(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: SENIOR MANAGEMENT: Stuart Country Day School senior guard Diamond Lewis races up the court in recent action. Last Monday, Lewis scored 29 points as Stuart topped Wardlaw Hartridge 79-56 to improve to 4-6. Lewis has been carrying a heavy load this winter with Stuart having been without Amber Bowman and Jasmine Smarr for most of the season. In upcoming action, Stuart hosts the George School on January 28, plays at Pennington on January 29, and then hosts Rutgers Prep on February 2.

Senior Star Lewis Carrying the Load as Stuart Hoops Tries to Find Groove

Bill Alden

Diamond Lewis knew before the school year even started that she was going be facing a major challenge this winter for the Stuart Country Day School basketball team.

The senior point guard lost her two running mates over the summer as junior stars Amber Bowman and Jasmine Smarr both suffered serious knee injuries.

As the season has unfolded, Lewis has been carrying a heavy load for the Tartans.

“It’s tough not having two other ballhandlers out there,” said Lewis, who passed the 1,000-point mark in her Stuart career late last season. “I have just got to focus on the team I have now and who can play and try to help them.”

Last Saturday against visiting Montgomery High, Lewis showed her toughness and focus as she helped Stuart rally from an early 15-2 deficit.

With Lewis keying a pressing defense and darting through the Cougars, the Tartans narrowed the gap to 38-31 after three periods and drew within two points at 41-39 in the last minute of regulation.

Despite 18 points from Lewis, Stuart fell short as it ended up losing 44-39.

While Lewis was disappointed by the ultimate result, she was happy with the way the Tartans battled back down the stretch.

“We were playing good defense and concentrating on our offense,” said Lewis.

“Everyone started to move to their positions and be confident with the ball. We just relaxed and played basketball.”

It was relaxing for Lewis to have Smarr back in the lineup as a reserve coming off the bench.

“It’s great to have Jas back because she can run the point now,” said Lewis.

“I can do some things off the dribble instead of dribbling up halfcourt, passing, and getting the ball back. Hopefully she will warm up over the next few games.”

Lewis acknowledged that she is still working to develop a comfort level with her less experienced teammates.

“Sometimes I trust them too much, sometimes I don’t trust them enough,” said Lewis.

“I am just trying to balance out what they are good at; their weaknesses and strengths.”

Stuart head coach Tony Bowman trusts Lewis to run the show for his club.

“Diamond does a nice job,” said Bowman, who got 29 points from his senior star last Monday as Stuart topped Wardlaw-Hartridge 79-56 to improve to 4-6. “As a senior, she is doing what she is supposed to do. She is carrying us, leading the other kids, and playing hard.”

The Tartans, though, need to play hard from the opening tip-off. “I think in almost every game, we seem to spot people 10 or 15 points,” said Bowman with a frown.

“We busted our butts in the second, third, and fourth quarter today against Montgomery to get back into the game. We had chances to win but we made mental mistakes. When we are down is when we want to play hard. We should do it from the beginning. If you show that urgency from the beginning, you put yourself up by 10 and the game is a whole lot easier.”

The return of Smarr should make things easier for the Tartans. “It is great to have her back,” asserted Bowman of Smarr, who scored 13 points in the win over Wardlaw-Hartridge.

“She knows the game and the kids respect her. She gives us the threat of that outside jumper. She is somebody safe to get the ball to. She is not in shape because she just came back.”

Bowman thinks he can whip his team into shape over the final stages of the season.

“I have plenty of games left,” said Bowman, whose team hosts the George School on January 28, plays at Pennington on January 29, and then hosts Rutgers Prep on February 2.

“I am going to use each one of them to my advantage to make sure that we get better as a team.”

Lewis believes that better times are ahead for Stuart. “I think if we just calm down and run our plays and play our defense, we might surprise a couple of people,” said Lewis with a sly grin.

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