Mission accomplished.
The Mustangs’ Paulius Ritter says he would like to be a Navy Seal someday, and on Wednesday night, he accomplished the mission he was given.
“He wants to be a Navy Seal, so at the beginning of the game I said alright, you want to be a Navy Seal,” Doherty said. “The Navy Seals have missions, I expect you to guard Langford and rebound, that’s your mission.”
Ritter gave up 14 points to Langford but allowed him to get only two rebounds, over four less than his season average.
“I have a dream to go to the Navy sometime,” Ritter said. “I had fun playing a good team and good competition, and it worked out.”
“We’ve struggled rebounding the ball, quite frankly, until Paulius Ritter has entered the lineup,” head coach Matt Doherty said. “His defense, I think especially in the first half, on [Kevin] Langford, set the tone.”
Ritter has had his share of problems over the years. Before Doherty’s first season, Paulius had been kicked off the team. Doherty brought him back, but it hasn’t been a smooth ride during Doherty’s time either.
“Couple years ago Paulius Ritter was kicked off the team. When I got this job, I let him back on, I kicked him off a couple times,” Doherty said. “He’s on the team, he made foul shots, his confidence is booming.”
Ritter earned his third start in just his fifth game played by adding energy to a team that Doherty said has been lacking a spark.
“The energy can’t always come from the coach; it’s got to come from the players,” Doherty said. “We need to feed off each other; we’ve got to be in it together.”
Ritter will do whatever is needed on the court; against TCU it was rebounding and playing defense. However, he has shown an ability to get the ball in the basket.
“Like coach says, what I got to do, I got to do,” Ritter said. “I adjust, sometimes play as screener, rebounder, sometimes I play a little bit of offense, whatever the team brings, I will adjust to it.”
Ritter’s six points and eight rebounds got the job done, and the result was the third straight win for SMU.
