By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
BRADFORD, PA – Despite missing eight free throws in the last minute of play, the Bradford boys’ basketball team survived Punxsutawney’s late rally, narrowly winning their first District 9 League matchup 38-35.
The game against the Chucks came as the fifth game in seven days for the Owls and as the second part of a back-to-back stretch that kicked off on Wednesday. However, despite having little time to refill their tanks, Bradford knew what the opportunity was in front of them.
“We understood what was at stake. I told them that it’s the first league game, it’s the defending District 9 champs and we obviously knew who they beat,” said Bradford head coach John Bennardi, who’s squad was defeated by Punxsy in the finals a season ago. “They understood the importance of being on the right side of .500 too.”
Having an inexperienced roster such as the Owls’, the developmental process is key and over the handful of games Bradford has seen flashes from a few of their rising stars, namely Marcus Terwilliger and Evan Troisi. Against Punxsy, the junior and sophomore pair led the charge as the Owls’ got hot early.
While Troisi patrolled the passing lane and anchored Bradford’s full-court-press, coming away with three steals in the opening minutes, Terwilliger slashed through the defense and cashed in on several stop-and-pop opportunities. Often working in tandem sparking and then finishing fast breaks, Terwilliger and Troisi carried the brunt of Bradford’s workload, propelling a 7-0 run that put them up 10-2 early.
“One thing about Evan is I think he’s a quiet kid but he’s underrated. He’s tough defensively. He makes things happen,” said Bennardi. “As far as Marcus, he’s been around basketball his whole life. I’m probably on him as much as I’d be on my own son if he was out there. Sometimes I think I’m a little unfair with him but I think he can take it. He understands what I’m asking for and he’s smart.”
Meanwhile, the Chucks continuously probed inside the paint but were forced into tough and contested shots that rarely sank. After the first quarter, the Owls held a 14-6 advantage.
Heading into the second, Bradford’s momentum carried over, with Troisi finding a lane to the basket for the first field goal of the quarter and a double-digit lead. Punxsy, desperate to catch up, replaced their paint-centric approach with a mixed bag of jumpers both inside and out. While their shots missed their mark early, in the final three and half minutes, the tide began to change.
Evan Troisi attacks the lane during the Owls’ win over District 9 League opponent Punxsutawney. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Stripping passes and forcing misses close to the rim, the Chucks sparked a run of their own, scoring six unanswered points. Unable to get their offense running smoothly and feeling the mounting pressure, the Owls gave away four turnovers in the final minutes of the half and clung to a six point lead going into the break.
“I think we got tired and I also think that (Punxsy) amped up their pressure. They do a good job of pressuring and trapping the ball. I think we got a little sloppy with not creating enough space,” said Bennardi. “Instead of making the easy pass we were trying to throw it across the court and those are very dangerous against a quick team and a team that actually traps.”
Looking for reliable shots in the third, Bradford strayed away from jumpers and instead focused on point blank shots under the basket. Led by Danny Marasco in the post and under the boards, the Owls’ fought through collapsing defense to keep in stride with the Chucks. After eight minutes of dueling defenses, Bradford still maintained a six point lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Out of the intermission, Bradford earned a defensive stop before taking measures to secure their lead. After Tyler Simmons scored on a fastbreak opportunity, the Owls slowed the game to a crawl from then on. Moving the ball constantly without looking for or taking shots, Bradford killed the clock. Even when in prime position to score, they insisted on passing out to the perimeter to waste more seconds.
As the final minute broke, Bradford still held a six-point advantage. Forced to intentionally foul, the Chucks caught a break. Going to the charity stripe 10 times in the final 30 seconds, Bradford sank just two of their free throws. In the meantime, Punxsy cashed in on layups or close jumpers every other time down the floor. As the gap narrowed, Bradford could only hope to burn as much time in between fouls as possible.
With just 2.7 seconds remaining, Tarren Reese stepped to the line to ice the game. Hitting just one of the shots, Bradford forced the Chucks to attempt a 3-pointer. Getting the ball down in time, Punxsy’s shot failed to draw iron, giving the Owls’ a breath of relief as they claimed their third win of the season.
“People will sit there and say, ‘they didn’t make their free throws.’ Well, that’s the first time they’ve probably been in a situation where there’s a league game on the line. But we shoot them everyday, shoot them when they’re tired,” said Bennardi. “That’s going to get better. It’s like everything else. One thing about this group is that once they get used to something, the second time around it’ll be near flawless.”
Terwilliger and Simmons led the Owls in scoring, both tallying 12 points.
“I’m proud of how they gutted it out,” said Bennardi. “Defensively they were great, offensively they did a lot of good things. We just have to learn how to finish a game.”
AT BRADFORD
Punxsutawney (35)
Kengersky 7 3-4 19, Presloid 4 2-4 10, Day 3 0-0 6. Totals: 13 5-8 35
Bradford (38)
Terwilliger 5 2-3 13, Simmons 5 1-4 12, Marasco 2 3-4 7, Roulo 1 1-2 3, Troisi 1 0-2 2, Reese 0 2-6 2. Totals: 14 9-21 38
Punxsy 6 15 24 35
Bradford 14 21 30 38
Three-point goals: PXY (2) Kengersky 2, BRD (1) Simmons; Total fouls: PXY 17, BRD 13; fouled out: Wood (PXY)
