For more seasoned teams, December is used for shaking off offseason rust before competition revs up in the new year.
But Southern boys basketball graduated its far-and-away leading scorer and a slew of other seniors. Injury robbed one of its better players, junior Rex Wooster, of the first month of the season. The Bulldogs start two sophomores. A freshman is the first off the bench.
And yet, after Thursday night, they’re 4-1.
It wasn’t a clean fourth win. The raw green of youth showed in Southern’s scrappy finish with Green Street Academy, 47-36, in Severna Park’s Winter Jam tournament, allowing the Chargers to close a gap so narrowly after widening it to 20 points at the top of the fourth quarter.
“We just weren’t being smart. We were rushing. We played with a sense of urgency as if we were down 14 instead of up,” Southern coach Will Maynard said. “We had to understand at the end of the day, it’s not about trying to score fast. It’s running clock, getting the best shot possible and taking advantage of their mistakes.”
Southern had no trouble plucking possessions off the jittery Green Street offense, leading to an early 3-0 lead.
But there, it stayed. Southern’s layup attempts would not land, and there was no hope of second-chance balls. While Chargers senior Ceandre Harrison wouldn’t be a threat offensively, his 6-foot-10 frame clogged the post and sucked down every 50-50 ball like a whirlpool.
Before long, the Chargers assumed control and held the lead at the end of the first, 6-5.
“But then, [Harrison] got three fouls and got subbed out. Nobody’s really getting their shot blocked after that,” sophomore forward Bryson Mims said.
Southern senior Ethan Sheffey mustered the only two-point basket of the first eight minutes. By halftime, three Bulldogs — Mims, Daniel Lewis and Joshua Howell — made regular visits. Initially, Green Street kept step, but as soon as Southern began to encore its scoring, the two began to distance. Mims, only playing the fifth varsity game of his career, felt the energy of the momentum, from his bench calling after him, drumming through him.
When the 3 sailed from senior Anthony Thomas’ fingertips, the Bulldogs eclipsed a double-digit margin and ultimately rode a 26-12 advantage at halftime. Whatever happened in the second half, they would not look back.
The third quarter showed no warning signs. Southern capped it with a 10-2 run; Mims decorated it with a cheer-inducing dunk at the end. But come the fourth, the Chargers knocked.
“They’re down. They needed to be more aggressive because they needed quick baskets. They need steals. We needed to take advantage of it,” Maynard said. “Instead, we got comfortable.”
Once Chargers guard Rashawn Brewer hit a 3, Green Street embarked on a 9-0 run, driving Southern to a huddle, and 14-2 soon after.
With a minute and 15 seconds on the board, Southern’s once-cushioned lead dwindled to 44-36.
The Bulldogs knew what they did wrong. They forced shots, passes, turning over the ball at a higher rate.
Sheffey leapt toward the ball. Chargers closed in around him, pawing for weakness.
Instead, Sheffey drew the foul, strolled to the line and popped two insurance points in. Then, he did it again and again, only tallying another point but keeping Chargers hands off the ball.
At the end, Maynard said, “I’ll take it.”
“We’re just trying to get experience and get comfortable being uncomfortable,” he said. “Later this season, we’ll be a totally different team.”
Have a news tip? Contact Katherine Fominykh at kfominykh@baltsun.com or DM @capgazsports on Instagram.
Southern — 5-21-14-8 — 47
Green Street — 6-6-10-14 — 36
Scoring:
SO: Daniel Lewis 19, Bryson Mims 9, Ethan Sheffey 7, Anthony Thomas 5, Joshua Howell 4, Myles Money 3
GSA: Rashawn Brewer 16, Dante Walker Jr. 6, Justin Thomas 5, Gavin Sydnor 4