ST. MARYS – Bradford High always seems to bring out the best in
Jesse Bosnik.
Bosnik scored a game-high 28 points as Elk County Catholic
rallied for a 53-48 win over Bradford High in a District 9 League
basketball game Tuesday night.
“Bosnik is such a good player,” Bradford coach Dave Fuhrman
said. “He does a lot of things. He is a difference maker. He shoots
it well, passes it well and is always under control. Fundamentally,
he is a sound player. He is the best player I’ve seen in the area
in my 20-plus years of coaching.
“We always bring out the best in him. He plays very well against
us.”
Also leading the Crusaders (3-0) was Jimmy Higgins with 12
points.
Pacing the Owls (1-4) were Ryan LaBrozzi (16 points) and Tom
Taylor (11 points). Tommy Morris grabbed 10 rebounds for BAHS.
Bradford held a 30-26 lead at halftime, but Bosnik came out in
the third quarter and hit two three-pointers to rally ECCHS.
“We regrouped and held a 45-40 lead going into the fourth
quarter,” Fuhrman pointed out.
However, the hosts outscored the Owls 13-3 in the final stanza
to grab the win.
“We are not a very deep team,” Fuhrman admitted. “We made some
critical errors and bad turnovers. We missed some good looks in the
fourth quarter. A lot of that has to do with fatigue. We don’t have
the depth for an intense game like this.
“I have to give them (ECC) credit – they made the big plays at
the end. We hustled. I was proud of our guys. It was a playoff
atmosphere. I thought we outplayed them for three-plus quarters. We
couldn’t close the deal in the fourth quarter.
“Ryan LaBrozzi and Tommy Taylor played well. We guarded Bosnik
pretty good and he still got 28 points. That’s just how good he
is.”
The Owls were 19-for-49 from the field (39 percent), while the
Crusaders were 22-for-52 (42 percent).
“We went into this game with the attitude of having everything
to gain and nothing to lose,” Fuhrman declared. “We couldn’t
execute when the game was on the line.”
The Owls host Punxsutawney on Friday.
“If we play with that kind of intensity and heart we’ll have a
chance to win a lot of games,” Fuhrman concluded.
Elk County Catholic travels to Ridgway on Friday.
