The men’s basketball team grabbed their first win of the season against the Dal-AC Rams on Saturday afternoon.
The Tommies started out slowly but soon got into the groove with sharp passes and well-executed plays. Both teams slowed down at the end of the second quarter, but by half time STU was up 42-24 over the Rams.
STU got the chance to showcase its defensive skills in the second half. Dal-AC picked up their offensive game, but the Tommies were able to capitalize on missed rebounds and push past the Rams 85-48.
Head coach Dwight Dickinson is pleased with the win, but knows the team still has a long way to go.
“We had a pretty good week of practice, but we didn’t see it in the game today. It takes a while to get [those skills] in the game,” he said.
The Rams amped up their offense at the start of the second half, meaning the team had to rely on defensive strategies. But the Rams’ weak rebounds allowed STU the opportunity to complete good passes and work on their own rebounding abilities.
While Dickinson struggled to name key factors in their victory, he credits the men’s skills in their zone and their tenacious rebounding efforts in the second half.
“Defensively, we held them down. Defense kept us in the game. [The Rams] got one shot and were done,” he said.
Corey DeLong and Calvin LeBlanc each had 12-point games, while David Dolan led the Tommies in rebounding with 10.
Dickinson understands the team is struggling in game situations but knows they’re improving in practices. He’s still trying to make their talent shine during games.
“We have to work out what’s going to be most effective against the harder teams. We have to get the ball moving and create better shots for each other…when those two come together, we’ll be there.”
It’s a long road of construction ahead, but Dickinson knows his team will work hard to get there.
“We’ll get back at it next week,” he said.
