DRIVE THROUGH: Stuart Country Day basketball player Harlyn Bell puts up a shot over a foe in recent action. Last Friday, senior Bell scored six points in a losing cause as Stuart fell 37-27 to the George School (Pa.). The Tartans, now 10-9, are starting action in the state Prep B tournament this week where they are seeded fifth and will play at No. 4 Pennington in a quarterfinal contest on February 11. Stuart is also slated to host Steinert on February 12 and to play at the Academy of New Church (Pa.) on February 13. The Tartans will also be taking part in the Mercer County Tournament, where they have been seeded ninth and will play at No. 8 Steinert in the first round. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Harlyn Bell liked how things were going as the Stuart Country Day School basketball team battled the George School (Pa.) to a 12-12 stalemate through two quarters last Friday.

“I definitely thought we were in good shape,” said Stuart senior standout Bell. “Our defense was really great, we have been working on it all season.”

After Stuart fell behind 22-16 early in the fourth quarter, Bell had some good moments, hitting two jump shots as Stuart narrowed the gap to 26-22 with about three minutes remaining in regulation. The Tartans, though, never got any closer as they fell 37-27.

“Coach Leith always says you can never lose the game in the last two minutes so that kind of mentality really pushed me to score a little,” said Bell, reflecting on her fourth quarter heroics.

In reflecting on the loss, Bell acknowledged that Stuart has to be sharper with the ball.

“Unfortunately we had a few breakdowns,” said Bell. “We can learn better offensive execution with crisper passes, faster transition, and less dribbling.”

Working hard over her career, Bell has transitioned into a solid defensive player for the Tartans.

“I have improved defensively, when I was a freshman, I would foul out,” said Bell.

“I really picked up moving my feet, especially this year with coach [Justin] Leith. He has been amazing ingraining that in us.”

Bell has also picked up her offensive game, gaining confidence in her shot.

“That is something we work on in practice a lot,” said Bell “Coach is trying to get all of us to be confident in putting up shots. This year I have seen improvement in myself.”

In Bell’s view, first-year head coach Leith has helped each of the Stuart players improve.

“He is definitely different than all of our other coaches,” said Bell. “He is very tough but he can see potential in all of us. He really forces us to step up so that is good.”

Coach Leith, for his part, was disappointed with how his team failed to step up in the fourth quarter against George.

“One of the goals is to speed the tempo and play our game in the second half but we didn’t execute,” said Leith.

While Leith was heartened to see Bell’s second fourth quarter jumper draw Stuart to within four, he felt like his squad never found an offensive rhythm.

“There were very small flashes of how we can play and that was one of them,” said Leith. “That didn’t give me any more encouragement because we never put those things together. The game felt like one big lull.”

In order to put things together, Stuart needs to transfer what it does in practice to the games.

“It really is about growing as individuals and growing as a team,” said Leith, whose team moved to 10-9 with a 55-27 loss to Country Day School of the Sacred Heart last Saturday.

“They are understanding how to work hard but they are not understanding how to apply it. That is obvious from this game.”

Leith is seeing growth from junior Harley Guzman and Bell. “Harley did a great job of staying out of foul trouble, she shot the ball pretty well,” said Leith.

“She didn’t make the best decisions but she is still a junior. She is getting there, she has definitely improved over the season. Harlyn wasn’t hitting shots that she hits in practice, she had some really good looks. Against Villa Victoria, she had the same open looks and she hit six or seven in a row. She just wasn’t hitting today but she played great defense.”

As fifth-seeded Stuart plays at No. 4 Pennington on February 11 in the state Prep B quarterfinals, Leith is looking for a great effort.

“It was really about getting a win in the first round of the preps,” said Leith, noting that Stuart fell 59-31 to Pennington in regular season play.

“If we play our game, there is a possibility to beat them but we have to play our best game. If we are firing on all cylinders on Wednesday, it should be a good game.”

Bell, for her part, is looking to end her Stuart career by firing away. “I haven’t had a 20-point game ever so I would like to get that, I have had 18,” said Bell, who also stars as a goalie in both field hockey and lacrosse and is headed to Wake Forest. “That is a goal I want to get by the end of the season. But you know what, I just want to enjoy the last few games.”