Stevenson’s men’s basketball team is still in pursuit of its first winning season since 2018 and its first conference playoff appearance since 2021.
However, with a new season on the horizon and a new leading man in Coach Jack Bors, the entire team seems motivated to get out and play in the pursuit of victory.
Bors likes that his new team has no expectations on how much or how often each will play.
“They’ve all just embraced the fact that they’re trying to help the team win,” Bors said.
This is exactly what happened last week when the Mustangs beat Goucher 75-69 to open the year, notching their fourth straight victory against the school (dating back to 2017).
The Mustangs go for their second win tonight against Lebanon Valley, a cross-MAC rival. The game starts at 7 at Owings Mills Gymnasium.
Friday’s game was not an easy trek to victory. The Mustangs led 33-25 at halftime. There was a bit of stagnation in some halfcourt offensive sets, leading to a few brutal results with underwhelming shot selection.
“Oftentimes in the first half, when things started to slow down, the ball wasn’t really moving for us. We weren’t moving our bodies,” Bors said.
The defense was mostly fine, aided by the trap technique incorporated for a few possessions to counter the Goucher duo of big men and a number of opportunities in transition.
Although this unrelenting pressure altered the shot trajectory at times, the sheer length would win out at other points.
“It was difficult. I mean, we knew that that was their advantage on us,” Bors said.
Before they knew it, Stevenson was staring down on the receiving end of a 17-7 Goucher run. Their will to dominate the lane attracted attention away from the perimeter, and the opposing squad eased into a flurry of deep bombs.
Basketball is a game of runs. When one was desperately needed, the Mustangs responded with a 12-3 run of their own. The crowd got extremely hyped up, and it was punctuated in the most telling way imaginable. First-year David Pridgen muscled in a slam off a clean steal, and junior guard Andre Brooks converted his own defense into a great finish at the cup.
This would be the theme of the game. Everyone who touched the floor made an impact regardless of their class.
“Whether they were a freshman, it was their first game ever, whether it was for some of the older guys who had played a little bit more, they all kind of stepped out there with a similar mindset…..It was a nice blend,” Bors said.
Junior guard Kole Beaman led the way in scoring (16 points), hitting 2 three-pointers, and senior forward Kyle Luddy crashed the glass (8 rebounds) while tying his previous mark for 3-pointers in a season. Their veteran leadership uplifted the team even at some of the lower points of this game.
“Being in the game and….starting a run, getting the guys going…even when I’m not in the game, just making sure everyone’s involved,” Luddy said. “It’s that genuine support that can make all the difference, and it traditionally is executed by those with more experience.”
It was just as much about the freshmen in this game, as Pridgen scored 11 points in 17 minutes. Forward Jelani Lee provided solid defense effort in 16 minutes off the bench, and guard Solomon Lewis forced a Goucher turnover in his limited time on the court.
As feel-good as this was, the game proved to be tight down the stretch. Fortunately, the exploitation of pristine corner spacing allowed the Mustangs to seal the deal before the free throw game ensued. This was not even remotely by accident, as it was a calculated adjustment relative to how the game had been at this point.
“When they [the players] drove the ball into the paint….it was keeping the ball moving, kicking it to somebody else…on that second drive, somebody else would be open,” Bors said.
Even with the advantage in physicality, the disparity in points off turnovers (+22) and fast-break points (+7) proved decisive.
“I thought we were a little bit faster than them, we tried to speed the game as much as we could….at the end of the day, we just talked about making it difficult….our guys did a good job of embracing the gameplan,” Bors said.
It’s a great start to the season, for sure, but there is a mentality that Bors wants to ensure doesn’t get lost in these more positive moments.
“Whether we won this game, or we didn’t win this game,” Bors said, “you need to go back and watch the film and try to get better from it, regardless.”
