Basketball Game Preview: George C. Marshall Statesmen vs. McLean Highlanders

George C. Marshall is on a four-game streak of home wins, while McLean is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The George C. Marshall Statesmen will welcome the McLean Highlanders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

George C. Marshall is headed into the game having just posted their closest win since December 16, 2024 on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 64-61 victory over Wakefield School. Given the Statesmen's advantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 61st, while the Fighting Owls are ranked 255th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, McLean rose to the challenge on Wednesday. They came out on top against the Patriots by a score of 47-38. The score was all tied up 16-16 at the break, but the Highlanders were the better team in the second half.

George C. Marshall has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season. McLean's win bumped their record up to 13-11.

George C. Marshall didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against McLean when the teams last played back in January, but they still walked away with a 50-45 victory. Will George C. Marshall repeat their success, or does McLean have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.