The Bainbridge High boys varsity basketball team had a successful week, with improved play leading to victories both at home and on the road.

The Spartans (3-1) opened the week at home Monday with 70-59 non-conference victory over Central Kitsap and enjoyed its Metro League debut Tuesday with a 71-56 win at Bishop Blanchet.

Head coach Scott Orness said he is pleased with his team’s progress four games into the season.

“We are continuing to develop,” Orness said, “and they are starting to understand what it takes to be a good team.”

This year has seen a few changes for the Spartans, starting with Orness implementing completely new offensive and defensive systems as he begins his second tour with the varsity after taking a break for three years. He feels that his team is adjusting well to the changes.

Orness identified the team as guard-heavy and claims this as one of its biggest strengths along with the players’ agility, ball control and shooting skills.

“My focus has always been to simply get better every day,” said Orness. “Right now we are focusing on the details that will elevate our team. That has been our biggest challenge so far; attention to detail.”

The team has stepped up and shown that it is capable of playing hard and competing at a high level, but for Orness, playing hard is not necessarily enough.

At times, he said, the team has a “tendency to ‘just play,’” which he hopes to eliminate from the team’s game through daily repetition in practice. “When we focus on the details and give 100 percent effort between the lines, we are a tough team to deal with.”

In Monday’s game against Central Kitsap, the Spartans showed some of the benefits of their newly adopted offensive and defensive styles of play.

“We are starting to execute,” said Orness, “[and] we had a lot of guys contribute.”

The boys play with adequate effort and energy, and must now polish their defensive transition and rebounding, he said.

Two of the team’s key players during the two games were Rico Failla and Chris Bell.

Failla, who is averaging 14.3 points per game, had a breakout week. He scored 22 points against Central Kitsap and followed up with 25 against Bishop Blanchet.

Bell, averaging 20.5 points per outing, had led the Spartans in scoring in the first two games. He scored 17 points against Central Kitsap and 13 points in the win over Bishop Blanchet.

The veteran coach also recognized a few other players as having played well in Monday’s game, including:

• Michael Crowley’s job of running the offense from the point;

• Oskar Dieterich’s defensive play; and

• Blake Swanson draining a three-point shot in his varsity debut.