By HUNTER O. LYLE
DUKE CENTER, PA – Utilizing their natural athleticism, the Bradford boy’s basketball shook off a slow start with a fast-paced, high-octane offense that buried Kane in a 38-27 victory.
Entering the game, which stood as the first day of the Randy Stebbins Memorial Tournament, both the Wolves and the Owls were fresh off of wins. While Kane had beaten Smethport on Tuesday, Bradford tallied their first win of the season over Ridway on Wednesday.
“We had some corrections we needed to make as far as boxing out and clearing the boards. We struggled with that (against Ridgway) but even though we came out with a win, those were the things we needed to focus on in practice,” said Bradford head coach Andrew Terwilliger. “We just want to get into a flow. We try to emphasize getting some ball movement going and getting into a decent flow.”
Off the tip, the Owls faced an oppressive defense. Starting their offense in the half court, Bradford struggled to find traction as the Wolves cordoned them to the perimeter, collapsing with multiple defenders into the lane to stop drives before they began. When Bradford did manage to force their way inside, Kane’s shot blockers got to work defending the paint.
On the other side of the court, Kane took an immediate lead with a made 3-pointer and a contested layup, but soon were equally stalled by the Owls’ full-court-press. Setting up across the length of the court from the beginning, Bradford’s road blocks found production in multiple steals and Kane turnovers, however, they struggled to convert on the fast break. Scoring tick-for-tack on scattered possessions, neither team managed to build up a significant lead, with Kane holding a 9-5 lead after the first quarter.
“We just needed to be patient and work for a good shot. We wanted to focus on getting it to our bigs and we struggled with that” said Terwilliger. “We really need a lot out of them.”
Entering the second, however, Bradford laid on the gas. Shying away from the half-court offense, the Owls continuously prioritized long outlet passes that immediately sparked fastbreaks and open looks on the other end. Marcus Terwilliger christened the quarter, connecting on a successful three-point play before the Owls’ full-court-press created another turnover and two points in the open court to take their first lead of the night.
As they continued to push the pace and swarm ballhandlers into mistakes, Bradford finished the half on a 7-0 run to take a 19-13 advantage entering the break.
“We really try to emphasize pushing the ball up the floor to try to beat as many players down the floor as we can,” said Terwilliger. “We’ll always talk about giving up a good shot and getting a great shot, so if we can get a wide open layup, that’s what we strive for.”
Along with their full-court offense, the Owls added physicality inside entering the third quarter. Battling under the boards for several offensive rebounds, Bradford quickly sparked a 10-4 run. However, as the period came to a close, turnover troubles of their own became an issue. Suffering two in rapid succession, they ended the third on a dry spell, one that would carry over into the final quarter.
After scoring twice early on, points were hard to come by as they struggled with missed opportunities close to the net. In the meanwhile, Kane was equally stumped as the Owls threw a variety of diverse defenses at the Wolves. Switching from segments of 2-3 zone to 1-3-1 zone to man-to-man, Bradford held their opponents at bay, relegating them to the outside.
“If I can confuse (the defense) then I think I’m doing my job. That was my intention,” said Terwilliger. “We have a variety of things we try to do, make different adjustments and try to get some turnovers that way.”
But while their defense held strong, the Owls’ offense still lagged behind. Turnovers, including a stretch of four in a row, gave way to several fastbreak scores from the Wolves, who brought the deficit to single digits with a 8-2 run. However, the clock was on their side.
Despite playing frantically, desperately maintaining possession with quick passes that stretched the defense across the half court, the Owls burned more and more time off of the scoreboard. Ultimately, Kane was forced to intentionally foul, a desperate prayer that failed to yield a comeback. Netting three of their final four free throws, Bradford had secured their spot in the tournament championship, beating Kane by 11.
Marcus Terwilliger led the Owls’ offense, coming away with a game-high 15 points alongside two rebounds and two steals. Shooting 5-for-6 at the line, Tyler Simmons also reached double-digit scoring figures, coming away with 12 while also notching two steals.
The Owls will see Otto-Eldred on Saturday, playing at 5 p.m. as the Terrors look to defend their home court and tournament for the fourth year in a row.
“Usually when you go into tournament play, you don’t talk about the next step until you climb the one in front of you so tonight was really important to stay focused,” said Terwilliger. “We’re going to watch (Otto-Eldred) and prepare for tomorrow.”
AT DUKE CENTER
Kane (27)
P. Chamberlain 3 1-4 8, Novosel 3 1-2 7, Boschert 3 0-0 7, K. Chamberlain 2 1-4 5. Totals: 11 3-10 27
Bradford (38)
Terwilliger 4 6-9 15, Simmons 3 5-6 12, Reese 3 1-5 7, Roulo 1 0-0 2, Troisi 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 12-20 38
Kane 9 13 18 27
Bradford 5 19 29 38Three-point goals: KN (2) P. Chamberlain, Boschert, BD (2) Simmons, Terwilliger; Total fouls: KN 17, BD 13; fouled out: Novosel (KN).
