Senior guard Demetrius Boswell is like an actor whose stage is the basketball court for Bloom.
His emotions know how to run the gamut from comedy to tragedy, deftly moving past his humorous nature to being more stoic when the heat gets turned up for the Blazing Trojans.
“I’m a fun guy,” Boswell said with a big smile. “I like to laugh, and it’s how I calm myself when I’m out there playing. When it’s time to get serious, I go out there and play hard. I’m a fighter.
“And I love being together with my team.”
His teammates showed a lot of love Tuesday night for Boswell, who finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists in a 71-61 Southland Athletic Conference win at Rich Township.
Senior guard Adam Page totaled 21 points and seven rebounds for Bloom (19-8, 9-3). Senior forward Payton Edwards added 17 points and senior guard Elijah Lovemore contributed 15.
Senior guard Jayden Williams scored 18 points to lead the Raptors (20-8, 10-2). Senior forward Al Brooks Jr. ended up with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Boswell drilled a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter during a 25-point swing as the Blazing Trojans turned a 10-point deficit into a 57-42 lead. Boswell scored five points in the fourth.
“Our whole team tries to score, so I try to do everything I can to help the team and get myself involved,” said Boswell, who limited junior guard Kavon Ammons to just one basket for Rich Township over the final 14 minutes of play. “We had to fight.
“I tried to do everything I could to help us win. We had to play defense, defense, defense.”
Bloom swept the season series after beating the Raptors 58-47 on Feb. 4. Not coincidentally, that game marked Boswell’s emergence.
“He was our last guard on the depth chart and he worked himself up to a starting job (Tuesday),” Bloom coach Dante Maddox Sr. said. “He was literally not playing three weeks ago.
“That’s all about his character. He’s a team guy. He’s tough, and he does all the things that go towards winning. He’s a glue guy.”
The 5-foot-11 point guard has an easy rapport and chemistry with the other players. It makes him an engaging teammate.
“We have a 10-player rotation and our lineup changes a lot,” Page said. “It’s just about finding your role. He did a lot to help get us going. He’s a true point guard.
“Like our coach said, he just does his job. If you tell him to pass, he passes the ball. If you tell him to guard, he takes on a tough job.”
Lovemore said Boswell’s quiet and easygoing manner masks his effectiveness and control of the team.
“He’s a great player who has more in the tank that he shows,” Lovemore said. “He’s better than his role. He’s pretty quiet. He plays as if he has been here before.
“He plays as if he he has already played in these moments, and he is phenomenal on the court. He’s poised, doesn’t turn the ball over, and he just makes winning plays.”
Boswell’s quiet manner fits for this team, and his effort is the thing that matters to him.
“I lost somebody close to me when I was younger and I try to play for them,” Boswell said. “I like to run and I never want to slow down.”
While Boswell started playing in youth leagues at age 7, the game and all the moving parts just stayed with him.
“Last season and earlier this year, I didn’t get in at all,” he said. “It starts with practice. I play hard and do everything I can to get minutes. Once I get in, I’m able to show what I can do out there.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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