Good defense often makes a basketball team’s offense click.
That’s been a key to the success Michigan Math & Science Academy has been having this season.
“A lot of points on offense are generated through the defense,” said Cougars coach Chris Williams after MMSA defeated Merritt Academy 61-36 Thursday in a non-league game.
“Our main concentration is to apply pressure and make the offense uncomfortable, then make that turn into our offense.”
Often the spark in the Cougars’ defense is provided by Elijah Brown.
“I’m the leader on the press,” Brown said in explaining his role. “My teammates and coaches hype me up, so the defense is always there.
“Our coach has been pushing us all year, not just when the basketball season started but in the summer. I love playing defense. Steals — that’s my thing.”
Elijah Harris also pointed to the defense when asked what was behind the Warren school’s 9-3 start.
“Most of it is our defense and our poise,” he said. “On every play we try to make sure we do everything right.”
It’s not unusual for the Cougars’ offense to come spurts. During a 4 1/2-minute span in the second half, MMSA went on an 18-3 run that all but secured the win.
Harris said those game-changing runs have been common this season.
“Sometimes we’re not locked in,” he said. “Then one of our guys scores and that motivates the rest of the team to go out and do what they do.”
The motivator against Merritt was Darin Stitt. Stitt scored all eight of his points during the run and drilled a pair of 3-point baskets. Jacob Carter and Alvin Dillapree Jr. also had 3s in the spurt that ended with the Cougars leading 48-26.
“In the second half we locked in a little more and got more focused,” Williams said. “We played good clean offense. That’s when guys are looking for each other, finding the open man and finishing the play.”
Williams is enjoying coaching the Cougars.
“I love to be around these guys,” he said. “We just work and try to get better every day. Our little motto is ‘let’s get better together one day at a time.’”
Merritt coach Liam Kneer liked the way the Mustangs stayed with MMSA until the second-half run.
Photos from Michigan Math & Science Academy’s 61-36 win over New Haven Merritt
“That definitely turned the game around but I’m really proud of my guys,” he said. “We didn’t know if we could win this one but we wanted to play hard. They did. I was happy with our guys hanging around.”
A highlight for the Mustangs was a basket by Carter Harrison in the final seconds of the game. When the ball went through the hoop for his first varsity points, Harrison was mobbed by his happy teammates.
“That might have been his first basket ever,” Kneer said. “Everybody freaked out. They were so happy for him.”
Dillapree led MMSA with 13 points, Brown had nine and Stitt and Jayden Clemens each scored eight.
Braylon Robbins led Merritt with nine points, Finn Kneer had six and Stephen Marks scored five.
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