Lebanon
The Cardinals are operating under first-year head coach Dan Ryan, a veteran coach with plenty of high school and collegiate experience who is still early in the process of putting his stamp on a program of talented speedsters with little in the way of a height advantage.
Stevens also is suddenly playing an NHIAA Division II schedule for the first time in years; it was one game above .500 last winter, the latest in a multi-year rebuild since falling short in the 2017 D-III finals.
The result showed on the scoreboard in a 70-21 loss to perennial D-II power Lebanon on Tuesday night at Lang Metcalf Gymnasium. The Raiders went on a 34-0 run after a game-opening 3-pointer by Cardinals’ Josh Stithen, taking a 34-3 lead early in the second quarter and a 45-11 lead into halftime.
Stevens scored only two baskets in the third quarter and another three baskets in the fourth.
“I love (my) team. I really do.” Ryan said. “We’re blessed with speed and quickness. We haven’t shown it. But we’re blessed with it. … I would take this team over either team we’ve played.”
Lebanon (1-1) got back in the win column after a one-possession loss to Kearsarge in its season opener, scoring in bunches behind a talented trio of guards in Hunter Bienvenu, Wade Rainey and Logan Falzarano. The three combined for 29 points.
“We had practice the next day (after that 52-50 loss to the Cougars last Friday); the kids have short memories,” Lebanon head coach Dave Faucher said. “They love basketball; that is what’s great. We did a lot of good things tonight, but we were the better team. That’s as simple as you can make it.”
Faucher is in his first season at the helm, taking over for longtime Lebanon mentor Kieth Matte, who is on a one-year hiatus. But his players barely notice a difference.
“It feels the same to me,” said Falzarano whose brother, Braeden, also is on the team. “It’s the same intensity, the same sort of system. All the same principles apply from last year. … It’s been a good transition.”
The Raiders have lost a ton of talent since their last D-II title in 2017 — Chris Nulty, Ryan Milliken and KJ Matte among them. It is up to Faucher and the team’s coaching staff to get the most out of their talented guards.
“Those are our players; they have to step up a bit more consistently,” Faucher said of his Falzarano-Rainey-Bienvenu trio. “I believe in them. I think, by the end, we’re going to be good. Our team chemistry is phenomenal. … That takes you a long way. You have to produce, but I’m really happy with the attitude of the team.”
Lebanon junior Jon Willeman led the team with 12 points. Sophomore Calvin Bates and freshman Jackson Stone scored seven each for the Raiders, who host Bow on Friday.
“We have some big shoes to fill with guys like Ryan Milliken and Chris Nulty,” Falzarano said. “I think playing with those guys as underclassmen has really helped us develop with Jon, Wade, Caleb (Smith) and myself. I think we’re ready to fill those shoes this year.”
Stithen led the Cardinals with seven points.
“I’m looking forward to down the road. I think we can compete in Division II,” Ryan said. “I know you’re probably shaking your head. … What we’re lacking is skills. We don’t have a skill set. From my 40 years of experience, you don’t begin to compete until you have a skill set. That we don’t have it yet, but we’ll get it.
“As long as we continue to work at it, we’ll get it.”
Stevens travels to Oyster River (2-0) on Friday.
Josh Weinreb can be reached at jweinreb@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.