TOWN AND COUNTRY – The De Smet basketball team keeps a ‘Play Hard’ chart which tracks instances of hustle and toughness during games. One column is reserved for ‘and-1’s.’
“Being able to finish through contact is a big part of our game,” senior Jordan Boyd said. “When we can do that, we’re hard to beat.”
Boyd returned from a three-game absence to score a career-high 29 points, including multiple ‘and-1’s,’ and powered De Smet to a 78-67 victory over rival CBC in a Metro Catholic Conference clash Friday at CBC.
De Smet (17-4, 4-1 MCC), which defeated CBC for the eighth consecutive time, received 19 points from junior Will Foulk and 11 from sophomore Ridge Janes, almost all of which were scored near the rim. The Spartans made only two baskets from behind the 3-point arc while converting six, old-fashioned three-point plays.
“We’re a very versatile team,” Foulk said. “Obviously, we all can shoot, and we can also get to the hoop.”
CBC (10-7, 2-4) played without 6-foot-7 center Jake Plummer-First due to injury, leaving their tallest player standing 6-foot-3. De Smet attempted a season-low eight three-pointers and relentlessly attacked the paint throughout the game.
“It’s not like we said, ‘Don’t shoot threes,’ We’ll take the best shot we can get. But we had the height advantage, and there’s no point in settling for something when you can get a good look inside, so we just kept going to the well,” De Smet coach Kent Williams said.
And Boyd was thirsty.
In a Dec. 19 meeting with CBC, the 6-foot-4 senior fouled out with a season-low four points. That game was the furthest from his mind when he returned from injury Friday after missing three games, including losses to Vashon and Benet Academy.
“Honestly, I forgot all about that (previous CBC game). I was just thinking about getting back on the court and trying to get a win,” Boyd said. “Sitting on the bench, watching my team, not being able to go out there and help them out, that was hard. It felt good to go out there and give my all for them.”
Boyd bulldozed to the rim for an emphatic first basket of the game that served as a harbinger of things to come. He scored nine points in the first quarter and had 17 by halftime. He was a monster on the glass and also brought the ball up the court against the Cadets’ full court, man-to-man pressure.
If there was any plan of easing Boyd back into action, the do-everything senior made it increasingly difficult to take him out the game.
“That’s a hard dude to put on a minutes restriction. You see his impact right off the bat. He’s finishing around the basket, he’s getting rebounds, and he does so many different things on the defensive end,” Williams said.
Williams subbed him out near the end of quarters, but for the most part, Boyd showed no physical limitations or lack of game stamina.
“It was kind of play-by-play, see how he’s feeling as the game is going, and our trainer told me at halftime that he was feeling good,” Williams said. “It was great having him back in the lineup.”
Boyd’s good feelings were apparent after halftime as well. He scored on a strong drive to the hoop, converted a punishing putback in traffic, and set up a Braden Butler triple with one of his five assists as De Smet increased a nine-point halftime lead to 55-37.
Then, a flurry of ‘and-1’s’ began. Foulk had three baskets that were accompanied by a foul, Boyd had two hoops-and-harm, and senior Nick Harper had another. And these were no ticky-tack fouls. On each occasion, a Spartan was knocked to the floor but still maintained the balance and concentration necessary to put the ball in the hoop.
“That’s just their mentality, Take the hit and go finish,” Williams said.
Kyron Jackson led CBC with 20 points, Stacy Sorrell added 17 and Tristan Howard dropped 15, but most of the Cadets’ scoring came from the perimeter or in transition. The painted area was dominated by De Smet.
After racing out to a 14-1 record, De Smet hit a speed bump with three losses in an 11-day span, two while Boyd was out of the lineup. But after consecutive conference victories over SLUH and CBC, a healthy, experienced Spartans team feels like their best basketball is in front of them.
“We know each other, we trust each other and our chemistry has really grown over the years,” Foulk said.
The Spartans will host the Class 6 District 3 tournament in March, but before that, De Smet will host another high-stakes game against Chaminade (17-4, 6-1) on Friday, Feb. 13 . That result will go a long way in determining who is crowned Metro Catholic Conference champion – a title the Spartans have held for four consecutive seasons.
“The seniors have won (the MCC) every year,” Foulk said. “It’s a big deal for all of us.”
For a photo gallery from this game, go to this link: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Boys-Basketball-Photos/Boys-Basketball-2025-26/De-Smet-vs-CBC-2-6-26.