Marriotts Ridge boys basketball coach Seth Willingham secures 200th career victory in 66-57 win over Howard

Jan. 3—By Jacob Steinberg — jsteinberg@baltsun.com — Baltimore Sun Media

PUBLISHED:January 3, 2024 at 8:36 p.m.| UPDATED:January 3, 2024 at 9:06 p.m.

Marriotts Ridge boys basketball found itself in a one-point game against Howard early in the fourth quarter Wednesday.

The Lions were prolific from behind the arc, connecting on nine 3-pointers up to that point. But then, Marriotts Ridge played its best defensive sequences of the night. The Mustangs extended their zone, speeding up the Lions and creating turnovers.

Senior guard Jack Bonner and junior Restia Whitaker quickly took advantage with leak outs in transition, sparking an 11-0 run over a three-minute stretch. Bonner scored a team-high 26 points on the night, while Whitaker added 21, 16 of which came in the second half.

That spurt helped Mustangs the Mustangs pull away from the Lions, leading to a 66-57 victory, the 200th career win for Marriotts Ridge coach Seth Willingham.

"I think the biggest thing for me as a coach is having guys and girls come back," Willingham said. "Girls that I coached back in the early 2000s from Oakland Mills I still stay in touch with and have been in their weddings. That's what coaching is about. The wins are nice obviously, but you can't do it without the players. I try to put in a lot of hours scouting and breaking down film and these guys do a great job of executing what we're trying to do. It's enjoyable. The wins are important but it's more about building relationships with these guys and giving them something to be proud of."

While the Mustangs' defense executed late, it struggled in the opening quarter. Howard effectively swung the ball from side-to-side against the zone, scoring 21 first-quarter points. Jamie Del-Rosso Freeman buried a pair of 3s, while Griffin Garner also connected from behind the arc. Isaiah Omole found success inside and created second-chance opportunities as the Lions led by six after one.

Once seemingly destined for a shootout, both sides cooled off in the second, each only scoring seven in the frame, sending the Mustangs (7-2, 4-1 Howard County) into halftime in a six-point hole.

After missing several open looks in the first half, Whitaker continued with an attacking mindset. He scored Marriotts Ridge's first five points of the second half.

"Whoever was out in front of me I knew couldn't guard me," Whitaker said. "I knew whoever it was, I was just going to continue attacking until shots started falling. They started falling in the second half and we got the win."

Meanwhile, Bonner continued to spearhead the Mustangs' offense with 10 more points in the third quarter. Freshman Blake Willingham added in a timely 3-pointer, which helped the Mustangs enter the fourth with a one-point advantage. Joseph Asubonten put the Lions back on top early in the fourth, but it wouldn't hold.

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Bonner answered with two free throws, as he and Whitaker's relentless attacking mindset continued to challenge Howard's defense. The Lions defensive struggles fed into their offense. The increased pace led to several Lions turnovers with Marriotts Ridge's confidence soaring after each bucket.

"I think it's just trusting each other, confidence within us," Bonner said. "Having confidence in your teammate to make that play, having confidence in your teammate to make that one extra pass, always be ready and keep your hands up. We all just play so well together. I'm so proud of this group, being a senior and seeing this team living in the moment right now and just having a good time."

Blake Willingham delivered another critical 3 as the Mustangs' lead grew larger. The Lions (4-5, 1-4) ended their three-and-a-half minute scoring drought, but it proved to be to be late. Then, Whitaker dribbled out the final seconds as Marriotts Ridge secured a sixth straight win and milestone victory for their third-year coach.

"We really play well together as a team. That's kind of been our big message from the beginning of the year is, 'Worry about us in the locker room and don't worry about the rest of the stuff,'" Willingham said. "Nobody expected much from us this year, but we knew we had. We had a good summer; we played some good teams in West Virginia and we showed a lot of really good things. They're just playing good team ball and five guys are stronger than one."

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