WARREN – A sizeable, veteran Warren team outrebounded Bradford
44-26 and outscored the Owls 8-4 in overtime for a 65-61 victory in
non-league boys hoops Wednesday.
“We got killed on the boards again,” grumbled Dave Fuhrman, Owls
head coach. “They got a lot of scores off of offensive rebounds and
until our guys understand that you better put a body on someone
when a shot goes up, there are going to be a lot of nights like
tonight.
“They have three three-year starters in their lineup and four of
their starting five are 6-2 or better. They’re a good team.”
The Dragons (2-0) placed three players in double figures. Ray
and Craig Johnson had 14 marks each, while Ben Paul contributed 12
marks. Patrick Curren chipped in with nine.
Sophomore Ben Lanich posted a double-double of 15 points and 10
rebounds in his first varsity start, while senior co-captain Shane
Hvizdzak put up a game-high 22, including 17 in the first half.
“(Lanich) played real well, especially offensively,” Fuhrman
noted. “I think we found a fourth starter tonight.
The Owls held a 29-26 edge at the intermission, but Warren took
advantage of lapses in the Bradford defense to tie it by the end of
regulation.
“We just could not get stops when we needed to get stops,”
Fuhrman lamented. “Our on-the-ball defense is not good, our help
defense is not good, our defensive rotation is not good.
“We just don’t play with a toughness. We aren’t willing to put a
body on guys and it’s a shame because we’ve got one of the bigger
teams that we’ve had in a while. But I heard at a clinic that
rebounding is 90 percent desire and 10 percent technique, so size
is overrated if you’re not willing to play physical and box out.
That has really hurt us in these last two games.”
The Owls committed only seven turnovers in the game, down from
24 in their last contest, but were not able to capitalize on
chances to win the game.
“I felt like we had our opportunities to win the game,
especially in regulation,” Fuhrman recalled. “We missed pretty
good, wide-open looks and didn’t get to the foul line enough. We
have to do those little things against good teams.”
The youthful BHS squad shot 25-for-66 from the floor (37
percent) and held Warren to 24-for-58 shooting (41 percent).
The ever-challenging non-league schedule will not get easier for
the Owls (1-2), as they host Class AAAA Hollidaysburg for a
girls-boys varsity doubleheader at Pitt-Bradford beginning at 1
p.m. Saturday. The Lady Owls will kick things off with the Owls to
follow at 2:30 p.m.
