The Washington-Liberty Generals have a big rest of the week in girls Liberty District basketball with games against two top league rivals in the Langley Saxons and McLean Highlanders.
The Generals enter those high-school contests with an 8-4 overall record and a 2-0 district mark.
With key returning players from a year ago, Washington-Liberty is expected to make a serious challenge to win either the regular season or district-tournament championships this winter, or both.
Langley is the defending regular-season champion and McLean won last year’s district tournament. The Generals lost to McLean, 36-33, in last season’s district-tournament semifinals, after tying for second with the Highlanders during regular-season play.
Washington-Liberty defeated McLean in two regular-season games last season, but went 0-2 against Langley.
Washington-Liberty warmed up for the big week by winning its last four games, including a 49-32 district victory over the host Marshall Statesmen on Jan. 10. Kathryn Wagener and Anna Jungman each scored 12 points for W-L in the win.
The Generals led 18-7 after the first quarter, 31-18 at halftime and 39-22 after three periods.
Junior forward Eve Jungman, the older sister of freshman Anna Jungman, was in the lineup for the first time this season for Washington-Liberty. She is one of the team’s top returning players, but missed the first 11 games with a leg injury.
Her return is expected to make the team better, according to head coach Maddy DeCou, giving the Generals an inside scoring, rebounding and defensive presence.
In the team’s previous competition, W-L won a holiday tournament with a 3-0 record over three straight days.
Washington-Liberty’s third district game this week will be against the Wakefield Warriors in an all-Arlington clash.
