Pearls’ preseason takes a giant step forward

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Sure, it still needs some spit and polish. Heck, a few nuts and bolts need tightening, too. However, the machine that is this year’s Baltimore Pearls ABA team is a far cry from the squad that posted a 2-23 record a year ago.

“We want to bring Baltimore [basketball] back to where it’s supposed to be,” said Cornelius “Poo Bear” McMurray. “Now that we have all Baltimore kids, we are excited. We all grew up with each other and know each other.”

Saturday night’s 123-117 exhibition victory over the Alexandria, Va., Wind Jammers at Overlea High School featured plenty of highs and lows. At times, the defense was in lockdown, and the jumpers kept falling. Other times poor decision-making and defensive lapses led to easy baskets for the opposition. Despite the sporadic play, Pearls coach Ollie Matson was pleased with his team’s cohesion.

“We played a lot better,” Matson said. “We fought to win, and we’ll take it.”

This season’s team has much more of a hometown flavor, with former Baltimore prep players like “Poo Bear,” Ernie Graham Jr. and Mark Karcher.

“I’m excited to play in front of my son, family and friends,” said Karcher, a former Temple standout.

Graham, a holdover from last year’s hard-luck squad, hopes to use the newfound team chemistry and hometown crowd to spark the Pearls to bigger and better things.

With players whooping it up in the locker room after the game and signing autographs for young fans, the seed has been planted for a promising season.

“It’s a boost of energy playing in front of the home crowd,” Graham said. “I was here last year and thing’s didn’t go to well, but with this group, we are going to go far.”

“Just play hard,” Matson said. “Effort. Effort will determine how good we are.”