Well-Rounded Attack Lifts Sharon Basketball in Opener

Opening what they strive to make become a state championship season, the Sharon High boys basketball team didn’t fire on all cylinders and found themselves in a too-close-for-comfort battle on the road versus Davenport Division rival Stoughton on Wednesday night.

However, Eagles sophomore Jordan Mello-Klein’s 20 points off the bench and senior captain Brian Mukasa's 19 provided the necessary offensive firepower, and Sharon’s defense held down the Black Knights for a 64-51 victory.

“We did a lot of good things and made some mistakes – it’s a work in progress,” said Sharon Head Coach Bruce Jackman. “I think when push came to shove, our defense played very well. Brian and Jordan did a good job, [senior] Earl [Dessesaure] did a great job, and we got some good leadership.”

Senior captain Erik Kushner said, “I thought it was an ugly win, but we’re 1-0, and that’s all that matters. We grinded it out, and that just shows the heart and depth of this team.”

Stoughton fixated its defensive efforts on slowing down Mukasa and senior captain James Fritzson, who numerous observers consider among the top backcourt tandems in the state.

Mukasa was his usual effective self, and Fritzson chipped in 16 points although he did not drain any of his eight three-point attempts. Fritzson’s long-range marksmanship was one of the paramount factors in Sharon’s run to the Division II South Semifinals last season.

Wednesday, Mello-Klein sank three treys in his 26 minutes on the court, which Fritzson says offered an enormous lift. “Mello[-Klein] really stepped up, big-time. He really took over some of the load, especially for me, because I had a really, really rough game. I’m thankful for Jordan doing that. We just had a lot of contributions from everyone,” Fritzson said.

Mukasa says that guards Mello-Klein and sophomore Matt Lowerre, the latter starting his first varsity game, are taking advantage of their new responsibilities, calling them “weapons” against Stoughton.

“Jordan in the opening minutes was kind of reluctant, but as the game went on, he kind of embraced the role more. Matt, I think he needs to embrace it a little more, but I think he’s come a long way, as well. And he’s playing major minutes as a sophomore, so it’s tough,” said Mukasa, who began played regularly on varsity in his freshman year.

Kushner also lauded the inside work of Dessesaure, who provided the Eagles an post presence defensively and rebounding. The center recorded eight boards and two blocked shots, both team highs, in 18 minutes off the bench. “Earl Dessesaure played a great game. First varsity game [playing significant minutes], he played unbelievable,” Kushner said.

While the majority of pre-season prognostications have forecasted success for Sharon largely on the backs of Mukasa and Fritzson, the development of depth may prove equally vital. “It’s very important. We can’t win a state championship or a Hock championship without contributions from the bench and other people,” Fritzson said.

One question mark entering the game for Sharon was defense, but Kushner was pleased with the Eagles’ performance at that end of the floor. “I thought we did a great job defensively. We let up 51 points; if we let up that many points, I think we can stay with most teams in this [Hockomock] league,” he said.

For Stoughton, senior forward Joey Wilder led the squad with 19 points. Kushner says that the Black Knights, who dropped to 0-2 with the loss, were their usual feisty selves.

“They call themselves ‘Toughtown’, and they are. They always bring it. They’re scrappy, they’re hungry, and they brought us to the brink, but the better team came out on top,” Kushner said. Stoughton travels to Milford on Friday.

With the snow on Tuesday having pushed the season opener to Wednesday, breaking up the normal season routine of games Tuesdays and Fridays, Sharon (1-0) will have one day off before welcoming Foxboro to Eagle Gymnasium on Friday. Jackman listed inside play, hitting layups, and making better decisions on the court as areas for the Eagles to focus on improving.

On the latter area, Kushner said, “We made way too many turnovers [17 vs. Stoughton] - just a lot of mental mistakes. But it was the first game, so hopefully we’ll get better with practice and take a step forward on Friday.”

Mukasa says that Sharon needs to finish teams off when they have the opportunity, as was the case on Wednesday. He says that game-sealing runs need to begin with opportunistic defense, which squeeze the life out of opponents.

“We just need to get stops. When we get those deflections, those run-outs, those layups, the energy is better. Then, we want to play more defense, and it starts the vicious [positive] cycle,” Mukasa said.

Friday will be the Sharon’s home opener, and players expect the ‘Screamin Eagles’ to be amped up to boost their team to its second Davenport Division victory entering the holiday break for both school and the team (games). Game time is 6:30 pm at Sharon High.

Fritzson said, “It’s definitely going to be wild. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I hope we can get the win.”