Great Falls Connection

In 2011, Amanda Baker (then Amanda Bates) took over as head coach of the struggling Langley girls’ basketball program. The Saxons finished 4-18 the previous season, hadn’t produced a winning record since the 2008-09 campaign and, according to the team’s championship banner hanging in the Langley High School gym, had not won a district/conference title since 1988.

Each of Baker’s first three seasons with the Saxons ended with a losing record and first-round exit in the district/conference tournament. But thanks to hard-nosed defense and a change in coaching philosophy, the 2014-15 campaign has been a different story.

The Saxons earned their 10th consecutive victory on Jan. 23, beating rival McLean 44-25 at Langley High School. The Saxons improved to 13-1 and haven't lost since falling to Fairfax on Dec. 16.

FRIDAY’S WIN over McLean marked the fifth time Langley has held an opponent to 25 points or fewer. The Saxons are limiting foes to 33.9 points per game, including a 46-14 win over Thomas Jefferson on Jan. 20.

“Defense up front was a huge priority because I wasn’t sure what kind of scoring we were going to be able to put up,” Baker said. “I was like, we have to keep these low-scoring games and the girls did so well with it, on top of figuring out ways to score, that it has reflected positively so far.”

Senior forward Lauren Meyer, who has been with the varsity for each of Baker’s four years as head coach, said the Saxons’ defensive success has a lot to do with preparation.

“I think our defense is so strong because before every game we know what to expect from the other team’s offense, so we’re able to adjust our defense accordingly,” Meyer said. “I think we do a great job of communicating on defense.”

How much credit does Baker deserve for the Saxons’ in-depth preparation?

“It’s 100 percent,” Meyer said, adding that the Saxons benefit from Baker’s scouting reports.

Part of the reason Baker has the Saxons thoroughly prepared is a change in focus. Baker was 24 during her first season as Langley head coach and felt the need to be in charge of everything. She experienced success as a player, winning a state championship at Forest Park in 2004 before playing at the University of Mary Washington, but this was different. Baker had to show she could lead as a head coach.

In her fourth season with Langley, Baker, now 28, is more comfortable allowing the Saxons to lead themselves.

“I think I was pretty young when I first got here and I felt like I had a lot to prove and I needed to be in charge constantly,” Baker said. “But giving a lot more leadership roles to the girls, they’ve embraced it and they respond to each other so well that I don’t have to do as much. I’m able to focus more on strategy and what I want to do in practice instead of discipline and being in charge, so I think I’ve matured in that way.”

Meyer, who was a freshman during Baker’s first year at Langley, praised her head coach.

“I think she has grown into the position amazingly,” Meyer said. “I know this summer she worked so hard on learning coaching tactics that she has used this year, and they’ve become so noticeable and so obvious. It’s improved the team tremendously.”

How was Meyer’s first year with Baker?

“I was scared of her at first,” Meyer said. “I was a freshman, I was scared of everyone.”

Baker burst into laughter when informed of Meyer’s admission of fear.

Luckily for the Saxons, No. 44 is no longer scared. In fact, she’s Langley’s top post defender. Meyer matched up against 6-foot-2 Madison senior Kelly Koshuta, who will play for Virginia Tech, and 6-foot-1 South Lakes senior Princess Aghayere, who will play for Penn, during Langley victories this season.

“Lauren is ruthless and relentless when she plays,” Baker said. “You can’t tell her to slow down or take it down a notch because she doesn’t know how. She’s at her best when she’s full speed. It’s really been great for us because she’s played so many minutes against really big kids that to make up for that lack of size, she’s just bumping them and pushing them all game to make it annoying for them.”

Junior point guard Lizzy Shamloo and sophomore guard Ari Aulisi had strong defensive performances against McLean on Friday, helping the Saxons force 16 Highlander turnovers.

Shamloo had three steals to go with five points and five assists.

“I actually think Lizzy’s energy is what got us the lead,” Baker said. “She wasn’t the one necessarily putting the ball in the hole, but she got us the possessions we needed from scrappy defense.”

Aulisi, listed at 5 feet 10, had five points, five blocks and five steals.

“Ari is smart because she knows she’s long,” Baker said. “She understands she has some length to play with, so she knows she can back off people a little, maybe tip [shots] from behind. She’s really come into her own figuring out what her strengths with her build are.”

Freshman guard Jordyn Callaghan scored a team-high 13 points against McLean and has made an impact during her first varsity season.

“Once she came in, we ... knew she had talent, but we gave her some games up front to get acclimated with the varsity environment,” Baker said. “She proved herself so quickly it was a natural fit to put her in the starting lineup and she’s really flourished in that position.”

While Langley has thrived with defense, junior guard Paige Galiani has done much of the offensive lifting. Through the team’s first 12 games, Galiani led the Saxons in scoring average at 18 points per contest and was the only player to average double figures.

“I think my job is mostly to score and finish,” Galiani said. “I work really hard in the offseason.”

Galiani finished with 10 points against McLean.

“She can score from anywhere,” Baker said. “Inside threat, outside threat, off the dribble, left, right, she really is so balanced in her scoring.”

LANGLEY has seven regular season games remaining, including a 5:45 p.m. road game against Hayfield on Friday, Jan. 30.

The Saxons are hoping the program’s best season in years will include a conference championship.

“It’s been so long,” Meyer said, “it would just be incredible for the program to have a title to prove all the hard work we put in.”

With Baker leading the way, the Saxons should be prepared for any opponent along the way.

“I think it would set a tone for a long time,” Baker said of winning a conference title. “A Madison [program that] wins constantly, they get those good kids every year. [A championship] would show that we’re now in the ranks and people want to play basketball at Langley. It’s not a secondary sport anymore.”