BIDDEFORD — Sanford boys basketball coach Paul Nolette has a simple phrase for the energetic style of senior forward Josh Schroder: “Schroder being Schroder.”
On Saturday, against Biddeford, “Schroder being Schroder” meant points and rebounds ”“ and lots of them.
Schroder scored 20 points, brought down 13 rebounds and played lively defense throughout to key the Spartans to a 60-44 victory in an SMAA game at Tiger Gym.
It was a career-high in points for Schroder, who was averaging just over six a game in Sanford’s (3-4) opening six games.
“The offense did a great job of getting me the ball, and I was just open,” Schroder said. “I got past their zone defense and felt good, so I just kept shooting it and it led to a lot of points today.”
Schroder was key in attacking the Tigers’ 1-2-2 zone, getting the ball in the high-post and wreaking havoc with his athleticism and length. And when the Tigers’ defense sagged off, he was also able to make them pay with the jump shot.
“That was his first complete game for 32 minutes, and when he plays like that and uses his athleticism, he’s a tough matchup,” Nolette said of the Schroder. “He can get steals, he can rebound with the big guys, and then, when the big guys try to take him, he can take them to the rim.”
John Morgan was Schroder’s partner in crime down low, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 boards. The pair were especially crucial in the first half, when their offensive rebounding led to 13 second-chance points as the Spartans took a 32-20 halftime lead.
“That’s what was really the deciding factor, that they were able to get those second-chance points in the first and second quarters,” Biddeford coach Justin Tardif said. “Initially, on the first shot, we did a pretty good job, but (Schroder) and (Morgan) just dominated us on the boards. Their size and their physicality just hurt us.”
The Spartans had raced out to an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes as Biddeford turned the ball over on five of their opening six possessions. It was a familiar start for a Tigers (0-7) squad that has been outscored 133-71 in the first quarter this season.
“We’ve had a very hard time starting games,” said Tardif. “We’ve been down 12-0 or 16-2 or 8-0 today; we just don’t play well those first few minutes, and for the rest, we’re just constantly trailing. It’s tough to win in the league when you’re down eight or 10 points from the get-go.”
Biddeford was able to stay within touching distance in the second quarter, but Sanford scored seven of the final nine points to take a 12-point lead into the break, with Schroder hitting a buzzer-beater from the free-throw line after an offensive rebound to close the half.
“I threw up a prayer and it went in, nothing but net,” Schroder said. “That felt good.”
Sanford extended its lead to 46-33 after three, and the Spartans hit their first six shots of the fourth quarter ”“ two from Schroder and four more from Morgan as the pair continued to tear into the Tigers’ defense ”“ to pull away.
“We were getting it into the short corner to John, and then getting me the ball at the high post so I could attack,” Schroder said. “And if not, I could give it back to John and he’d get an easy 2.”
“(Schroder) especially was able to catch at the high post and physically impose himself on us,” Tardif said. “We just didn’t have a good matchup on him.”
In addition to Schroder and Morgan, Sanford point guard Evyn Nolette had 14 points and eight assists while also playing solid defense on TJ McCann, who had 13 points for Biddeford. Corey Creeger added 14 for the Tigers, while Patrick Pearl also hit double-digits with 11 points.
Biddeford will look to get into the win column and will get to see just how far its young team has come on Monday when it takes on Scarborough, who beat the Tigers 86-32 in the season opener.
On the other side, Sanford will go for its third straight win Monday as it hosts Gorham.
“I think we’ve finally turned a corner,” Nolette said. “We’re back playing with the energy and the enthusiasm that we’ve played with in the past and that we need to play with to compete in the SMAA.”
— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.
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