DUKE CENTER — In a game that came down to its final possession, Otto-Eldred out-lasted Bradford, 28-27, Saturday in the championship game of the Randy Stebbins Memorial boys basketball tournament.
The trio of Gavin Jimerson, Austin Cousins and Landon Francis paced O-E offensively, as Cousins scored a team-high nine points while Jimerson and Francis each added eight points. The Terrors built a double-digit lead in the first half, their lead growing as large as the 11-point advantage that they enjoyed at halftime. They then fended off an Owl comeback in the second half, including a long Bradford shot attempt in the game’s waning seconds that would have won the game if it was on target.
“We had a decent look at the basket and just didn’t hit the shot,” Bradford coach John Bennardi said. “Our defense stepped up in the second half and we cleaned up our rebounding after getting in foul trouble in the first half, which didn’t do us any favors.”
Jerid Wilmoth scored a game-high 11 points for Bradford, while Cam Austin scored eight points and Jake Franz added six points, all of which came in the second half.
“We played a very good first half and then Bradford made some good adjustments,” said O-E coach Steve Bell. “I applauded our guys for keeping their composure and staying focused… The atmosphere inside the Terror Dome was electric for the Randy Stebbins Memorial Tournament. We want to thank all the fans and communities that came out.”
The early-game foul trouble set the Owls back, Bennardi said, and against a deep O-E roster, a double-digit deficit was tough to overcome.
“We got into foul trouble in the first quarter and kind of lost our focus from there,” Bennardi said. “There are some things we need to clean up on the offensive end, and that’s on me.”
O-E continued to use the 3-point shooting that helped carry it to a victory over Portville in the first round of the tournament. The Terrors knocked down eight triples in that game, including four by Cousins and three by Francis, before Cousins and Francis each hit two against the Owls.
Bradford, meanwhile, continued to rely on the defense that only allowed 29 points in a first-round win over Eisenhower. Against the Terrors, however, Bradford’s offense fell just short.
“The effort is there and the want is there,” Bennardi said. “It’s going to be an offensive work in progress until at least January, but it’s starting to get better. But, the desire is there and our schedule isn’t easy, and our guys not quitting is a sign of good things. I think we learned a lot and grew up a lot, and we lost to a good team. This O-E team is going to win a lot of games this year.”
O-E will host Port Allegany Tuesday to begin North Tier play, while Bradford will travel to Warren Tuesday for a non-league contest.
AT DUKE CENTER
Bradford (27)
Austin 2 4-4 8, Ruolo 1 0-0 2, Wilmoth 2 7-8 11, Franz 2 2-3 6, A. Gleason 0 0-1 0. Totals: 7 13-16 27
Otto-Eldred (28)
Jimerson 4 0-0 8, Cousins 3 1-1 9, Francis 2 2-2 8, Thomas 1 1-4 3. Totals: 10 5-7 28
Bradford 7 11 21 27
Otto-Eldred 12 22 24 28
Three-point goals: Bradford 0, O-E 4 (Cousins 2, Francis 2); Total fouls: Bradford 14, O-E 18; fouled out: None.
JV: None.
