It was a tale of two seasons for Strong’s basketball team.
After falling to Dermott on Jan. 9, the Bulldogs had a 5-7 record with a 3-4 record in the 8-1A.
But from that point on, Strong went on a hot streak down the stretch, winning six straight games before Dermott halted the Bulldogs’ run on Feb. 2.
Strong’s winning streak included handing Nevada their lone loss in the 8-1A, and the Bulldogs qualified for the regional tournament for the first time since 2021.
For coach Alex Howell, his second season was one of progress for the program.
“We turned the season around from what it was,” Howell said. “We started off kind of rocky. We didn’t have our full team, but once we got our full team, we turned the season around tremendously. The guys were playing great basketball, we were playing team basketball, we had a great flow. We put ourselves in a situation to make it to the regional tournament. We started playing good at the right time.”
Strong’s season ended with a loss to Bradley in the regional tournament, which entered the tourney on a 27-game winning streak.
“We took them to the end of the game,” Howell said. “It was a four-point game with almost a minute left before we had to start the fouling game. They gave it their all against Bradley. When you lose and you give it your all and your guys leave it on the floor, you have to live with the results.
“We had our mistakes, but we also had our chances to win the game. We just missed too many free throws and had some timely mistakes.”
Strong, which finished with a 12-11 record, will return three starters with Donquarious Page, Decoria Clemons and Kaiden McHenry-Jones set to return.
All are slated to play this summer on the AAU circuit under Howell’s guidance.
“That’s definitely still the plan,” Howell said. “I want to keep them under my wing and just continue to keep them around basketball and in the gym as much as possible.
“I want to give them a little more exposure, the ones that have a chance to go to the next level, I want to give them the spotlight and that exposure to get them on to the next level. The plan is still the same. I want to give them that opportunity.”
Strong will have big shoes to fill with Dontae Stringfellow, an All-State selection, as well as Kedan Rodgers both graduating.
“It’s going to be a big loss for us,” Howell said of Stringfellow. “While I’m on the phone right now, he’s the only one in the gym. He’s in here working out. I’m going to miss him tremendously. He’s just a smart, tough, fast kid, disciplined kid that I know what he’s going to bring to the table because he prepares himself well each and every day.
“He’s a gym rat. He’s going to be a tremendous loss. He’s shown an example of how things are supposed to work on and off the court.”
Howell said is expecting to get a boost from incoming players from the junior high squad in Drexel White and Dexter Howard.
“Drexel White and Dexter Howard are two kids that I’m looking to make a big step,” Howell said. “Drexel is a 6-5 kid and this was his first year of playing and he’s improving tremendously. Dexter has been playing for me for the last two years. He has a lot of potential. My job will be to make sure he stays in the gym and continue to improve. He can be a big spark as a shooter.”
Before the summer arrives, Howell will be coaching Strong’s track team, which has several members of the basketball team on the roster.
“Most of the guys are new to me,” Howell said. “A lot of those guys run track for me, so I’m trying to keep them in shape and making sure they’re working. I don’t want them sitting around and building bad habits. A lot of the basketball players are running track so I can continue to keep them working.”