Maples snap losing streak with win over J-M
Last Friday night was a long time coming for the Mapletown boys basketball program.
The Maples put together a solid effort on the court and got that elusive victory after a 53-49 win over Jefferson-Morgan in Section 2-A play.
The win snapped a 79-game losing streak that dates back to 2015.
鈥淚t was a very emotional night for everyone,鈥� first-year coach Chad Stevenson said. 鈥淭he kids have worked so hard from the start of the season and they never gave up. Sometimes when we face adversity in games or things don鈥檛 go our way, we let things get to us. The kids were focused the whole night and never backed down.鈥�
Stevenson was an assistant coach at Mapletown the previous two years, with the Maples finishing 0-21 in both years. The Maples went 0-20 in 2015-16 and they lost their last three games in 2014-15.
Heading into last Friday鈥檚 game, the Maples were 0-14 this season.
Mapletown鈥檚 last win came against Carmichaels, 50-42, on Jan. 28, 2015. Their last section win came against Avella, 42-39, on Jan. 15, 2015.
鈥淲e were close to winning a couple of weeks ago against Avella, but we couldn鈥檛 close the game out,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淲e had like three starters foul out in the fourth quarter and we are just not a deep team. I honestly believed at the beginning of the season that this group could win a couple of games this year. These kids never threw in the towel.鈥�
Even before the win last Friday, the team has improved leaps and bounds from the previous seasons. The Maples鈥� offense has been more consistent, averaging 40.2 points per game. The last three years they have averaged around 25 to 30 points per game.
Junior Ryan Tuttle has been one the most potent weapons for the Maples. In the victory over the Rockets, the 6-foot-4 forward recorded a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
鈥淓than Carter was our most experienced players and he went down with an injury at the Carmichaels tournament,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淩yan has really stepped up his game and been a force for us down low. He has come a long way from his freshman year. He believes in the system and believes in himself.鈥�
Other key players for the Maples this season have been junior guard Chuckie Lash and sophomore guard Lance Stevenson.
鈥淚t was just so cool to see those kids that has been with the program since their freshmen year to get that win over Jefferson,鈥� Stephenson said. 鈥淭here were some tears shed in the locker room after the win. These kids fought through so much and all that hard work paid off.鈥�
Mapletown has been one of the most consistent basketball programs in the county throughout the years. Greene County has only won one WPIAL boys basketball title and that was the 1972 Maples.
The last Greene County boys basketball squad to win a playoff game was Mapletown, as the Maples secured a 49-29 win over Leechburg in the Class A preliminary round in 2013.
Mapletown has the second-most playoff appearances in the county since the 1997-98 season with 10, behind Carmichaels鈥� 13.
Stevenson hopes this one win will propel the Maples to bigger and better things in years to come.
鈥淲e just want to compete every night for the rest of the season,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淲e are not happy with just one win. We know we have some good games against Avella and Geibel coming up. We want to end the season on a positive note and build for next year. We have a strong 7th and 8th grade team coming up and I really believe the playoffs could be in our future soon.鈥�