By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
KANE, PA – In a rematch of last year’s District 9 Class 4A semifinals, the Bradford boys’ basketball team found themselves up against St. Marys for the third time this season. Facing a stall-centric Dutchmen squad, the Owls couldn’t find their rhythm, falling 32-26 as their season came to an end.
Although both teams tacked on points on their first possession, the game would soon slow to a crawl as St. Marys immediately started burning clock. Patiently passing around the perimeter as they scanned for open lanes or gaps in the Owls’ defense, the Dutch took chunks of time off on every possession before working their way inside for points at the rim.
With each miss producing another minute or so burnt on the other end, the Owls desperately tried to find their groove early, but to no avail. After scoring on their first trip down the floor, Bradford would go cold for the next four minutes and change. A pull up jumper from Tarren Reese would end the dry spell but was retaliated by the Dutch soon after. After the first quarter, Bradford looked up at a 11-4 deficit.
In the second quarter, the Owls began trying to speed up the Dutch. Implementing a full-court-press and doubling ball handlers, Bradford rushed St. Marys into several mistakes and, more importantly, short possessions.
“We just wanted to increase the pressure. We got through the first quarter and we just talked about a lot of ways to increase the pressure in the halfcourt, full court, trapping the first passes, things like that,” said Bradford head coach John Bennardi. “That’s what you have to do.”
The Owls would begin to find their rhythm after back-to-back scores from Talan Reese. Tyler Simmons and Marasco would contribute to the scoreboard as Bradford finished out the half on a 10-4 scoring run. Going into the break, they had narrowed the deficit to three points.
“We had good movement, good ball movement and made some shots,” said Bennardi on his team’s second quarter. “We knocked down some shots, which has been a thing for us this season. We haven’t been consistent when shooting. But we got good movement and knocked down a few shots.”
The Owls’ pressure defense would remain effective entering the second half. Forcing a turnover on the Dutch’s first possession, Bradford tacked on back-to-back scores from Talan Reese and Marasco as they took their first lead of the game. Finally on their heels, St. Marys was forced to abandon the stall ball, temporarily however. After knocking down a jumper and taking a one-point lead, they would return to a slow, meticulous play style that put the clock on their side.
Talan Reese pulls up from beyond the arc during the Owls’ loss to St. Marys in the Class 4A postseason. In his final game as an Owl, Reese scored six points. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
While the Owls would find scattered scores throughout the remainder of the quarter, their early push would go unmatched as turnovers began to pile up late in the period. A turnover in the final seconds would allow the Dutch to tighten their grip on the game ever so slightly, clinging to a 23-20 advantage with one period left to go.
With their season hanging in the balance, Bradford needed to muster some momentum, and it seemed like they would do so with defense. Starting on the Dutch’s first touch of the quarter, the Owls would rip away four consecutive, and much needed, steals. However, they failed to convert any of them into points in transition. Fighting the clock as much as the Dutch, the 3-point deficit remained unchanged.
St. Marys would break the tension soon after, scoring on a back-door cut that would increase the lead to two possessions. While Bradford was able to score in retaliation, they couldn’t stop the dwindling clock. Late in the quarter, Marasco would score four consecutive points, cutting the lead back down to one, but the cost of early foul trouble emerged in the final minute.
With less than 60 seconds remaining, the Dutch were sent into the bonus. Even despite shotty work at the line, St. Marys was able to draw the lead out to four and although Bradford got several last-second chances thanks to multiple offensive rebounds, their shots just wouldn’t drop. Eventually, the clock they had been fighting all game eventually ran out, signalling the end of the Owls’ season.
Marasco would be the lone Owl to score in double figures, ending with 10 while Talan Reese finished with six and his brother Tarren finished with four. Tyler Simmons also ended with four while Marcus Terwilliger scored two points in the loss.
“I think we got a lot of experience out of this year. Those kids got a lot of experience at the varsity level and we’ll have a ton of kids back next year,” said Bennardi. “They competed every night, they didn’t stop. They played hard and I think if they keep working the way they’re working, they’re going to get better and better. I think this experience will carry them well for next season.”
AT KANE
Bradford (26)
Marasco 5 0-0 10, Tal. Reese 3 0-0 6, Tar. Reese 2 0-0 4, Simmons 1 2-3 4, Terwilliger 1 0-0 2. Totals 12 2-3 26
St. Marys (32)
Paul 4 1-3 9, Schutz 4 1-2 9, Beimel 2 1-2 6, Nedzinski 2 0-0 4, Herzing 2 0-2 4. Totals: 14 3-9 32
Bradford 4 14 20 26
St. Marys 11 17 23 32
Three-point goals: BRD (0), SMA (1) Beimel; Total fouls: BRD 12, SMA 4; fouled out: None.
