BEY WATCH: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Bey-Shana Clark, left, looks to put up a shot last Monday against Princeton Day School. Freshman Clark scored a game-high 18 points to help the Tartans edge PDS 40-39 and improve to 5-0. In upcoming action, Stuart plays at Kings Christian School on December 16 before hosting its Stuart Invitational from December 18-21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Bey-Shana Clark may be just a freshman on the Stuart Country Day basketball team but she wasn’t fazed by the intensity of her first clash with rival Princeton Day School.

The skilled forward scored eight points in the first quarter as Stuart jumped out to a 10-8 lead in the battle of the Great Road neighbors last Monday.

“We were moving the ball well, we didn’t panic as much,” said Clark, who did most of her damage in the paint. “We really worked hard in practice and that paid off in the beginning.”

When PDS built a lead in the third quarter, things did get a little dicey for the Tartans.

“We were getting a little worried,” recalled Clark, whose team trailed 29-24 at point in the quarter. “We took a time out and coach (Justin Leith) talked to us saying calm down and that is exactly what we did.”

Showing its collective poise, the Tartans settled down and pulled out a
thrilling 40-39 victory. Clark hit a key bucket to put Stuart up 35-33 and ended up with a game-high 18 points in helping the Tartans improve to 5-0.

“It was just defense, keeping our heads up and not letting the other team get to us,” said Clark, reflecting on what made the difference for Stuart down the stretch.

In Clark’s view, the team’s hot start is the product of daily diligence. “We work our butts off in practice, coach makes us do so much,” said Clark.

Stuart head coach Leith was proud of the way Stuart took care of business down the stretch.

“I came in at halftime and said look our mistakes were just based off emotion,” said Leith.

“We are throwing the basketball away because someone is upset or because things aren’t going our way. I said be happy, let’s just play the second half the way that we have been playing the whole season and just play our game. We will see what happens.”

It hasn’t taken long for Clark to emerge as a special player for Stuart.

“She has been that way since the first game, she is a 20 points and 10 rebounds player from the beginning even though she is only 13 or 14 years old,” said Leith, noting that Clark’s transition has been eased by her connection with sophomore transfer guard Jalynn Spaulding, who chipped in 10 points in the win over PDS and hit a free throw in the waning seconds of the tense contest to give the Tartans the margin of victory.

“She is very poised, she doesn’t rush things. She pauses for a second and can go left or go right.”

Things are clearly going in the right direction for Stuart this winter in Leith’s second year at the helm of the program.

“The thing I am happiest about is we are getting better every day, I don’t care about the record as much; I am not even thinking about that,” said Leith, whose team built confidence through starting the season by winning the George School Tournament in the first weekend of December.

“We certainly have games this year that would be a stretch for us to win so I know that may come. As long as we are getting better every game along the way, that is what matters. I felt that today we were put to a real test against a strong team and didn’t have the luxury of pulling away by 10 points at the end of game. It certainly wasn’t pretty, but it was good.”

The squad’s trio of seniors, Harley Guzman, Rose Tetnowski, and Kate Walsh, have provided strong leadership.

“I think that our seniors are stepping up, Harley has been great,” said Leith, whose team plays at Kings Christian School on December 16 before hosting its Stuart Invitational from December 18-21.

“Rose has really stepped up defensively and is committed to playing. Kate is a leader out there and you see her speaking with some of the younger girls. It is a great connection, especially with the new additions. They have embraced them. and they let the other girls know my expectations, which are now their expectations.”

Clark, for her part, is relishing her great start. “It has been pretty smooth,” said Clark, reflecting on the transition to high school ball. “I think I have gotten a lot better. I play AAU and I am doing marvelous now.”