loyd gave Flint Hill the lead for good at 27-26. Loyd had made a baseline three-pointer a bit earlier to tie the score at 25.
The victory gave Flint Hill a sweep of the two-game regular-season competition against the Panthers.
Fletcher had 16 points, Harris 12, Jones 11 and Loyd 10 against Potomac School. Against St. James, Loyd scored 24, Fletcher 13 and Harris 12.
