Hoops notebook: New Smyrna Beach riding defense, passing; Wait, how many rebounds does a Sandcrab have?
NEW SMYRNA BEACH — Friday night’s rivalry game against Spruce Creek went exactly how the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas wanted it to.
Their emphases were simple: Play good defense (limit the opponent to their magic number), and once they acquire stops, get out in transition and sling it. Run and gun. Spread the wealth.
“It’s just a great thing to watch,” coach Zach Camporese said. “That’s beautiful basketball. Poetry in motion.”
In New Smyrna Beach’s 58-51 home victory over the Hawks, it had four scorers finish in double figures. That’s nothing new, either.
Those four Barracudas are averaging at least 10 points per game. Seniors Lukas Parschauer, Peter Phan and Josh Reik contribute 13.5, 10.8 and 10.6, respectively. Sophomore Owen McLaughlin adds 10.
“When we’re passing the rock and we’re sharing it, one person is going to get a shot, another person is going to get a shot,” Parschauer said. “It’s not just one person they have to focus on. I think that’s (us at our best) right there. We’re moving the ball and playing as one unit — not just a single person but a team.”
Last year, on a squad that went 21-5, New Smyrna Beach also had four players averaging double-digit point totals. All four were seniors, so the Barracudas had to replace them before this season. But they instituted that style of hard-nosed defense and unselfish offense.
“They built the culture into what it is today,” Camporese said. “That’s why these guys are doing what they’re doing now … These guys here, they’re bringing it to another notch.”
Following a 9-0 run to kick off last season, New Smyrna Beach began this campaign with eight straight wins before a 58-48 setback against Atlantic in its pre-Christmas Shootout Saturday.
It was the first time this season the Barracudas surrendered more than 51 points, a number Camporese said sets the tone.
“That gives you a chance to win ball games,” he said.
It's worked so far.
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Mainland boys, Spruce Creek girls start hot with lofty expectations
Mainland’s boys team and Spruce Creek’s girls squad fell just short of joining the Bucs’ girls group as local state champions last winter.
Mainland’s season ended in the 5A state title game, and the Hawks lost in the regional finals.
So far this year, they’ve picked up right where they left off.
The Bucs hold a 6-1 record and have claimed their last three contests. Spruce Creek sits at 9-4. It had won six in a row before a Thursday loss to Timber Creek.
Seabreeze’s Randolph ranks among state’s elite rebounders
Sarah Randolph has always been a monster rebounder.
In each of the first three years of her high school career, she averaged more than 11 rebounds per game. Last year, she had 16.7.
But through eight games this season, the senior is corralling 17.1 boards per game. That includes a 26-rebound performance against Calvary Christian, a 20-rebound outing against New Smyrna Beach and a 23-rebound game against University that resulted in the Sandcrabs’ first win last Tuesday.
Randolph’s average ranks her fifth on MaxPreps’ state leaderboard.
She also leads Seabreeze in points per game with 11.8.
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New Smyrna Beach’s 00 agent
It wasn’t just Peter Phan’s 11 points against Spruce Creek that stood out Friday. His uniform number did, too.
Phan rocks No. 00.
NBA players like Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum have popularized zero as a jersey number in recent years. More than half a dozen boys players in the Volusia-Flagler area wear it, too.
But 00?
According to a scan of the area’s MaxPreps rosters, Phan is the only local hooper — boy or girl — to don the double Os.
Bravo, young man.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school basketball notebook: New Smyrna Beach off to a 8-1 start