QUINCE ORCHARD – Before and after every game, all the members of the Quince Orchard basketball team slap the red and black “Play like a champion” Cougar logoed sign as they exit the locker room and onto the hardwood.
“Every game, we all have to do it,” junior forward John Fierstein said. “It’s a tradition.”
It’s symbolization is pretty self explanatory. And what the Cougars have already accomplished this year as they roll into the latter part of February with the playoffs on the horizon, they more than certainly can back those words up. They are two shots away from being undefeated, with buzzer-beater losses to Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Clarksburg earlier this year; and when you put it that way, you can’t help but think they could wind up playing in the state tournament in mid-March.
Coming off of a gritty 63-61 double overtime win against Clarksburg less than 24 hours ago, No. 8 Quince Orchard (19-2) sluggishly turned back around to grind out a meaningful win on senior night over visiting No. 16 Tuscarora, 61-55.
“We had to grind for this one,” Quince Orchard head coach Paul Foringer said. “I knew we weren’t going to have our legs, so I just told the kids to grind through this one.”
Like Foringer mentioned, after a grueling six quarter heavyweight bout with cross-county foe, Clarksburg, stamina would come at a premium. But having one of Montgomery County’s top tandums in sharpshooting guard Matthew Kelly and savvy forward, Fierstein, it makes Foringer’s job on nights like Thursday that much easier.
“You’re pretty good when you got Batman and Robin playing for you, you know?” Forginer said of Fierstein and Kelly. “Kelly will come up with a three from downtown or some wild jerky layup and then John (Fierstein) is so reliable night after night.”
Despite shooting a pedestrian 38% for the game, Fierstein (19 points on 8/18 shooting) and Kelly (18 points on 3/7 shooting) found a way to make ends meet on the other end of the floor with stifling defense.
“The backbone of our team is our defense,” Fierstein said. “Tonight it made up for our lackluster offensive performance.
Fierstein would spark a 7-2 run on a pair of mid-range jumpers to conclude the second quarter that gave the Cougars a 16-11 halftime lead.
Then, in the opening minutes of the third frame, Kelly drilled home a pair of 3-pointers to push the Quince Orchard lead to as large as 10. And even more fitting, on senior night, Damon Daniel connected on a 3/4-court shot right before the third quarter buzzer to swell the Cougar lead to 34-22 after 24 minutes.
“Man, that shot felt so good,” Daniel, the senior said who finished with six points. “In front of all the fans on senior night too. It also gave us momentum going into the fourth (quarter).”
A Doc Bonner putback, Fierstein layup and Kelly jumper would then push the Cougar lead to as large as 13 midway through the fourth quarter. Tuscarora would then rattle off a 9-2 run to bring the game to 42-36 with 2:10 to go. Foringer could sense the wear and tear that his team has been put through.
“After you play a double overtime game like that, and then the next night have to come back and play a team like (Tuscarora) who loves to run on you, the fatigue will show,” Foringer said. “I kept telling them to just get through it.”
In final two minutes, cool free throw shooting (15 for 16 combined) from Fierstein; Kelly, who made all 10 of his free throw attempts; and Daniel Dorsey iced the game and preserved the Cougar victory.
For one final time before he packed up his belongings, Fierstein tapped the red and black “Play the like a champion” sign, and knows as long as he does just that, playing for a state championship at the University of Maryland could come in a blink of an eye.
“We feel good about where we are right now,” Fierstein said. “We’re confident and never cocky. Anytime on any given night can beat you … it’s the playoffs now. Everyone is going to give you their best shot, so we have to come out and give everyone our best shot.”
Dorsey pitched in with nine points for Quince Orchard as they take on Kennedy this weekend.
Rhashad Johnson paced Tuscarora (15-4) with 13 points.
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