xml:space="preserve">
xml:space="preserve">
Advertisement
Advertisement

Boys basketball: Defense sparks Laurel's late-season surge

Laurel's Mamadou Ndjaye, center, drives to the basket with two defenders around him during the Spartans' 88-48 loss to Eleanor Roosevelt on Jan. 17.
Laurel's Mamadou Ndjaye, center, drives to the basket with two defenders around him during the Spartans' 88-48 loss to Eleanor Roosevelt on Jan. 17. (staff photo by, Jen Rynda)

Laurel High coach Torrence Oxendine said a few weeks ago that judging his team by its record — a woeful 2-13 in early February — was a mistake.

"I think we are at least a .500 team," Oxendine said.

Advertisement

The Spartans erased any doubts about the credibility of the coach's statement by winning four games in a five-game stretch leading into regional playoffs.

That hot steak allowed Laurel to double its win total in only 10 days, as seniors Devon Wilson, Adrian Rousseau and Brandon Roberson powered the winning streak.

Advertisement
Advertisement

"Defense will win games, and we are just playing better defense," Oxendine said. "The defensive intensity has increased."

The Spartans' late-season surge can also be attributed to finally fielding a healthy lineup after senior guards Wilson (knee) and Rousseau (wrist) and rugged forward Patrick Homes (hip pointer) all missed time with injuries.

"I think with everybody coming back from the injuries and making their way into the lineup helped propel us to some much-needed wins," Oxendine said. "Now, we can run our schemes better because everyone is here. It just gave us that extra edge."

Laurel's biggest victory of the season was Feb. 13, when the Spartans topped Suitland, 64-59, behind Wilson's season-high 31 points.

"Suitland is a top-tier team," Oxendine explained. "The guys all had a good defensive effort. I think that victory let us know that we can play with anyone in the conference."

Roberson, a point guard, also had a standout performance in the victory. He limited Suitand junior floor leader Roddy Peters, a threat to score at least 20 points in any game if not well defended, to 15 points.

"He is probably one of the top point guard prospects," Oxendine said of Peters. "That was Brandon's top performance of the season. Roddy is 6 (feet)-4 (inches) and Branon is 5-8."

Laurel had another stellar outing against Oxon Hill on Feb. 3, winning, 69-47, to record the team's largest margin of victory since a 72-47 thumping of Parkdale in mid-December.

The lone loss in the streak stands out painfully — a 62-48 blowout by C. H. Flowers on senior night Feb. 16.

"We were tied at the half and at the end of the third quarter, we were just down four points," Oxendine said. "But in the fourth quarter, we just fell apart. We just missed a lot of shots and some defensive assignments."

On offense, though, the Spartans have been clicking because they feature three players who score in double figures: Roberson (13 points per game average), Rousseau (12.6) and Roberson (11.6).

Oxendine's squad is also seeing several frontcourt players — 6-foot-5 freshman small forward Mamadou Ndiaye, 6-foot-6 junior center Kenya Brown and Homes — improve down the stretch.

Ndiaye's best effort (14 points, 8 rebounds) came in a win against Northwestern on Feb. 7 and Oxendine said that Brown "has been blocking a lot of shots and averaging three charges a game."

Recommended on Baltimore Sun

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement