WINONA LAKE - Mad Ants guard Ron Howard can teach rookie teammate DeWitt Scott a few things about pro basketball.

Especially since Scott is used to following Howard's lead.

The two players were teammates at Chicago's Whitney Young High School when Howard was a senior and Scott a sophomore. Howard went on to play collegiate ball in Indiana, for Valparaiso. Scott ended up in Indiana, too, at IPFW.

Neither imagined they'd be reunited in the pros.

“Never in my wildest dreams,” Scott said. “But it's been great and I'm definitely looking forward to a wonderful season.”

The Mad Ants' 94-75 exhibition win over the Erie BayHawks on Friday at the Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College gave the pair their first chance to play together as pros.

Howard and Scott scored 15 points apiece to lead the Ants. Coach Jaren Jackson used various combinations as he works to pare his roster from 12 players to 10 by the middle of next week.

“The decision got more difficult tonight,” Jackson said.

Howard, projected as the starting shooting guard, and Scott both have their spots nailed down as they continue to prepare for the Ants' regular season opener against Erie next Friday at Memorial Coliseum.

Brian Morrison, a veteran D-League guard, added 10 points for the Ants on Friday as he fights with returning guard Anthony Kyle for the backup point guard spot behind Walker Russell Jr. The BayHawks, coached by former Indiana University assistant John Treloar, were led by Erik Daniels' 14 points.

Scott said he was anxious about his first game as a pro, but not nervous. While he has impressed coaches and teammates with his strong outside jump shot, he has worked diligently during the first week of practice to impress on the other end of the floor, too.

“(IPFW coach) Dane Fife called me every day leading up to the camp and told me if I didn't defend, not to say I played for him,” Scott said. “He wanted to disown me if I didn't defend. So I'm looking at defense No.1, then trying to do what I'm considered to do best and that's basically shooting the ball.”

Howard, who earned a spot on the Mad Ants in training camp last season, has progressed by leaps and bounds in a year's time, to the point where he was invited to the Milwaukee Bucks' camp.

He says he's much more comfortable on the court, and it shows. In the Mad Ants' 15-2 run early in the fourth quarter that seized control of the game against Erie, Howard hits two jump shots and found Toree Morris for a basket on the post. Jackson praised Howard's leadership, too.

“Just having some experience is the No.1 thing for me,” Howard said. “Last year when I was out there, I really didn't know what to expect.”

Howard's a vet now, passing his experience along to newcomers, including his former prep teammate.

“I'm on DeWitt every day to keep him focused,” Howard said.