Palisades knows it let one get away against Fairfax

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Palisades (17-3, 1-1) Coach Jim Paleno knew it would not be the end of the world if his team lost to visiting Fairfax (12-2, 2-0) on Friday in an early Western League showdown. He expected a close, competitive game and that’s what he got.

But when you lose a close, competitive game -- a game you have a better chance of winning at home, a game in which you overcame a nine-point first-quarter deficit and nearly overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit -- it leads to a long, slow trip through The VIllage of What If.

‘What I’ll remember most was having a chance late in the game, and having 4-5 empty trips down the court,’ Paleno said. ‘You can’t do that against a team as good as Fairfax.

‘We have to play as a five-man unit; we can’t go one against five. And a couple of our guys did not understand that. We’ve had that problem off-and-on during the season. They’re trying to make things happen. But they have to understand you’re not going to beat anyone one on five.’

-- Mike Terry