Steward's solid defense leads to boys basketball win

They needed a jolt.

T.J. Grimes knew it, and Wednesday in practice, 24 hours before his Steward Spartans squared off with visiting Grace Christian, the veteran coach delivered it clearly and pointedly.

His words, intended as motivation, ruffled feathers, that’s for sure, and they got his guys’ attention.

That was his plan. 

His plan worked swimmingly.

“I literally challenged them,” Grimes said. “I told them they were a bad man(-to-man) team. Players were speaking up because they didn’t like that. 

“They responded the right way today. They sat back in man. They defended. They locked up. They shut some things down. It resulted in a win.”

Not just a win. A big-time win to the tune of 84-43 over the same team that defeated them 68-64 in overtime on December 10.

The difference?

“A lot of focus in this game,” Grimes said. “They knew it was a big game, especially for (VISAA) Division II (rankings). They played with a chip on their shoulders. They felt that they gave the game away last time, and they really wanted to come out and make a statement.”

They definitely did, from the opening tap until the final buzzer.

Fifteen seconds in, 6-6 freshman Niles Mason (12 points) set the tone with a 3-pointer from the right corner.

Thus began an onslaught that propelled the Spartans (10-10) to a 17-0 lead made possible by their scrap-and-claw, man-to-man defense and seven buckets from the paint.

“Defense set the tone,” Grimes said. “Our offense was really great. They played with a lot of energy, they played with a lot of fight, and they played with a lot of grit. They showed me they’re a tough team. I’m really proud of them.”

With 6-1 freshman Blake Watkins scoring 13 of his game-high 31 points in the first quarter, the Spartans took a 26-9 lead into the second and never relented.

Watkins’ points came from a variety of angles, close range off entry passes and behind the arc, and they came within the flow of the offense or in transition.

“I had a lot of open 3’s,” said Watkins, who connected three times from behind the arc. “There were open drives to the left side. And I hit free throws (6-for-7) when I got fouled.”

Try as they might, the Kings (10-8) could do precious little to slow the home team’s momentum.

“Playing full-court man and trapping definitely helped a lot,” said Watkins. “We knew we had to bring the energy.”

While Watkins augmented his first-quarter point production with nine more in the second, 5-6 junior point guard Enrique Ortega hit three 3-pointers and contributed 15 of his 22 points that enabled the Spartans to blast into halftime up 50-24.

“Honestly, I have great teammates and coaches, so when coaches call a play, I trust it and look for the open man any time I can,” said Ortega, whose résumé also included five assists and three steals. “I’m not looking for shots myself. I’m just looking to see how I can get my teammates the ball.

“I usually take what the defense gives me. Sometimes, they pressure me so I can’t run plays. Tonight, I felt very comfortable. I’m mainly looking for my teammates, and then it comes back to me because I trust my teammates to give it back when I need it.”

The Kings reeled off 11 points (3-ball and layup by Tierre Brown and buckets by Chris Tabb, Trevor Lucy, and Jordan Lucy) in the first three minutes of the third quarter, but the Spartans quelled that surge quickly and took a 70-37 lead into the fourth.

“We used to struggle a little bit coming out of halftime and give up some runs,” Ortega said. “We did it the last time we played them. After we called a timeout, we emphasized that we weren’t going to make the same mistake twice. We going to keep our foot on the gas like we did at the start of the game.”

Steward hit 30-of-56 shots from the field (including 11 from behind the arc), limited Grace Christian (Mechanicsville) to 15-for-47, forced 16 turnovers while surrendering just four, and outrebounded the Kings 33-27.

The victory keeps the Spartans’ playoff hopes alive. They’re ranked No. 12 in Division II. The Kings are No. 11. Top 12 advance to the post-season.

“When you know your team is invested to win, you want to play for your teammates,” Ortega said. “We’re going to do what it takes to win as a team because we play together.”