WORKING OVERTIME: Members of the Woodwinds team celebrate after their 66-63 win in four overtimes against Mason, Griffin & Pierson in the championship game of the 4th/5th grade boys’ division of the Princeton Recreation Department’s Dillon Youth Basketball League last Saturday. Jaxson Petrone scored 28 points and Gabe Majeski added 15 as Woodwinds rallied from 17 points behind in the fourth quarter to force overtime and eventually pull out the contest. William Doran scored a Dillon League record 53 points in the loss. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Gabe Majeski, Nicholas Bazarko, Nicola Carusone, and Quinn Ramsay. In the back row, from left, are coach Brandon Yao, Max Blecher, Jaxon Petrone, Nicholas Zahn, Mathew Land, and coach Benjamin Tso. For more details on the Dillon title games, see the item elsewhere on this page.

Taking the helm of the Stuart Country Day School basketball program, Justin Leith met with his players before the season to make sure that they were ready to make a deeper commitment to the game.

The players responded enthusiastically and Leith delivered, conducting more intense practices and adding more than 10 games to the schedule from the season before.

While Stuart tired down the stretch as it lost its last five games, Leith believes going through the marathon of hoops will pay dividends down the road.

“The girls were 8-8 last year so they played 16 games; this year it was 27,” said Leith, whose team posted a final record of 11-16.

“It was 11 more games and they were tired. Mentally it is difficult when it is such a long season and they weren’t geared up for that. It was good, it gave the younger players a lot of experience. They are prepared for what Stuart basketball is about.”

More importantly, the players are prepared to work harder in whatever they do. “A work ethic was instilled in them; some of them are in spring sports and they are telling me they are in so much better shape and they are so much tougher,” said Leith, who is also in his first year as the school’s Director of Athletics.

“When you are in the trenches, you don’t realize that improvement. The work ethic that is instilled in them will help them over their lifetime and it will help us next year.”

This year, seniors Nneka Onukwugha and Harlyn Bell gave the Tartans some good play and leadership.

“Nneka was more of a silent leader; she became a worker and led by example,” said Leith.

“She had so many double-doubles for us. Harlyn was more of a vocal leader. She helped set the standard early. I had a meeting with her and said it can’t all come from me. She was good at telling the girls what needed to be done.”

Several of the Stuart players came a long way as the season unfolded. “Madeline Michaels really improved; she started the last few games of the season,” said Leith, noting that Allison Walsh and Virginia Phlen also made strides.

“She played some JV games and when she saw how much she improved, she gained a lot of confidence. Kate Walsh, Harlyn Guzman, and Rose Tetnowski were all starters and all had good seasons. Kate was our leading scorer. We are going to have great senior leadership.”

In Leith’s view, the players’ increased dedication should help things go even better next season.

“We are renovating the fitness center here, it is part of the Stuart transformation,” said Leith.

“They can get stronger and work on their skills. Some girls are going to camps to help add to their experience and help them be a better team. They are doing things that haven’t been done here before.”

Leith, who had coached the boys’ team at Asheville School in North Carolina before coming to Stuart last summer, enjoyed the experience of guiding the Tartans this winter.

“It was cool; it was difficult to start all over again,” said Leith.

“When I started four years ago, I was new to coaching in high school and everything was new to me. This time, I had expectations, some were met, some weren’t. It was an awesome experience. Girls are different in a good way and it was fun to coach them. Everybody got better, every single girl improved by leaps and bounds.”