Ron Fudala thought his USCB Sand Sharks had their best two preparation days in school history heading into a date with Lander.
They paid off and then some in front of a packed house at the Cove on Wednesday night. It wasn’t just a big-time win over a fantastic Bearcat team. It was a 20-point demolition. Despite a slow start where his squad was outscored 22-10 in the first 10 minutes, Fudala’s depth shined in spades to overcome the early hole.
“It’s nothing magical,” Fudala told the Sand Shark Gameday Network following Wednesday’s win. “They invest in each other and they work.”
The Lander win backed up a phenomenal response on the road last Saturday where USCB rolled Clayton State on the road to snap a mini two-game skid. It’s all about the response when a team suffers a bit of sudden adversity, and the Sand Sharks took it as pure motivation. All 18 guys. Fudala expects the same level of effort from each group that frantically takes the floor for its shift. And lately, it’s been the second unit that has led the way.
After pouring in 22 points against Clayton State on Saturday, Krishen Atwal shined again in the Lander triumph, nearly registering a point per minute in his 16 minutes on the court by splashing a pair of threes and knocking down all six free throws he attempted. He’s become a central figure of the offense that can hustle at lightning speed down the court and make the necessary plays to find an open shooter or even set up the pass to find the open man. His energy on defense has risen alongside his offensive skill set, making him the leading component to complement Fudala’s electric starting five.
“It’s just his process,” Fudala said. “His process is tremendous. He treats every practice like a game, and when you do that, even when you miss a couple shots, you stick to what you do in that process. Then it’s just a matter of time.”
His process was contagious. Emerging sophomore guard Lukas Platauna knocked down a pair of threes and an athletic Tasso Sfanos was active on the glass, with his ball-handling, and from beyond the three-point arc. What separates this USCB team from most others in this conference- and even in Division II basketball – is its reliance on its players 10, or even 12 men deep into the roster. And to see it to fruition, it is paramount for every single one to stay dialed in — shift in and shift out.
And above all, it’s hard as heck to keep pace with a team with so many interchangeable parts for 40 minutes. As a game wears down, Fudala’s squad grows into it and can overwhelm an opponent in an instant if it’s not careful. It’s been evidenced by a pair of furious rallies at home recently — including two mammoth victories over North Georgia and Lander.
And then there’s that swagger from a guy like Alejandro Ralat. A guy who has seen so much college basketball over the handful of years and knows when to step in when his team needs him to. As his team has improved, Ralat has grown along with them. He’s an unselfish playmaker who will get his teammates the ball and feed the rest of his play off of them. There’s no substitute for bringing in Division I experience, and Ralat has brought that with his own unique swagger.
Fudala’s squad pulled off another thriller under the Saturday night lights at the Cove against Georgia Southwestern, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit and stealing a 93-91 win on Kenney Gaines’ game-winning bucket in the final seconds.
The Sand Sharks need to take care of business at Georgia College on Wednesday before a home-and-home with in-state rival USC Aiken on Monday and Wednesday, because a menacing trip to North Georgia looms after. Every win, especially on the road, is critical in the race for a top-four spot and the right to host a first-round Peach Belt Tournament game.
It’s been an exhilarating ride in year two that is only just getting started for a team with already sky-high expectations.