(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction)
caption: ATTACK MODE: Stuart Country Day sophomore guard Diamond Lewis races up the court in recent action. With the speedy, skilled Lewis setting the pace, Stuart has gotten off to a 4-1 start. Last Sunday, Lewis contributed 19 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, and five assists as Stuart topped 91st Street Convent of the Sacred Heart 59-44. In upcoming action, Stuart hosts WW/P-S on December 19. |
Diamond Lewis had a lot on her shoulders last winter in her freshman season with the Stuart Country day basketball team.
The precocious Lewis started at point guard, assuming the ball handling duties and sharing outside shooting responsibilities with senior Caitlin Spratt.
Lewis handled her load well, averaging 16.1 points a game as the Tartans advanced to the state Prep B semis.
This season, Lewis is getting to share the wealth in the backcourt with the addition of freshmen Amber Bowman and Jasmine Smarr.
Last Sunday, the trio showed how dangerous they can be as they led Stuart to a 59-44 win over 91st Street Convent of the Sacred Heart to help the Tartans improve to 4-1 on the season.
Lewis led the way with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, and five assists while Bowman chipped in 11 points and five assists and Smarr added 14 points.
The sophomore guard is grateful for the assistance she is getting from Stuart’s newcomers.
“I don’t feel pressure because I have help this year,” said Lewis. “I don’t have to dribble all the time. I can pass, I can get assists, it’s great. Jasmine and Amber can run their plays and take shots. I can depend on them; they’ll make it happen.”
Lewis is working hard to become a dependable player on the defensive end for the Tartans.
“The defense turns to offense,” said Lewis. “I’ve been focusing on getting back and keeping an eye on the ball and my man. I have to make sure that I don’t get beat back.”
Over the summer, Lewis spent a lot of time honing her offensive and mental approach to the game. “I was working on my left hand; I was shooting,” said Lewis, who played for the Jersey Sting in AAU ball.
“I was working on just playing tough. I worked on not giving up and not showing emotion; to just keep playing no matter what happens.”
Stuart head coach Tony Bowman likes the pace set by Lewis and his other guards. “Most of our offense is generated from our defense,” said Bowman.
“We don’t run that many sets because we are always running. We are always attacking. We want to see if the other teams can stop our guards in the open floor.”
In Bowman’s view, the multi-talented Lewis is the catalyst for Stuart. “When you have a good, smart sophomore guard like that who sees the floor and has the inside and outside game, that makes everybody better,” said Bowman.
Stuart’s freshman guards, Bowman [the coach’s daughter] and Smarr, have certainly made Stuart better.
“We have two freshmen in Bowman and Smarr who can score and pass the ball,” added Bowman. “They all want to play hard; they all want to score. This may be the hungriest team I’ve had here.”
With starters Alex Passano and Katie Baker sidelined by injury, Stuart has been getting good work from Caroline Passano and Sarah Schulte.
“Caroline is getting to start and she is getting her points and rebounds,” said Bowman. “Schulte has some moves, we are waiting for her to finish. She’s going to be a beast, that’s what we call her. She is working hard to be our inside person.”
Bowman sees the team’s collective work ethic as a key to its promising start.
“This is the first time we have been 4-1 since I’ve been here,” said Bowman.
“We have usually been 2-3 or something like that. They work hard for me in practice; they work hard in games. I think the biggest thing is that they respect the game.”
And the Tartans appear poised to earn plenty of respect from their foes as the season unfolds.
“We have a lot of good things ahead of us,” asserted Bowman, whose team hosts WW/P-S on December 19 before going on holiday break. “We have a lot of smart basketball, a lot of hard basketball. This is the first time I think we can play with a lot of teams and do well.”
Lewis, for her part, thinks Stuart has the potential to do quite well this winter.
“It’s definitely going to be a special season,” said Lewis. “We have a lot more games this year and we’re playing some tough teams. We have a tough defense and we are progressing each game. If we can keep getting the ball and pushing it, no one can stop us.”
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