Committing 24 turnovers is decidedly uncharacteristic of the
traditionally disciplined Bradford Owls basketball program.
But that’s what the athletic, physical defense of Batavia will
do to a team.
The Blue Devils also pulled down as many offensive rebounds as
Bradford grabbed in total (16) on the way to a 62-41 victory for
the title of the Bradford Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday.
“Those were the two stories of the game,” Bradford coach Dave
Fuhrman lamented. “Our inability to handle their pressure and they
killed us on the offensive boards.
“They have so much variety in their zone presses and their kids
are strong in the traps. We couldn’t get the ball reversed or out
of the traps and get into our halfcourt offense. Everybody on the
team turned it over and we didn’t match their physical, intense,
aggressive play.
“Those two stats alone tell you. It was amazing that we were in
the game for three quarters with the way we turned the ball
over.”
Things started out well enough for the hosts as Grant Ferguson
saved the opening tip to Ben Walter, resulting in an eventual
lay-in by Shane Hvizdzak.
Tommy Morris then drilled the three-ball for a 5-0 edge just one
minute in.
Batavia drew back to a 5-5 tie and the teams swapped baskets
from there for a 12-12 score after the first quarter.
Walter’s deep ball at the 6:55 mark of the second gave Bradford
a 15-14 edge.
Eric Arnett posted a basket for a 17-15 score before Batavia
registered six unanswered.
Ryan LaBrozzi then drilled one from beyond the arc to stay
within one at 21-20.
A three from Hvizdzak and 3-for-4 shooting from the foul line in
the last minute of the half set the score at 27-26 after two.
The Owls stuck with it in the third as Morris scored Bradford’s
first six points of the quarter. Two baskets by Ben Lanich and a
foul shot by Walter kept it a three-point game, 41-38 with 24
seconds showing in the period.
Then just as the buzzer sounded on the quarter, Batavia grabbed
a key offensive board and posted two effectively free points to
sustain its momentum going into the final eight minutes.
“We could’ve been down just three right there and it’s anybody’s
game,” Fuhrman grumbled. “Instead we give up the offensive rebound
and we’re down by five.”
Batavia then took that momentum and ran with it in the fourth,
outscoring the Owls 19-3 in the stanza to lock up the 62-41 title
victory.
The champion Blue Devils landed two players on the
all-tournament team, MVP Justin Williams and Kevin Saunders.
Arnett and Hvizdzak represented the Owls on the team, while
Highlands’ Dane and Damon Porter also earned selections.
Arnett, coming off a 30-point, 14-rebound performance in the
opener, finished the game with four points. Hvizdzak stayed steady,
finishing with nine points in the game and 20 for the
tournament.
“They had us scouted,” Fuhrman declared. “They’re well coached
and they took Eric out of the game. They were much more physical
inside and he got bumped in there today.
“Justin Williams was guarding Shane chest-to-chest, trying to
take our best ball handler out. It was a good defensive strategy on
their part.”
The Blue Devil defense limited Bradford to only 35 shots in the
game. The Owls converted 14 for a 40 percent effort, including a
6-for-17 mark from deep.
“I think at this point they’re just a little better team than we
are right now,” Fuhrman admitted.
“We lost to a better team tonight, but I told the guys that I’d
rather play a team like this than go out and open the season with a
couple of cupcakes. Hopefully, we can learn something from this
loss.”
In the contest for third place, Highlands turned back Penn
Trafford 80-72.
The Owls captured the championship on the junior varsity side of
the tournament. BHS defeated Penn Trafford 55-46.
Bradford, now 1-1, will travel to Warren for a non-league date
with the Dragons on Wednesday.
