MEADVILLE – Junior guard Tom Morris put up nine of his game-high
14 points in the fourth quarter to lift Bradford to a 47-46 triumph
over Meadville at Allegheny College on Saturday.
“Tommy really played well in the fourth quarter,” declared Dave
Fuhrman, BHS coach. “He had some big shots and some clutch free
throws. He hit two free throws with about 50 seconds left that put
us up three.
“A lot of his shots were tough, contested shots with the game
tied or with us down one. He made some big shots and you like to
see your go-to guys step up when the game is on the line. He
certainly did that.”
Also for the Owls, Shane Hvizdzak recorded 11 points, three
steals and three assists and Eric Arnett grabbed six rebounds.
Sophomore Ryan LaBrozzi contributed seven marks in his first
varsity start.
LaBrozzi threw in nine points in a solid showing off the bench
in the Owls’ win over Punxsy on Friday to earn the start Saturday
afternoon.
“Ryan LaBrozzi gave us seven points and did a good job with his
start,” Fuhrman commented. “I like the way he’s playing. He’s not
afraid to take a big shot.
“Ben Lanich also gave us six points. He’s contributing and he
seems to have settled in,” Fuhrman added. “I think guys are
starting to get more comfortable in their roles. Our depth chart is
starting to develop.”
Bradford’s youth was not a factor as the Owls stayed mentally
focused in a game that Fuhrman described as “possession by
possession.”
“It was a great game – back and forth the whole game,” Fuhrman
recalled. “It was a defensive struggle and every fourth quarter
possession was critical. We did get hurt on a few offensive
rebounds and we gave them some extra possessions at the end of the
game, but the guys gutted it out and got the key defensive stops
when they needed them.
“It was nice for the kids to be able to hold on against a good
team that had been playing very well. They (Meadville) were 4-1
coming into the game,” Fuhrman noted. “I’m glad we were able to
pull out a close game because we had lost a couple of close
ones.”
Fuhrman also praised his team for putting together back-to-back
wins after losing four straight.
“I knew this was going to be a tough game – having to come back
to play on the road again less than 24 hours after a tough game
Friday night (at Punxsutawney). The kids showed a lot of character.
Hopefully, we can keep it rolling.”
The two teams put forth remarkably similar performances in the
close game.
Bradford maintained just a one-rebound margin (27-26) on the
glass and the Owls converted 18-of-49 shots (37 percent), while
Meadville was good for 18-of-47 shots (38 percent).
The win improves Bradford’s record to 3-4. The Owls return to
District 9 League play Tuesday on the road against Brookville.
