With his sleeves rolled up, Westminster boys basketball coach Tyler Forster was laser-focused as he guided his basketball team through the final moments of another tough Carroll County battle. The first-year coach finally relaxed and smiled once the game’s final seconds ticked off the clock.
His Owls were was starting to get it.
“Our guys are finally starting to buy in,” he said after the Owls finished their fourth game in five days. “The guys are giving us everything right now.”
A dominant second quarter carried the Owls on Tuesday night as they picked up yet another important county win, defeating Liberty, 63-56, to complete the season sweep.
“Liberty’s kind of had our number for the last couple of seasons now,” Westminster forward Charlie Mollman said. “To get this sweep means a lot to the program as a whole.”
Early on, it was Charlie’s shorter, but older brother Will Mollman that led the Owls on a dominant 17-3 second-quarter run that built a double-digit lead in the blink of an eye.
Will, who’s had to step into the starting lineup for an injured Paul Burgee, once again shined in his expanded role, finishing with a team-high 22 points and always seeming to be at the right place at the right time for the Owls.
“I knew I was going to have to step up and play big,” the senior said. “On offense, just getting open and making hustle plays was really huge for me.”
When Forster needed someone to run the offense and make plays, Charlie was the Mollman he called on. He put the ball in the big man’s hands to run the point as a way to combat Liberty’s pressure.
With the Owls clicking on the defensive end of the floor and looking good, it was time for the Owls to turn up the heat offensively and continue to separate themselves from a strong Liberty team.
“[Charlie] gives us a guy who understands what we want to do on offense and is unselfish with the basketball,” Forester said. “With our ability to shoot the ball in stretches, it’s huge for us to have someone who can kickstart us on that side of the ball.”
Looking to put away the Lions, Charlie kickstarted the offense and then some as the unit made the most out of every possession. He started off by first pushing the ball down low, often finding his brother for two easy points.
“[Playing point guard] opens up the floor a lot more,” Charlie, who finished with 10 points, 15 rebounds and four assists said. “It allows our guards to work off-ball, work the perimeter and get some open shots up.”
The production down low opened the door for Shae Greenwood, Tanek Zita and Brandon Barrett to get uncontested looks as the Owls offense ran like a well-oiled machine for large spurts of the game.
Greenwood finished with 19 points as every made shot was an instant adrenaline boost for No.12 as he made as many winning plays as he could to help bring home the W for the Owls.
“Nobody can really help on the other guys when Charlie has the ball,” Forster satd. “When they do, he’ll find the open guy and punish them.”
The Lions refused to lie down as Gavin Speace and Tristan West led a charge that saw Liberty get within four in the fourth quarter.
Speace finished with a game high 26, and West battled with both Mollmans down low, providing the only inside presence for Liberty en route to a 17-point, 12-rebound night.
Embracing the pressure defense, the Mollman brothers connected on one last pass for the bucket that put the Lions away.
“We’ve been playing together for 14, 15 years at this point,” Will said. “It’s awesome being on the floor with him and seeing what we’re able to do together.”
Looking to sweep another county opponent when they travel to South Carroll on Friday, Forster not only embraces the buy-in he’s getting from his team, but looks forward to the challenges ahead as the Owls continue to push for the county title.
“We have the talent, we have some size and we have some athleticism,” he said. “We just have to keep our heads down and focus on getting better each and every day.”
Westminster 63, Liberty 56
W- Will Mollman 22, Shae Greenwood 19, Charlie Mollman 10, Brandon Barrett 6, Tanek Zitta 6
L- Gavin Speace 26, Tristan West 17, Jayden Zumbrun 5, Ethan Hart 4, Colin Martin 4
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