At that point in the game, the No. 2 Mustangs led by seven. In fact, they trailed for less than a minute in Friday night’s 75-71 road win at No. 10 Good Counsel. But James, in his in his first season as coach of one of the area’s premier girls’ basketball programs in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, knows that it will require something close to perfection to find success. And he also knows his roster has the talent to make that happen.

“This is a team that knows what to do,” James said afterward. “It’s just a matter of whether they’re going to execute and play as one. Ultimately, they made the plays to win the game tonight. Nothing was perfect, but they finished.”

James took the job in late August, just days after Mustangs coach Frank Oliver announced he was leaving for Florida basketball power IMG Academy. James comes from the world of AAU basketball, where he serves as the director of girls’ basketball for Team Takeover, one of the most celebrated organizations in the country.

He inherited a roster that was in fine shape and filled with familiar faces. Senior point guard Madisen McDaniel, a South Carolina signee, is ranked by ESPN as the No. 12 prospect in the country. She leads a group that includes junior Zhen Craft (No. 28 in the Class of 2025) and standout freshman Qandace Samuels. All three know James from summers spent with Takeover.

“I’ve known [James] since I was in the third grade,” McDaniel said. “To be able to end my high school career with my AAU coach who I know so well is a good feeling.”

The Mustangs (12-3) got a brief scare Friday night as the upset-minded Falcons (7-6) pieced together a second quarter run and took a one-point lead just before half. But McNamara, showing flashes of undeniable talent in a disjointed performance, weathered the storm and quickly regained control. McDaniel finished with a team-high 24 points. Senior LaNae’ Corbett added 12 and Craft scored 10.

“It wasn’t the prettiest win tonight,” McDaniel said. “But it was a win.”