By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
BRADFORD, PA – Unable to keep their opponent off of the free throw line, the Bradford boys’ basketball team suffered their eleventh loss of the season, losing to St. Marys, 54-44.
This past month, the Owls have been struggling through an eight-game losing streak that began in mid-December. Earlier this week, however, Bradford bucked the trend with a big win over Ridgway.
“I think it was nice to get on the other side of it finally. These guys work so hard, and have been working so hard, and we’ve had a lot of games that could have gone either way and we just haven’t been on the right side of it,” said Bradford head coach John Bennardi, whose team beat the Elkers 47-17. “There’s no quit in them though.”
Finding a brief moment of momentum, the Owls looked to keep the ball rolling, especially against District 9 League opponent St. Marys. Just over three weeks ago, the Dutchmen defended their home court by defeating Bradford 43-38, but that was before Talan Reese returned to action.
Reese stands as the Owls’ lone senior on the team as well as the sole returning starter from Bradford’s D9 Class 4A finals run from a season ago. Sidelined for the first 13 games of the season due to a wrist injury, his return last Tuesday was warmly welcomed by Bradford.
“He’s a leader. He’s giving us another option and, quite frankly, I haven’t had any complaints about our rebounding since he’s been in the lineup,” said Bennardi. “I think the guys before did an excellent job but just having that size, that speed and that strength has helped us.”
Reese’s impact was apparent early on against St. Marys. In the opening quarter, he carried the Owls’ offense by scoring six of their initial 12 points. However, while Bradford’s returning star lifted the offense, their defense stumbled out of the gates.
Facing a paint-centric Dutchmen squad, the Owls knew they had to defend the interior. Yet while they were able to deny entry and shots in close, it came at the price of numerous fouls – in the first eight minutes of play, St. Marys shot six free throws to the Owls’ one. Keeping in stride with their work at the charity stripe, the Dutchmen knotted the game at 12-12 heading into the second quarter.
Fouls continued to plague the Owls. With the Dutchmen constantly attacking the rim, possibly in an attempt to draw more fouls, Bradford failed to curb their excess physicality and halfway through the period, sent St. Marys into the bonus.
“We teach basic defensive philosophies. Hands out, move our feet, that’s how we teach it,” said Bennardi. “I think we did that tonight, it just didn’t fall our way. I feel like we did a good job bumping cutters and hedging and switching screens and things of that nature. That’s what we teach.”
Meanwhile, the Owls’ offense couldn’t get off the ground. Scoreless for the first four minutes and 50 seconds, Bradford would tack on just six points as St. Marys built a five point lead at the break.
Tyler Simmons shoots from beyond the arc during the Owls’ 54-44 loss to St. Marys. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
The third quarter would prove to be better for the Owls as far as fouls. Switching from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone defense, Bradford forced St. Marys to the perimeter for long possessions. However, unable to rely on their shooting, the Dutchmen pivoted to their passing, finding drive-and-dish or backdoor opportunities that still gave them looks at the rim. Hoping to avoid more foul trouble, the Owls closed out more passively, but ended up trading opponent points at the line for points in the paint.
With their offense still struggling – Bradford’s six third-quarter points would all come in the first three minutes of the quarter – the Owls would give up three costly turnovers late as the Dutchmen’s lead swelled to 12 with one period left.
Coming down the stretch, Bradford’s offense finally seemed to find its groove, scoring seven of the first nine fourth-quarter points. Between picking off passes and forcing turnovers with their full-court-press, the Owls’ enhanced defense opened up their transition offense. Along with that, it would finally be their turn to earn free points at the charity stripe as they drew fouls and made their way to the bonus with five minutes still remaining.
However, St. Marys single-minded attack still proved to be effective. Putting their heads down and storming through traffic, the Dutchmen remained aggressive and productive inside. Not soon after, the Dutch would join Bradford in the bonus and, unfazed by the Owls’ loud fan section, put the game away at the line. Shooting 13-for-16 at the free throw line in the final quarter, St. Marys would earn a season sweep over Bradford.
Reese finished with a team-high 14 points, followed by Tyler Simmons with nine and Marcus Terwilliger and Daniel Marasco who both scored six points, respectively. With four games left on the schedule, the Owls sit at 5-11.
“Our biggest thing right now is consistency on offense. There’s things that we just have to make sure we tighten up,” said Bennardi. “The day we play a good four quarters of consistent offense, that’s when things are really going to open up.”
AT BRADFORD
St. Marys (54)
Nedzinski 8 7-11 25, Caskey 4 2-2 10, Schutz 1 6-8 8, Paul 2 2-2 7, Beimel 1 2-2 4. Totals: 16 19-25 54
Bradford (44)
Reese 4 6-6 14, Simmons 3 1-2 9, Terwilliger 2 2-4 6, Marasco 2 4-6 6, Roulo 2 0-0 4, Troisi 1 1-1 3, Blatchley 0 2-2 2. Totals: 14 16-21 44
St. Marys 12 23 36 54
Bradford 12 18 24 44
Three-point goals: SMA (3) Nedzinski 2, Paul, BRD (2) Simmons 2; Total fouls: SMA 17, BRD 24; fouled out: Terwilliger, Reese, Troisi (BD).
JV: Bradford 28, St. Marys 18
