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Connor Dubsky came to Putnam Science Academy’s prep basketball team known as a shooter, and while he’s working on the other parts of his game, he always has that “let-it-fly” mentality.
“I think I’m the best shooter in the country,” he said. “I can call anybody out…Gradey Dick at Kansas (University), he can see me right now. I don’t care. That’s just my mentality.
“I’m confident in my shot, and I let it go. Make or miss, I am going to shoot the next one.”
Nov. 15, Dubsky had 13 big-moment points as the Mustangs survived a shaky first half then pulled away in the second for a 95-57 win over Commonwealth. PSA closed the first half on a 15-0 run to take a 14-point lead, then Dubsky had 11 of his points after halftime when the Mustangs put the game out of reach.
“I told him a week ago, ‘If you’re not going to shoot the ball, I’ll find someone else,’” coach Tom Espinosa said. “He’s shooting the ball now. And he made some big shots and got the momentum going.”
Tarique Foster added 14 points for the Mustangs, who also got a solid game out of DJ Dormu. He finished with 10 points, six steals, five rebounds, and three assists.
Duane Thompson chipped in with 11 points while Blake Barkley had eight points, six rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots for PSA.
Nov. 19, most of the Mustangs struggled mightily on offense, including Dubsky who finished with just two points. But he, Darryl Simmons (eight points), and Dormu (four points) spearheaded a defensive attack in the second half that led No. 2 PSA to a gritty 76-63 win over Fork Union (Vir.) at the National Prep Showcase held at Albertus Magnus College.
The Mustangs went on a 19-6 run over four-minute span midway through the second half to take a 59-46 lead. Full-court ball pressure from Simmons and Dormu made it difficult for Fork Union to run its offense, and Dubsky twice dove on loose balls on back-to-back defensive sequences that led to back-to-back buckets, energizing the Mustangs during that run.
The Mustangs needed that defense with their offense going the way it was.
Ben Ahmed had 13 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks, Barkley had 17 points, and Will Lovings-Watts finished with 11. That trio combined to make 17-of-22 shots; the rest of the team went just 12-of-37, and PSA missed all 14 of its 3-point attempts.
“Some days are like that,” Espinosa said. “You’re going to have good days; you’re going to have bad days. But a lot of guys did a lot of good things.
“I loved our defense in the second half. We always want to play hard on defense, it’s what we expect, no matter what we’re doing offensively. And we struggled on offense for sure. But the ball pressure, especially from Darryl and DJ, and the hustle plays from Connor, that gave us the energy and the lift we needed.“
PSA finished off its pre-Thanksgiving schedule with a second game at the National Prep Showcase, finding it difficult to score yet again Nov. 19, but nevertheless prevailing with a 64-61 win over Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.).
“We won two games down here, and we didn’t shoot the ball well at all,” Espinosa said. “We’ve got some tough kids who stepped up and got it done for us.”
Like Saturday, it was another tight game in the second half before PSA’s defense sparked a run. The Mustangs were down one midway around the 10-minute mark when Mouhamed Dioubate made one free throw and Foster converted an offensive rebound off the missed second to put them ahead 49-47. A defensive stop and a dunk from Dioubate preceded two steals and scores from Lovings-Watts to push the lead to eight points and give PSA some breathing room.
Sunrise got as close as one point before trailing by three on the game’s final possession. That’s when the ball worked its way quickly from the right wing to the left corner for what appeared to be an uncontested 3-pointer. But Barkley raced from the right block to a step outside the left one, left his feet and leapt toward the shooter with his right arm extended, just getting enough of the ball to have it fall harmlessly short of its mark as the buzzer sounded.
“I knew I was going to get there in time with my length, so I went out there and blocked it,” Barkley said with a smile afterward.
Dioubate finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals, Lovings-Watts had with 11 points and five rebounds, while Thompson added 10 points for the Mustangs (7-1), who are now off for the Thanksgiving break and will next play on Nov. 30.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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