Post Play Powers Sharon Past Milford

The hallmark of the Sharon High basketball team for most of the 2013-14 season has been the dynamic performance of senior captain James Fritzson (the Hockomock League scoring leader) and his fellow guards, senior captain Brian Mukasa and sophomore Jordan Mello-Klein.

Experimenting with a different personnel grouping on Friday night against Milford, Sharon Head Coach Bruce Jackman switched from the four-guard attack of prior games to insert two post players in the starting lineup. Fritzson poured in another 22 points and Mukasa posted 17, both at their season norms.

The deciding factor in the game proved to be Eagles’ big men providing a welcomed boost. Senior Earl Dessesaure and sophomore Michael Zola capitalized on their opportunities with a combined 17 points and 17 rebounds, as Sharon downed the Hawks, 62-44, in a Davenport Division matchup in front of a raucous crowd at Eagle Gymnasium.

“This was one of the best games we’ve had so far,” said Dessesaure, who finished within one rebound of a double-double (10 points, 9 rebounds) and recorded Sharon’s three blocks. “Defensively, we held them to 44 points. We were able to get on a huge run and blow them out by 18. We haven’t had a big win like that all year; we’ve had to struggle. It was a good win for us.”

Senior captain Erik Kushner said, “I thought we executed offensively and defensively, and the big man play was huge. I didn’t have a great night, but Earl and Zola stepped up when the team needed them. Their play will make us that much more lethal offensively to complement our three All-Stars [Mukasa, Fritzson, Mello-Klein].”

Unlike numerous prior games, in which Sharon struggled to find their rhythm in the opening minutes, the Eagles sprinted to an 11-0 lead within three minutes of the opening tap. Milford did not score their first points on Sharon until 4:09 remained in the first period.

Similar to last year’s game at Eagle Gymnasium between these two teams, in which Sharon rode a wave of momentum from the Eagles’ football team receiving their Super Bowl rings before the game to jump out to a commanding early lead, Milford on Friday bounced back and hung tough in the second quarter, to trail by nine (31-22) entering halftime.

Jackman says that the Hawks were the first team all season whose press gave Sharon “minor” resistance bringing the ball up the floor. “Nobody has been able to do it, and they gave us some problems. But we were able to straighten it out,” Jackman said.

After Milford legend Earl “The Pearl” Wilson treated the crowd to his signature half-court, backwards-over-the-shoulder shots, Sharon reasserted themselves late in the third quarter, taking a 15-point lead after three, and sealed the game in the fourth with one of their trademark runs of pressure defense translating to easy offense.

Zola said, “We turned it around with good steals and finished our layups down the court. Overall, we ran the court and did very well.” Dessesaure added, “Two bigs, I think, helped. We were able to rebound. And our defense in the half-court was very good; we were able to stop them inside, and we were able to trap them and get steals.”

With defense having been an inconsistent area for Sharon this year, Jackman was buoyed by his squad holding Milford to 11 points in each of the final two quarters.

“We got a great defensive effort from everybody. It [two big men playing concurrently] gave us the opportunity to control the backboards, and we did a really good job inside. Earl and Mike Zola played fantastic. They controlled the backboards, that’s for sure,” Jackman said.

Dessesaure says that his game was predicated on playing off the perimeter players. “I was just able to get on the offensive glass, put them [missed shots] back up. And from penetration from the guards, I got a couple of passes in there.” On Dessesaure’s performance, Jackman said, “He’s very inconsistent, but he certainly shows flashes that he can do it.”

Dessesaure also threw down a dunk, the team’s first of the season, eliciting a massive roar from an already boisterous Sharon student section. Of his two-handed jam, Dessesaure said, “I’m happy, but many more to come.”

Partway through his first varsity season, Zola says that his showing versus Milford was one of his best thus far in his young Eagle career. “I usually don’t get as much playing time as I did, but I proved myself – got some offensive boards, got more points than usual. Hard work, dedication, working hard in practice – just wanting it more than the other team,” Zola said.

“Zola gives us a lot of activity,” said Jackman. “He gets better every single game.  I’m very pleased with what he did tonight. He’s going to be a solid player for us.”

Jackman says that when opponents need to devote themselves more towards stopping the inside players, they are prevented from focusing all of their efforts on slowing down Fritzson and Mukasa. “It makes a huge difference when they have to expend some energy on our big kids,” Jackman said.

Fritzson says that productivity from the post players allows the perimeter players to flourish, transforming Sharon into a “complete team. We can't win a championship without people like Earl, Erik, and Mike playing well and hard. It gives us guards more space to operate and make things happen. When they play well, it is really tough to stop us,” Fritzson said.

Looking ahead, Jackman says that the outing versus Milford provides him more confidence that Sharon can rely on its post players consistently producing. “Certainly, after [Friday]’s game, we’re in a better spot. It’s day-by-day, a work-in-progress. We’ll find out from game to game if it [playing two big men] makes a difference.”

With a 9-2 record (6-2 Hockomock), Sharon is in the driver’s seat of the Davenport Division and can clinch a playoff berth in just their 12th game of the season, which would be the Eagles’ earliest in many seasons, when they travel to Taunton on Friday.

Despite the team’s enviable position, Mukasa says that neither he personally nor the team as a unit have played well during the first half of the 20-game season.

While some consider that the team’s sterling record an indication of success, the point guard says that figure is relative to the other teams in the Davenport and is not the reference point to which the team is measuring itself.

“I like to compare us to ourselves. I see where we currently are and know how much more progress we can make going forward, so I'm unsatisfied,” Mukasa said.

Fritzson says that the Eagles need to continue to work at operating synchronously as a team on the court, and that everybody who steps onto the floor must contribute. “We also need to keep playing that tenacious defense and come out to strong starts like we did vs Milford,” he said.

The most pivotal variable to whether Sharon can maximize its personnel is the further development of its inside players, Jackman says. “We’ve got to continue to get big man play. They have to stay focused. In Earl’s situation, he’s got to stay out of foul trouble. In Zola’s situation, he’s still a sophomore learning the ropes. He’ll get better all the time,” the coach said.

Kushner says that the path that the squad must follow is clear. “All we have to do in order to win a state championship is continue to execute and grind out wins one game at a time,” Kushner said. “All 12 guys have stepped up at one time, and all 12 will need to contribute in order to achieve the goal."