STATE OF PLAY: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Lia States, center, heads to the basket in recent action. Last Friday, freshman guard States scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help 11th-seeded Stuart upset sixth-seeded Calvary Christian 50-33 in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public B tournament. On Monday, Stuart fell 78-43 to third-seeded Wildwood Catholic in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. The Tartans ended the winter with a 6-15 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

As the Stuart Country Day School basketball team geared up to make its debut in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament, Tony Bowman was encouraged by the way his squad was coming together down the stretch.

Playing at Kent Place in its regular season finale on February 25, Stuart rolled to a 54-30 win.

“I think that is the best they have played all year,” said Stuart head coach Bowman. “They listened very well, that was probably our best defensive game.”

Building on that performance, the 11th-seeded Tartans upset sixth-seeded Calvary Christian (Old Bridge) 50-33 last Friday in the first round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public B tournament.
In prepping for the state opener, Bowman aimed to get his squad to focus on its game not the opponent.

“You know how coaches look at tape and find different ways to beat the other team but I think the best thing for us is to worry about ourselves,” said Bowman. “It is playing within our means, playing our good offense, and playing better defense.”

Jumping out to a 14-5 lead heading in the second quarter, Stuart set the tone against Calvary Christian.

“We start out strong because our defense starts out strong,” said Bowman. “That 14-5 lead was basically just straight defense.”

Heading into the postseason, Bowman fine-tuned his defensive tactics to give the Tartans more looks at that end of the court.

“Playoff time changes everything,” said Bowman. “We were mainly doing a diamond, now we do a 1-2-2, a man set, and a little bit of a 3-2. It is playoff time, you have to change it up. Everybody has tape, everybody knows who can do what. The only thing I can basically do is change the defense.”

Freshman guard Lia States stepped up in playoff time, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the win over Calvary Christian.

“It took time to get her where she is at today — we didn’t start her in the beginning,” said Bowman. “She gradually got into the starting lineup and over time has gotten better and better. She is taking criticism well. She is a strong player who looks to be aggressive on offense. I move her everywhere. Sometimes I put her at the top of the zone sometimes, I put her at the bottom of the zone. She is quick to respond.”

Lia’s older sister, junior forward Taylor, has produced a very strong campaign.

“Taylor has her best games against the better talent, she has done well,” said Bowman of Taylor who contributed 12 points and 17 rebounds in the state opener. “I am very pleased with her. If she does well, we do well.”

Bowman has been pleased by the play of senior guard Annarose Bourgoin St. Maurice.

“I am ecstatic and happy about her progression in the way she leads, looking to shoot, and keeping the offense strong,” said Bowman, who got six points and four rebounds from Bourgoin St. Maurice against Calvary Christian.

While Stuart ended up losing 78-43 to third-seeded Wildwood Catholic last Monday in the quarterfinal round of the tournament, Bowman believes getting the win in its Non-Public debut bodes well for the future.

“It meant a lot, it is the first time we have been in the Non-Public tournament,” said Bowman, whose squad ended the winter with a 6-15 record. “We are going to start doing it on a regular basis. In the last two years, I only had six or seven kids; it is hard to move on with not enough kids. Now we have got 12 or 13 with a mix of juniors, seniors, and freshmen so it gives us the ability to play different people at different levels. If Stuart basketball is going to be strong, we have to be able to play everybody.”