Lakewood Ranch boys basketball wins season opener

The  Lakewood Ranch Mustangs went up against the Plant City Raiders Saturday at the RP Funding Center, each with hopes to return in the following months as a final four team.

Clinging to a lead for the majority of the game, the Mustangs busted the game open late for a 79-63 win.  

Lakewood Ranch coach Jeremy Schiller said playing in the RP Funding Center was a great way to kick-off the season. He said he hopes the Mustangs will return for the last or second to last game to be part of the final four. 

“It was a really cool experience for both teams," Schiller said. "For me it was nice to share it with Coach Teedman. We’ve known each other for, well, let’s not say how long, but a long time. It was fun to share it with a coach I have a lot of respect for, with a team that was really good. It was just a neat experience for our kids and fortunately we came out with a win against a really good team. Opening the season with Plant City is a challenging thing to do. They’re very good.”

Senior guard Damien Gordon led the Mustangs with 19 points. Fellow senior Jack Kelly had an 18 point, 10 rebound double-double, and two others nearly accomplished the same feat: Senior Evan Spiller had 11 points and eight assists, and junior Joshua Young added 11 points and nine rebounds.  

Schiller said the team plans to continue to work on meeting the standards set for the players each game so they can continue to meet their individual goals. Though he said it may sound like a cliche, the Mustangs are taught to take it possession by possession and simply watch how far they can progress. He said he cannot wait to see where the team is as a whole by March.

"I think we need to work on responding through adversity and making the right decisions when things go wrong," Schiller said. "Plant City made a few runs. I’d like to see us make bigger plays in those moments, but you know, we’re a new team.

"Trying to get guys comfortable offensively and defensively, it’s a challenging thing, but that’s what’s fun about the journey."