The rough around the edges boys basketball team showed just how much they’re capable of, beating Liberty North 47-43. The win improved the group to 2-0 on the season, as they fought through a very talented Liberty North team lead by star center Michael Hughes.
RBHS junior Eysan Wiley and senior Tre Williams would both take turns guarding Hughes, and both handled the pressure extremely well as they held the 6’6” forward down most of the game. It was team effort, though, as even freshman talent would come into play a big role. Guard Dajuan Harris was arguably the most valuable player, as he scored 12 points and had six steals on the night.
“I was just focusing on the game,” Harris said. “I did my job and we played well so I’m glad. We have a good team that can go somewhere.”  
It was two of the six steals that would seal the game though, as Harris scored back-to-back on steals in the final two minutes of the game. With only a one point lead, it was exactly the momentum the Bruins needed to power through the waning minutes of the game and come out on top.
“I was just trying my hardest,” Harris said. “I focused in and did it for the team, and we needed it. I was just being patient and relaxing when it came time to shoot free throws.”
The game-changer didn’t go unnoticed by coaches, as head coach Jim Scanlon was not only happy with the performance but knew it was a great sign for Bruin basketball in the future.
“Dajuan played great, there’s no doubt about that,” Scanlon said. ”We knew as soon as he came into the program that he would be a difference-maker, but we had no idea it would be this early on.”
Though the win bodes well for the Bruins post-season hopes, Scanlon is still in the moment and knows there’s quite a lot of work to be done to have the team where he wants them to be.
“We aren’t cohesive yet, we have a lot of work to do there,” Scanlon said. “It just takes time to get that stuff down. We have a lot of young players and new guys, like Eysan who just transferred from Jeff City, so it’s no surprise that we have to get the team to play better as a unit and stop taking terrible shots.”