Nearly Through Tough Start, Broadneck Still Above .500

Don’t let the Broadneck boys basketball team’s near-.500 record fool you: not all 5-4 marks are created equal.

Three of those four losses were within two possessions, including a 69-63 setback against Old Mill, in which the Bruins trailed by 22 late in the third quarter. Two of the wins came against reigning state champions, a 49-48 win at 2025 1A champ Cambridge-South Dorchester and a 71-67 win at 4A champ Laurel. A third came in a 59-53 win over Severna Park that, to date, is the Falcons’ only loss of the season.

The Bruins opened the season with a 68-51 loss to Northeast, and they added wins over Early College (Delaware) 58-42 and Annapolis 65-55.

“There have been no days off in any of our games this season. From Northeast, when we made cuts the night before and then had to go play, to tonight (against Old Mill), the guys have fought and battled,” said Broadneck coach Jeff Starr, who picked up his 200th career coaching win in the victory over Annapolis.

The Bruins had to do much of that heavy lifting without senior point guard Kamari Williams, who returned from an injury just after Christmas break.

His return has brought another key piece to the rotation, which has been pretty short but growing in options. The Bruins lean heavily on their five seniors — Williams, Ashton Sellman, Ben Adkins, Alijah Hawkins and Kemarri Collison — but sophomore Liam Sabo has been the most consistent scorer and rebounder for the team.

That, in turn, has forced the seniors to step up even more as they lead the team one last time.

“I think (especially) Ashton has become a better basketball player and stronger leader the last few weeks,” Starr said. “He is starting to feel the urgency and the clock ticking, and he wants to make the most of this.”

Sabo, Collison, and Sellman have led the team in both scoring and rebounding over the early stages of the season.

Broadneck’s gauntlet wraps up with successive games against Meade and South River, broadly considered the two top teams in the county. Then there’s a matchup with upstart Southern, a rematch with Severna Park, and a tussle with region rival Crofton in the regular season finale.

“We just need to continue to fight and continue to put consistent games together,” Starr said.