Sitting tied in second place in the 3A-5 Far West League, the 6-3 Bruins varsity boys basketball team was scheduled to face off with the 6-3 Cascade Christian Challengers with post season play on the line. The Bruins, coming off of a 2 game winning streak where it seems they righted the boat were set to take on a confident Challengers team coming off a 3 game winning streak of their own.
From the tip it seemed the Bruins had much more energy and were determined to not let the Challengers get any momentum or pace established early in the game. The Bruins opened the game with a full court press, cutting off passing lanes and making it difficult for the Challengers to get settled in any form of offense. Sophomore Logan Holler #1 led Bruin scoring in the first period with 2 baskets and a free throw. The Bruins had a height advantage under the basket and Jason Vangineren #10 and Sophomore Derek Bonde #23 both hit baskets in the first period and Senior Eli Mills #3 got on the scoreboard early. The Bruin press frustrated the Challengers early and the Bruin defense held them just 8 points in period while scoring 14 to take a 6 point advantage into the second period.
In the second period Bruin shooting went cold and the adjustment was to take advantage of their height advantage in the lane. Sophomore Logan Holler #1 led all Bruin scoring in the period doing the dirty work under the basket hitting 3 buckets and going 2 for 2 from the line. Senior Brig Schofield #32 also abandoned his outside shot and drove the ball into crowded lane taking the hits and getting himself to the line where he would go 4 for 4 from the line. Again the Bruin defense was stubborn, allowing only 8 points taking a 28-16 lead into the half.
In the third period the Bruin adjustment was to focus down low in the lane, and use the power of their bigs to overwhelm the Challengers. Bruin scoring in the period was led by 6’2″ sophomore center Derek Bonde who powered up 4 baskets under the hoop for 8 points. Senior Luke Beaman #10 drove from the outside to the hoop for two baskets and 4 points as the Bruins ran off of Challenger mistakes in the third putting up 16 points while holding the Challengers to 10 and extending their lead to 42-28 with one quarter left to play.
The focus of the fourth period was to not allow any momentum to the Challengers and to keep them for closing the 14 point gap which felt much larger. At the mid-way mark of the final period, the four seniors were substituted out to protect from injury and to enjoy watching the final minutes tick away on their way to maintaining their second-place finish and setting themselves on their way into the postseason with the 56-38 win. As it sits right now, the Bruins will have their first postseason game This Friday evening tentatively at 7:00 pm.
Congratulations to the varsity Bruin team, and good luck going into postseason play.
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