Plymouth Whitemarsh winning, but still has work to do
WARMINSTER >> In the eyes of coach Jim Donofrio, the Plymouth Whitemarsh boys basketball team is lacking in a lot of areas early in the season.
One thing the Colonials do not lack is heart. They fight and battle, maybe a little too recklessly, but it’s gotten them off to an unbeaten start this season.
They’re just making it very, very interesting.
“It’s a fascinating start to the season in which the best character trait we have is we don’t want to lose,” Donofrio said. “Everything else needs fixing. We’re young, I guess, they’re bull in a china shop kind of guys who are still being a little thickheaded in understanding the game’s a little more sophisticated than just go, go, go.”
PW’s latest trick was surviving a near-meltdown in the fourth quarter of their 58-57 win over Constitution in Archbishop Wood’s Coaches vs Cancer showcase Saturday afternoon. The Colonials withstood a 16-1 run by the Generals to eventually win on a corner 3-pointer by Cheo Houston with less than a second left.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Cheo Houston’s game-winning 3 against Constitution pic.twitter.com/TN1auf3wf1
— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) December 18, 2016
For three quarters, the Colonials (4-0, 1-0 Suburban One League American) played quite well, their best three of the season according to Houston. Then things started to slip apart in the fourth. After pressing and trapping for three frames, PW was on the other side of it in the fourth.
“They’ve all been close, it’s crazy, Houston said. “I think it’s good experience for us to go through these games but it’s not a good excuse for what we did in the last six minutes of that game. You have to improve every day in practice and we want to be better.”
Donofrio said it’s something where the guys on the floor need to see things as they’re happening and make some of the plays. The Colonials aren’t the best shooting team, but they’re quick and athletic so they get to the rim a lot.
The coach said it stems from several things. Many players are in new roles, some are new to the program and Donofrio even offered some of its on him putting a lot on them.
“If a Constitution kid is hustling back and you’re going to go hard at him, it has to be a foul or a layup,” Donofrio said. “We’ve probably led the nation in the first four games in having exciting-looking missed layups. We like to keep attacking but the kids have to learn to make reads.”
BOYS BASKETBALL: basket by P-W’s Ahmad Williams that tied game 55-55 against Constitution pic.twitter.com/d4SSQBj5bo
— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) December 18, 2016
Constitution deserves plenty of credit as well. The Generals never stopped and big time showings by guard Tamir Green and forward Maurice Waters got them back into the game.
Houston said Constitution’s press beat them up a bit but also said he and his teammates were making some dumb plays. Getting caught up in a high-pace game is still something PW can fall victim to because it is an aggressive, attacking team.
“We’re 4-0 on pure heart,” Donofrio said. “But heart doesn’t do it all the time.”
After back-to-back buckets by Laron Wills-Worthy put the Generals up 55-53 with 1:13 left, PW’s heart showed. Ahmad Williams hit a 15-footer to tie it, briefly, before Green drove in and found Yusef Diabate for the go-ahead layup.
Now down two with almost no time left, PW inbounded and took off up the floor.
“The play was just to go down the floor and find the open man,” Houston said. “We knew our momentum was going down so we were looking for a 3 to end the game. We got the 3 and we won.”
BOYS BASKETBALL: P-W's Ish Horn another midrange J off a second chance play pic.twitter.com/sAINQ1vHxB
— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) December 18, 2016
Ironically, Houston had been yanked from the game about three minutes earlier for taking and missing a 3 from the same spot he would later play hero from. That shot was a perfect example of what Donofrio means with this group.
Houston took a rushed shot in the midst of a opponent’s run instead of making a pass back out to burn some more time.
“When I took him out it was because he fired a 3 with us up six and it’s not his biggest strength,” Donofrio said. “Who knows, maybe it works in some mystical, mysterious way that you get him so mad that he goes ‘you don’t think I can hit 3s’ then he goes and hits the game-winner.”
Houston recognized the mistakes his team made, they just need to start taking the steps to erase them on the floor.
“If that light bulb doesn’t go on, then this is a mirage,” Donofrio said. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach a lot of great teams but right now, we’re not close.”
