Sterling looks to end playoff rut
When Derrick Lane took the reins of the Sterling girls basketball program in 2019, the outside expectations were not particularly high for the Raiders.
But since that first season, the third-year coach has been trying to change the narrative. That work has continued this year, even as the team carries a No. 23 state ranking from the TABC.
Lane, originally from Manhattan, New York City, coached in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama before relocating to Houston. He wanted to go to a school where athletics and academics worked hand-in-hand, and he felt like Sterling was a place he could experience that.
When he first arrived, establishing a winning mentality was the No. 1 priority.
“The main thing was to establish discipline and an expectation, not accepting things as they were,” Lane said. “I wanted to push the young ladies and teach them there’s more to it than just showing up. It takes all the preseason work, the weight room, the running, the cardio, the skill development — all of those components that were lacking before I got here.”
The changes that Lane has implemented have paid dividends in short order.
Sterling improved to 15-3 overall and 9-0 in district play this week with victories over Wisdom and Waltrip. The Raiders have now won more games than they did all of last season.
Sterling is firmly pitched atop the District 23-5A standings and has beaten district opponents by an average of nearly 50 points. The Raiders are focused on closing out a second straight district title. But the elusive postseason success is what the team really is chasing.
Sterling has not won a playoff game since 2008. The team that year defeated Reagan in the bidistrict round and Livingston in the area round to advance to the regional quarterfinals.
Lane guided the team to the postseason in each of his first two seasons in 2019-20 and 202021, but double-digit losses in the opening round sent the Raiders home early.
“Getting to the playoffs wasn’t expected,” Lane said. “Last year, it was expected, but they didn’t understand the dynamic of the playoffs. It’s a different style of play. I’m hoping this third year, with those experiences, that they can push through. They already know it’s a different style, different referee style. The expectation is different. I hope that builds up and continues to build.”
Sterling has been able to sustain its success despite losing its top player from last season: point guard Alazea Maldonardo-Jackson. She was selected the most valuable player of the district after averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists and 6.4 steals per game as a senior.
Much of the continued success is due to sophomore guard Joemoriah Ben, who was the second-leading scorer on the team last season. Ben has taken the mantle as the top player for the Raiders and is averaging 13.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 4.8 steals per game.
Ben recorded a rare quadruple-double Thursday at Barnett Fieldhouse against Wisdom with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals.
“She’s been the staple, and she’s been consistent,” Lane said. “She’s had some up-anddown games, but, overall, she’s been consistent. The others are gravitating to her.”
Despite the talent on their roster, Sterling still has a relatively young squad. The Raiders have just two seniors with Diamond Wilson and Ro’myia Hopkins.
Freshman Destiny Lewis, junior L’Paris Jackson, freshman Adori Howard, sophomore Asia Ernest, junior Janaiya Hobbs and freshman Deja Ray make up the rest of the roster.
“I just want them to play hard,” Lane said. “When you play hard, even though you make mistakes, it doesn’t look bad because you can recover from that. When you make mistakes and you just stop and pause and stop thinking, that’s when you get further and further behind. They’re getting better at understanding that, and that’s called growing pains. Hopefully we can get through enough growing pains by the time playoffs start and we can make some progress.”