'I get to play'
Will Lovings-Watts said he woke up early last Tuesday morning, music playing and a big smile on his face.
“I was excited about it, knowing that 7 (p.m.) was coming and I’d get to play with my teammates and play for PSA for the first time,” Lovings-Watts said after scoring a game-high 23 points in his season debut to lead PSA to a 118-61 win over We Believe Academy that night. “Missing the first couple of games was tough. I tried to stay involved even though I wasn’t playing but knowing there were things I could do that the team wasn’t doing, that was tough.”
Lovings-Watts and three other teammates were held out of the Mustangs’ first two games, in which they went 1-1. His return in particular provided a spark off the bench, energizing his teammates and the home crowd with a flurry of jumpers, drives, and in particular, a missed dunk over a defender that would have blown the roof of the gym. “I was trying,” he said. “I thought I had that one. I almost lost my mind.”
The Mustangs were in control throughout, leading 56-27 at the half.
“It was great to have everyone back,” said coach Tom Espinosa. “Will should be a force on both ends of the floor. He’s 6-foot, 6-inch with a 6-11 wingspan or something crazy. He’s a special player. He had a great preseason. We’re going to really need him to step up and play a huge role for us.”
DJ Dormu and Duane Thompson (also making his season-debut) both finished with 15 points, while Connor Dubsky added 14 points, four assists, and four steals. Blake Barkley and Ben Ahmed also played well for PSA. Barkley ended with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Ahmed chipped in with six points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.
The Mustangs won two more games over the weekend, first knocking off Evangel Christian 133-74 Saturday night. Loving-Watts led eight Mustangs who scored in double figures with 19. Thompson added 16 points, five rebounds, and four steals, while Barkley finished with 15 points, five assists, and three steals.
“There was maybe a little bit of a lapse at the start of the second half, but we feel like this was the first time everyone came out and played with energy,” Espinosa said. “We’ve got guys who can score, obviously, we put up 133 points. But we played with good energy on both ends of the floor.”
Also scoring in double figured for PSA were: Darryl Simmons (14 points, seven assists), Miles Rose (13 points, five assists), Ty Foster (12 points), Ahmed (10 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks), and Dormu (10 points, five assists, four steals).
PSA (4-1) then beat Ridley Prep 92-70 Nov. 16 behind 14 points from Barkley, 10 points and five assists from Dormu, 13 points and nine rebounds from Mouhamed Dioubate, and 10 points from Dubsky.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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