Coleman Muscles McNamara to Win

Brandon Coleman had a problem scoring last year. His 6-foot-7 frame would have no trouble getting to the basket, but putting the ball through the hoop was a whole other issue for the Bishop McNamara junior.

So Mustangs Coach Marty Keithline gave him a simple remedy.

"The goal for him is to tear down a rim," Keithline said. "I just hope he doesn't do it on our court."

Last night, Coleman had a couple of thunderous dunks, including one that capped a decisive third-quarter run that the fourth-ranked Mustangs used to break open a close game en route to a 55-47 victory at No. 5 O'Connell in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference matchup.

Last season, Coleman's main contributions came on the defensive end. But he knows plenty about offense, just in a different sport.

As a wide receiver, Coleman has used his height to nab several college football scholarship offers, including overtures from Maryland, Rutgers and Boston College. But if his offense continues to progress, he could expect some basketball opportunities as well, Keithline said.

"I knew I had to step up offensively this year," said Coleman, who matched Talib Zanna with a team-high 10 points. "If I can score in the paint, I've got to be aggressive, and in order for me to do that, I've got to take the rim down."

McNamara (16-5 overall, 9-2 WCAC) had trouble breaking O'Connell's 2-3 zone in the first half. The zone collapsed whenever the Mustangs looked inside to the 6-9 Zanna, and they made just two of their first 11 attempts from behind the three-point line. The Mustangs led 25-22 at halftime, after beating O'Connell by 17 in their first meeting two weeks ago.

But a follow and a layup by Zanna were the first two baskets of an 11-0 run in the middle of the third quarter that McNamara used to blow the game open. After a back-door layup and a three-pointer from senior Lawrence Smith, Coleman capped the spurt with a layup in transition from Brenden Bazilio and a hearty dunk right after an O'Connell timeout.

McNamara extended the margin to 43-28 with six minutes to play. O'Connell (15-6, 8-3) took advantage of the Mustangs' poor free throw shooting to cut the deficit to five with 52 seconds left, but couldn't get closer.

Coleman "is a much different player this year," said Zanna, who has signed with Pittsburgh. "He has a hook shot. He can score. Last year, he would hesitate, but now he's strong."

Just hopefully not too strong for the rims.

No. 4 McNamara 55, No. 5 O'Connell 47

Hold It: Shortly after its decisive 11-0 run, McNamara held the ball for virtually the final three minutes of the third quarter, and O'Connell was unable to force the Mustangs to move the ball.

Not Free for All: O'Connell missed seven of its first 10 attempts from the foul line; McNamara made eight of its first 11.