Five Takeaways: Boys’ Latin vs Annapolis Area Christian

<p>Last night, Boys' Latin honored their senior class prior to tipping off against their divisional opponent in Annapolis Area Christian. When these two teams met last week, it resulted in a one-point victory for Boys' Latin behind a 37-point performance from senior guard Cam Spencer. In another tightly contested match-up, Boys' Latin found their groove late in the second half to help pull away for a 73-64 win. Boys' Latin improves to 28-4 on the year, while Annapolis Area drops to 14-8.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Juniors shine on senior night</strong></span></p> <p>The seniors for Boys' Latin have constantly led the way throughout the season, so it only makes sense that the juniors take over on their night, right? <strong>Jake Nichols</strong> was a force inside finishing with 19 points and put together an impressive rebounding clinic. Nichols scored most of his points around the hoop whether it came from rolling after setting a screen or feasting on the offensive glass. <strong>Kendall Walker</strong> continues to step up in the scoring column since the team lost senior guard Cam Watts to injury. Walker finished with 18 points that included four three's. His decision-making and shot selection were key to the Lakers pulling away.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Borden and Scott shine for the Eagles</strong></span></p> <p>Annapolis Area's pair of senior guards in <strong>Dylin Borden</strong> and <strong>Eddie Scott</strong> carried the offensive load, scoring 37 of the team's 64 points. Each had their stretch of catching fire. Scott's came in the second quarter when he scored eight of his 16 points, while Borden's came in the second half, scoring 14 of his 21. The two combined for eight made three's and were operating well off the dribble, rising over their opponent and converting shots.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Spencer and Grace make their splash late</strong></span></p> <p>As Nichols and Walker had quick starts, Spencer and <strong>Sam Grace </strong>took longer than usual to get going, but nevertheless their explosion took place. Spencer finished with 16 points, 11 of which came in the second half. Grace buried his usual distant three three's, two of which occurred in the fourth quarter when the Lakers separated themselves. Seniors are expected to step up when their teams needs it the most and these two did just that.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Annapolis Area continues to struggle</strong></span></p> <p>This time of year, you want your team to be playing their best basketball heading into postseason play. For the Eagles, it has been the complete opposite. They've now lost four-straight games and if they lose their next and final game of the season against McDonogh, they'll lose their second-place slot in the division. With a roster consisting of a handful of seniors, this isn't what you'd expect, but we'll see if they can turn it around and gain some confidence with a big potential win this Friday.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Boys' Latin continues to roll</strong></span></p> <p>Despite a hiccup against Pallotti on Tuesday, the Lakers have kept their train rolling. When Watts went down with a meniscus injury, there were huge question marks as to whether or not they'd be able to sustain their high level of play considering how heavy they leaned on each of their starters for production. The final scores of their games have been much closer, but their basketball IQ and execution down the stretch haven't changed. As the postseason is set to begin next week, the Lakers will look to keep their momentum flowing in hopes to redeem their MIAA A Championship game loss from last season.</p>