Bradford High coach Dave Fuhrman has a fever, and the only
prescription is more rebounding.
The boards haunted the Owls once again Saturday afternoon and
Warren was able to rally for a 57-53 non-league win over
Bradford.
The Dragons (14-4) maintained a 36-25 advantage on the glass,
leaving Fuhrman disappointed and frustrated.
“We got killed on the boards,” Fuhrman grumbled. “We don’t get a
rebound. We give them every second and third shot.
“I’ve been harping on this same thing all year that’s been
killing us – rebounding. Teams kick our butts on the boards. This
is the biggest team I’ve had in 16 years and it’s the worst
rebounding team.
“Guys will not put a body on people. We don’t dive on the floor
for the loose ball. We don’t do the little things it takes.”
Of the Dragons’ 36 rebounds, 16 were of the offensive
variety.
“Size is overrated in rebounding, but if you’re not willing to
put a body on people it kills you,” Fuhrman declared. “We will not
go after it.
“You can look at our eight losses and I could point to six of
the eight where we lost because of rebounding and this was another
one today (Saturday).”
Saturday’s contest was a game of scoring spurts and the Owls
took their turn first.
Baskets by Ben Lanich (two), Tommy Morris, Eric Arnett and Doug
Rose vaulted the hosts out to a 12-2 lead.
After a Warren timeout, the Owls added six more points to take
an 18-7 edge with 1:00 left in the first quarter.
The Dragons exploded at this point, scoring 14 unanswered points
in a span of just 1:18.The run made it 21-18 Warren at the 7:16
mark of the second.
The Owls regrouped with a timeout, regaining the lead and
pushing it to seven points, 28-21, with a 10-0 burst.
Warren responded again with six points to tie the game at 28-all
by halftime.
The teams swapped baskets and traded leads throughout the third
and into the fourth.
With the game knotted at 44-44 with 6:38 left, Morris took aim
from deep, canning the shot and drawing a foul. He made the freebie
for a four-point play and a 48-44 margin.
Hvizdzak then added a nifty left-handed layup and Morris and
Arnett added free throws for a 53-47 lead.
The Dragons found the strength for one last rally and outscored
the hosts 10-0 down the stretch for the 57-53 win.
“There were three of four opportunities in the game where we
could’ve taken control,” Fuhrman recalled. “We’d have a four-point
lead with the ball and we’d come down and turn it over or take a
bad shot.
“We show stretches where we could be a good team, but we’re not
consistent. We don’t do the right things at key points in the game.
It’s very frustrating.”
Leading Bradford was Morris with 17 points and seven steals and
Hvizdzak with 11 points.
Ben Paul’s 14 marks and Craig Johnson’s 12 paced the
victors.
“It’s (the loss) a shame because I thought we outplayed them
most of the game,” Fuhrman lamented. “But all it takes is a couple
of key breakdowns on key possessions and it cost us another one
today.”
The loss drops the Owls to 10-8 on the season. They are back in
action Tuesday, visiting St. Marys.
