WATERVILLE — There’s no doubt about it: The Colby men’s basketball team can score.
The Mules have no shortage of players who can put the ball in the basket, something they did on repeat Tuesday afternoon in an 88-74 win over Maine Maritime Academy in the final game of nonconference play. Yet so, too, can opponents, and as the new year begins, that’s something Colby is looking to shore up.
“A big focus is just connecting defensively; getting five guys to work through that and being on the same page,” said Colby head coach Damien Strahorn. “We’ve got good defensive possessions in us, but they’re not happening consistently enough. Now, it’s conference play, and we need it to show now.”
At 7-5, Colby is averaging 79.3 points per game, currently third in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. At the other end of the floor, though, the Mules are allowing 77.0 points per game, better than only rival Bates (78.6 points per game) in the 11-team NESCAC.
It’s the product of a team that, while returning three starters from last year’s 20-7 squad that played in the NESCAC championship game, still has quite a bit to replace. Colby has lost five of its top eight players from 2022-23 in terms of minutes played, something that’s shown in the early going.
“We’re down six guys from last year, so guys are stepping into new roles, and for some of them, it’s the first time they’ve been getting 25-plus minutes,” said senior guard Liam O’Connell. “Guys are definitely getting used to it, but I think we’re starting to hit our stride right now as we get ready for conference play.”
The most notable of the losses for Colby is that of Will King, an All-NESCAC first-team selection last year. Now playing at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in California, King was not only an elite passer (6.0 assists per game, second in conference) but also a top defender for the Mules.
Maine Maritime Academy’s C.J. Lilljeqvist dishes the ball off to teammate Curt Heinz right, while Colby defenders Henry Westrich, center, and Lucas Green close in during a men’s basketball game Tuesday in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“Will did a lot for us defensively with his sneaky athleticism and good length,” Strahorn said. “He was a wily veteran, someone whose length and smarts made him a great player who could play good defense for us. It’s been a team effort for us trying to replace some of the things he did.”
Sophomore guard Max Poulton stepped up Tuesday as he recorded five steals against MMA. The Mariners had stuck with Colby for much of the game and were even within two points of the Mules with nine and a half minutes to play.
A big point of emphasis, O’Connell said, has been establishing better helpside defense. The senior felt Colby did a good job of that late in Tuesday’s game and expects the Mules to keep improving on defense if they can turn it into a strength in NESCAC action.
“Being able to have a (middle) defender in that paint so that, if we do get blown by, we have that help and are able to get the rotations pretty quickly, that’s huge for us,” O’Connell said. “It’s huge to keep opponents below that 80-point mark, and really, we need to get it to the high-60s or low-70s.”
Communication, Colby junior guard Jack Lawson said, has been another area of focus. Even with King gone, the Mules believe they still have ample size and length on defense to guard multiple positions, though that potential can’t be realized if the team isn’t on the same page.
Colby men’s basketball coach Damien Strahorn talks to the team during the game against Maine Maritime Academy on Tuesday in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“We’re definitely spending extra time talking through our actions and making sure we’re communicating as a team,” said Lawson, who scored 19 points to finish as Colby’s No. 2 scorer behind Lucas Green (20). “We showed that tonight, and we need to keep it that way because, if you’re not communicating, you can’t get stops.”
Colby’s defensive mettle will be tested in a major way. On Friday, the Mules will be on the road against a Trinity team that’s averaging 81.0 points per game, unbeaten at 13-0 and ranked No. 8 in the country. They’ll then be on the road again the following day against Wesleyan (8-3), averaging 84.1 points per game.
A key for the Mules, O’Connell and Strahorn agreed, will be maintaining poise in one-on-ones and keeping the ball in front of them on defense. Seeing that Tuesday pleased Strahorn, whose team had good moments and bad but didn’t appear all too rusty even after 23 days without a game.
“We’ve been working on that since we’ve gotten back from Christmas, and we’re seeing some good defensive possessions,” Strahorn said. “Part of opening up that double-digit lead today was finally getting some stops. I think it’s all there for us, we just have to keep working to make it happen.”
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