Brewster 94 Bridgton 59

Bridgton Academy began its NEPSAC Tournament Title defense Sunday afternoon as they traveled to Phillips Exeter Academy, to take on Worcester Academy in a play-in game. The Wolverines are the #8 seed in the tournament, with Worcester being the #9. Bridgton was able to rally late and earn a 69-64 victory.

The first half was a back and forth battle, which saw three ties and seven lead changes. Bridgton had the biggest lead of the half when Ruben Kanya's (Hamilton, Ontario) three capped off an 8-0 run to make it 27-19. Worcester responded with a 9-0 run of their own to go up 28-27. From that point on it was back and forth with the lead changing with the changing of possession. Worcester took a slight 33-32 advantage into the break.

To start the second half Worcester was hot and stretched the lead to six, but Bridgton kept battling and Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) hit a three with 13:00 to play and even the score at 41-41. The game was still knotted with 8:28 to play following a Kanya bucket, making it 49-49. Worcester from that point went on an 8-0 run, thanks in large part to the shooting of Billy Barron to build a 57-49 lead, with 7:00 remaining.

Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) scored five straight for the Wolverines, and a three by Jones, with 5:18 to play, tied the game at 57. Jones knocked down another three on the next BA possession, and Dick added another bucket to bring the Black and Gray roaring back with a 13-0 run and lead 62-57 with 3:42 to play. Worcester would cut the lead to just three with 1:47 to play, but Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) knocked down a jumper and forced a turnover with 40 seconds to play, and secure the win. Barron kept it exciting by knocking down a deep three, but there was not enough time as Jones converted foul shots to make the final 69-64.

Following the game Lesure commented on the play of his team, "What a great win for our team. Out of the timeout down seven late we were tough and good. I like the fact we're still getting better." Lesure was complimentary of Worcester saying, "I have a lot of respect for how Worcester competes, and Billy Barron is my favorite player in our league." Barron finished with a game high 24 points. Harris lead BA with 21, Dick added 20 and Jones had 15.

Bridgton will now play Brewster Academy on Wednesday at Endicott College. Speaking of the upcoming match up Lesure said, "I am excited to play Brewster again. Jason (Smith) and I have become good friends. I think Brewster vs. Bridgton has become the best rivalry, and some of the big games have been in the tournament. This will be another," he went on to say, "We're underdogs, but that's fine."

The team would like to thank students Dave Roberson, Jamie White, Jerrell Green, Ethan Barnes, and John Despres for making the trip to Exeter to support the team, as well as thanks to Athletic Director Brad Smith for running the score clock.

Bridgton will take on Brewster at 4:00 PM at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, Wednesday.

Bridgton traveled to Winchedon for the final regular season game of the season. BA was poised to beat another top league rival, leading at the half 32-26 but got out played over the games final ten minutes to lose a hard fought contest 70-58.

After trailing 9-4 the Wolverines dug in on the defensive end and executed their motion offense with confidence. Good play on both ends propelled Bridgton to a 32-20 lead before Winchendon countered with six unanswered points, cutting the BA lead to six at half.

The Wapiti made a run to even the game immediately at the start of the second half. Bridgton responded and the two teams remained deadlocked with 12 minutes left. Winchendon was able to break the game open a bit, yet BA was still able to get a clean look out of a timeout that would have brought it back to six points with three minutes remaining.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of his teams play, but cited the missed oppertunity before half, "We were playing well no doubt, but you have to stay in the trance, you can't lose your focus or let up for a possession." Lesure continued with, "They grabbed some momentum, pushed on us pretty good in the second half and I thought maybe we lost our legs. We didn't sustain our defensive position nor run as effective movement offensively. Which was the stronger team in the second half."

Alex Harris (Richomnd, CA) had 18 points, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) had 14 and Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) added 11 for BA.

As the Wolverines wait for word on the upcoming playoffs Lesure sees an improved team in the locker room, "Our chemistry is a lot better. We are getting valuable individual efforts from ten guys. I understand we are a long shot in Las Vegas to advance too far in the tournament, but the games aren't played on paper, they're on wood, I might have to ask these guys if they're ever heard the story of NC State."

Bridgton awaits its playoff seeding, which will begin over the weekend.

A season long journey of putting a complete game together carried the Wolverines to an exciting upset of NEPSAC #1 ranked Brewster Academy, 70-67 Wednesday night at the Wolverdome.

After a sluggish start which saw the visitors bolt to a 13-4 lead within the first five minutes, the home squad played some inspired basketball to get even at the half on a 3 pt bucket by Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario). The teams went into the locker rooms deadlocked at 28. Kanya scored the last 5 points of the half to bring BA even after trailing throughout the half.

Bridgton started fast in the second half to take their first lead at 33-28 but the two teams traded leads throughout much of the first ten minutes of the second half. The last ten minutes saw more back and forth play with the Wolverines responding to each Brewster run. During one stretch the two teams traded several long range bombs that had the overflowing ancient hoop hall rocking.

BA secured the lead for the last time in the final two minutes and withstood the full court pressure of the Bobcats with Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hitting four clutch free throws to seal the upset victory. Harris was outstanding all night leading all scorers with 29 points but also handling the ball and setting up his teammates for big shots of their own. One of those shots was an athletic put-back by Jeff Smeltz (Pascoag, RI) off a Harris miss with 23 seconds to go that gave the Wolverines a 4 point cushion. Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH) chipped in with 9 points of his own in his first start late in the regular season and added 6 rebounds to the hustling Bridgton defense.

The Bridgton effort was markedly improved over many performances to date and Coach Lesure had a hard time pin-pointing any specific area of play in his comments afterward. "We played very well, as consistently as we have against any team this year, for us the turnovers are huge (11 for the game)." Lesure went on to say, "We have to be able to run our offense and get good looks at the basket and I thought our guys made a lot of smart decisions tonight. What can I say about (Alex) Harris? He was special out there. But he had a team behind him, and perhaps the biggest contribution was (Athletic Trainer Joe) Sawicki, working some magic late in the game to get him back on the floor after suffering some leg problems."

With the win the Wolverines enter their final regular season contest, against Winchendon on Friday, with a bit of momentum and perhaps better feel for themselves. Lesure said afterward that "you always want to earn your way into the playoffs and prove you belong at the dance. That Brewster team is number two in the country for a reason and will have the opportunity to rebound," Lesure remarked. The question now is how the Wolverines handle their new found success.

Bridgton traveled to Lee Academy for a non conference match up, before entering their final week of NEPSAC regular season play. The Wolverines were looking to pick up consecutive victories for just the third time this season. Final analysis of the game, was Bridgton spotted the host Pandas a few too many point, and were unable to come up with an improbable victory, losing 75-69.

Lee jumped on the visitors, who appeared not to have gotten off the bus, early and kept pouring it on, extending their lead to 35-5 late in the first half. Bridgton closed the half with better play to cut the deficit to 41-26 at halftime.

Lee kept the lead in double digits until the eight minute mark when Bridgton broke through and hung tough until making their final run with less than three minutes to go. Several defensive stops and more efficient offense cut the lead to three with 32 seconds left, but a careless defensive foul and a questionable no call on the other end, ended the hopes of a valiant road win.

Coach Lesure credited Lee afterward saying, "They played really well on both ends of the floor during stretches of this game. We stopped turning the ball over and competed on the defensive end and made it a tight game. There were a lot of situations out there today that we can learn from, but our primary focus is preparing to play our next game. We're not going to beat ourselves up over the loss, nor feel too good about the comeback effort."

Bridgton will now turn to focus on their two remaining NEPSAC games. Wednesday Brewster will come to North Bridgton at 5:30 PM, and Friday the Wolverines will travel to Winchendon for the regular season finale.

Taking a page out of the University of Connecticut's playbook, where an assistant coach replaces the Hall of Fame head coach do to illness, the Wolverines took on Phillips Exeter with assistant Bob Holden at the helm. Bridgton, slumping of late, was looking for a much needed NEPSAC victory. The Wolverdome had a different feel early Wednesday evening, without the animated Lesure patrolling the sidelines. Holden used his calm demeanor to guide the Wolverines to an 80-69 victory.

Exeter scored the first basket of the game, but Bridgton used a 12-0 run to pull away early, but a determined Exeter squad would not allow Bridgton to run away with it as they came back to make it 24-23 with 11:26 to play. BA then went on a 6-0 run including four straight points from Justin Miller (Agawam, MA) to lead 30-23. Once again Exeter would not let BA break it open, as James Herring hit one of his four first half three pointers to tie the game at 34-34 with 4:01 remaining. Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hit a three to end the half and send the Wolverines into the locker room up, 45-38.

The hot shooting of Herring continued early in the second half as his three pointer with 13:12 brought the Lions within one, 53-52, with 13:12 to play. Bridgton answered right back with a three from Harris, and the teams exchanged buckets for the majority of the half. It was a three point game with 6:12 to play before the Wolverines were able to get some breathing room. Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH) sealed the victory by slamming home an alley-oop with 1:20 to play, and the Wolverines went on to win by a score of 80-69.

In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, the Wolverines were able to snap a three game losing streak, and in doing so Holden picked up his first career win. Following the game the assistant coach said, "I got the call about 10am this morning, but thought I was being set up. When I showed up for shoot around and Whit (Lesure) and Tim (Atwood) weren't here I was looking around for them hiding somewhere."

Eight players got on the board for BA, including six with five points or more. Harris finished with a game high 26, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) added 17, Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) had 15, with 12 coming in the first half by way of 4 three pointers. For Phillips Exeter James Herring finished with 18, coming off of six threes.

Holden kept it simple with the players telling them before the game, "It's your team, go out there and play like one. Bring it from practice to the game, and we will make adjustments when we need to." Holden's second half adjustment of matching Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) up with Herring paid off as Herring only hit two shots in the second half, "Addison was big for us in the second half, shutting down a hot shooter." Holden went on to say, "Every year Exeter comes here and they are a tough team to beat, the have a disciplined and well executed offense."

With the win Bridgton improves to 9-14, with two NEPSAC games remaining, but first a rematch with Lee Academy, who beat the Wolverines earlier in the year, on Sunday, on the road.

The struggles continued for the Bridgton Academy Wolverines as they were handed another set back, this time at the hands of the South Kent Cardinals, 80-59. The Cardinals used decisive runs during each half to pull away from Birdgton and earn a split of the season series.

South Kent forced Bridgton into a number of turnovers in each half, and used a 7-0 run to end the first half to take a 43-28 lead at the break.

Bridgton came out hot to start the second half and immediately cut the deficit to just eight points. BA would get within seven, but could never close the margin more than that. Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) led the Wolverine offense with a season high 16 points. Coach Lesure praised Kanya's efforts afterward saying, "Our toughest guy responded to today's challenge. He was really good on the defensive end too."

The Wolverines have dropped three in a row, and four of their last five. Lesure said, "Sometimes during a season you have to acknowledge where you're at... we're not very good right now but i think we're closer to beating good teams than our guys might realize. Part of my job is help us break through to a higher level of play in the next two weeks. I am very confident we can achieve that and pursue the championship aggressively as we have in the past. like Dustin Hoffman said in Wag The Dog 'This is nothing, just a minor setback, that's all.'"

For the fourth time this season, but just the first in Pittsfield, Bridgton took on MCI. Hopefully, for the Wolverines it will be the last time they have to travel North to take on the Huskies. MCI broke open a 12 point halftime lead to thump the Wolverines 91-63 Wednesday night.

The game started with the teams exchanging baskets, before MCI established a six point advantage halfway through the frame. The Huskies took advantage of missed foul shots and ten first half turnovers by BA to lead by 12 at the break.

Bridgton hit two early foul shots in the opening of the second half to cut the lead to ten, but that was as close as BA would come. The MCI lead ballooned to 18, and Bridgton used its press to try and slow the Huskies, but to no avail as they were never able to seriously threaten MCI.

Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) and Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) led the offense with 22 points apiece. Coach Lesure was complimentary of MCI afterward in defeat saying, "They have proven they're a quality team, the best MCI team in my opinion in many years. I am happy for those guys."

Lesure commented on his own teams situation, "We are in a different situation, still searching for some answers, but far from a lost cause. We've got enough pride in our locker room to get this thing right before its all over." Lesure did not exclude himself from the struggles by saying, "I got a bit impatient and committed us to reckless pressure. I'm confident I will coach better, and we will have some players play better next time out."

The Wolverines look to turn things around as they travel to South Kent, CT to take on the Cardinals, in a rematch of one of the best games of the season, a 108-104 2OT victory by BA.

Lesure gave special mention to the efforts of local high school, Lake Region, saying, "My hat's off to Lake Region High School, for their thrilling state playoff victory the other night," a 56-41 prelim victory over Yarmouth High School. "They play the right way, and our program wishes them continued success to accomplish their dreams this season."

Bridgton traveled to the University of Rhode Island to compete in the National Prep Tournament. The Wolverines faced off against Northfield Mount Hermon on Saturday afternoon, and suffered a 80-58 loss.

In the early goings the two teams exchanged baskets, but the inside force and outside shooting of NMH was too much for Bridgton as the Hoggers opened up a 20 point halftime lead. Bridgton was never able to seriously respond with and offensive attack of their own.

In the second half BA was able to cut the deficient to 13 on various occasions, however key baskets and big stops were in short supply when the Wolverines needed them the most.

Coach Lesure credited the Hoggers for the troubles that the Wolverines encountered, as BA knew they were up against as good a team as there is in the NEPSAC. "We hoped to be able to play at a high level on back to back days. Its hard to predict but but they caused a lot of miscues on our part that we will try and remedy."

The Wolverines have suffered losses in six of their last eight contests. Lesure went on to say, "I tell our guys all the time its talent or effort. If you get beat on talent that's fine, if you get beat on effort or smarts that's not okay. I thought Northfield Mount Hermon played hungrier than we did."

Bridgton will travel to MCI and South Kent before returning home for three consecutive contests.

Lesure finished saying, "I like this time of year. You find out who the ballplayers are, who keeps pushing to improve everyday and whose thinking about spring break on the beach somewhere. I know my golf clubs are stored away until the snow leaves Bridgton in May."

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The Lee Academy Pandas traveled from the depths of the Maine wilderness to take on Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton on Tuesday night. For Bridgton it was their third game in four days, and Lee was participating in their third contest in as many days, a rescheduled match up from Wednesday.

The first half was a closely contested battle that saw Lee lead throughout, but only hold a slight 32-31 advantage at the break.

In the second half the Pandas came out strong starting with an 8-0 run to distance themselves from the hosts. The lead reached double digits with 13:26 to play as Lee went up 48-37, the Pandas would enjoy their largest advantage with 12:26 to play as they went up 13.

Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) hit a three with 7:42 to play to bring the deficit back to single numbers, 54-45. The Lee advantage was back to 13 however just 1:04 later thanks to four straight points by Malik Dean. Bridgton used a 13-5 run over a 3:09 stretch to bring themselves within one point at 65-64, with just 2:06 to play.

Following a time out Bridgton needed a defensive stop, to get a chance to take their first lead of the game. Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) drew what appeared to be an offensive player control foul that would negate the converted layup and give Bridgton the ball back, however it was called a blocking foul and sent Vaughn Allen to the line with a chance to put the Pandas up by four. Allen converted the three point play to put Lee up 68-64 with 25.7 seconds to play. It was too much too late for Bridgton as Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) hit a three at the buzzer for a final of 69-67.

"They just out played us, including the start of each half," Head Coach Whit Lesure said following the game. He went on to say, "We couldn't get a stop at the end, and had a hard time getting one all night."

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) led the Wolverines in scoring with 23 points, Jones finished with 19 and Kanya contributed 10.

Lesure said, "We weren't the aggressors until the very end, give Lee credit they controlled play," Bridgton never saw a lead in the game, "we did not shoot well enough to make up for the other errors we had." The coach was quick to point out his own shortcomings of the day by saying, "I had no more positive impact than many of our players did," referring to his decisions late in the game.

Bridgton will next travel to University of Rhode Island this weekend to compete in the National Prep School Invitational Tournament.

Lesure's final contention was that, "Quinn Allen would have called a charge for certain."

The Wolverine Winter Tournament wrapped up today with Notre Dame Prep taking home the title. Notre Dame edged St. Thomas More 83-77, in a hard fought battle. The consolation game was a match up of instate rivals MCI and Bridgton, the third meeting for the teams this year.

The start of the game looked like it would be a repeat of the previous meetings, MCI walking away with the win. The Huskies scored on their first two possessions and quickly went up 5-0, however they would only score nine more points in the half and Bridgton outscored MCI 31-9 over the remainder of the half to enjoy a 31-14 lead at the break.

Bridgton was able to hold onto the double digit lead for the entire second half, MCI cut the lead to 11 with 12:45 to play. BA was able to extend the lead again and reached their biggest advantage at 60-42 with 2:22, after Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) knocked down a three. Bridgton ended its four game skid with a 64-51 win.

Head Coach Whit Lesure likened the game to bargain shopping by saying, "This game had the 'three for a buck' feel to it. You think you are getting a deal, but do not know if you actually got anything." Lesure went on to say, "our team is like iron, the key ingredient is heat. When the heat is on its going to stay on and we are not going to break."

Bridgton will next host Lee Academy on Tuesday February 2nd. Bridgton's record now stands at 7-10.

Bridgton hosted its first Winter Tournament game against St. Thomas More on Saturday night. Following the opening game, which saw Notre Dame Prep pull out a win over MCI, the Wolverines could not overcome the Chancellors second half surge.

BA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and then did not see a lead until five minutes remaining the the first half when Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hit a three pointer to put Bridgton up 28-27. At the half the two squads were knotted at 33. Coach Lesure said later, "Settling for a tie at the half was not enough, we could have put ourselves in a position for more of an advantage."

In the second half St. Thomas More came out firing as they quickly went up by 10 in the first five minutes. Bryon Allen carried St. thomas More with 22 second half points. Bridgton was able to close the lead to single digits using an 11-2 run over 4:23 but the Chancellors would not let up and pulled away for a final of 95-87.

"We did a nice job to battle back in the second half. Give credit to St. Thomas More who stepped up in the second half and Allen was hitting big shots," Lesure commented. "I like how we finished the game hard, you have to respect our effort."

Harris had a game high 36 points, including nine three pointers. Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) had a season high 21 points in a battle down low. Derek Mayo (Orlando, FL) added a big seven points. Bryon Allen ended with 24 points.

"The event staff and game management staff need to be commended for their efforts, as this tournament has run very well," Lesure added.

Bridgton will face off against MCI, for the third time this season, tomorrow at noon in the consolation game. The championship game will pit St. Thomas More against Notre Dame Prep at 2 PM.

Bridgton Academy Wolverines traveled to Brewster Academy to take on the NEPSAC leading Bobcats. The Bobcats showed Bridgton why they are the cream of the crop this year in handing them a 74-54 set back.

It was not all Brewster however, as Bridgton led early on, and held their own for the first ten minutes of the contest, but Brewster took over from there and opened up a 24-19 lead with five minutes left in the first half. Over the final five minutes Brewster used a 12-4 run and was up 36-23 at the break.

Bridgton came out shooting in the second half and was able to quickly narrow the Bobcat lead to just seven. That was as close as the Wolverines would be able to get as they could not convert, and Brewster's defense held Bridgton in check, which allowed the Bobcats to pull away.

Three Bridgton players reached double digits as Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) had 15 points, Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) 11 and Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) 12.

Coach Lesure commented, "We played okay. We were not able to convert enough chances during key stretches of the game. Brewster had a lot to do with that. We will go back to practice and prepare for Saturday."

Bridgton will host the Wolverine Tournament this weekend as MCI will play Notre Dame Prep on Saturday at 6PM and then Bridgton will play St. Thomas More at 8PM. Bridgton sees its record fall to 6-9.

Bridgton basketball traveled to Connecticut this weekend to participate in the St. Thomas Moore Invitational Tournament. The field included instate rival MCI, Champlain, as well as the hosts.

In the second game Bridgton squared off against MCI, whom they had lost to earlier in the year at home. The Wolverines woes continued from the first game, as they could not buy a basket and found themselves trailing 15-2 early on. Solid bench play allowed BA to fight its way back into the game and make it 28-22 MCI at the half.

Chance Jones hit a three to start the second half and cut the deficit to three, where it would stay for the majority of the half, before MCI pulled away and stretched the lead to ten. Bridgton was able to come within seven, but could not convert after that and turnovers allowed MCI to put the Wolverines away, 70-57.

MCI's Steve Roundtree led all scorers with 30 points to go along with 22 rebounds. 11 Bridgton players scored in the losing effort.

"The better team won, " said Lesure. He went on to say, "They have defeated us twice. We do not match up well with them and they are very well coached. Our only answer that I'm aware of is playing harder and cutting down on the mistakes at both ends that really hurt. Our margin for error is something we must confront in order to improve if we want to win in this league."

Bridgton sees its record fall to 3-4 in NEPSAC and 6-8 overall. Bridgton plays next at NEPSAC power Brewster Academy on Wednesday, January 27th at 6PM.

Bridgton basketball traveled to Connecticut this weekend to participate in the St. Thomas Moore Invitational Tournament. The field included instate rival MCI, Champlain, as well as the hosts.

Bridgton's first round match up was with Champlain. The Wolverines came out on fire leading 22-5 midway through the first half, but sloppy play and unforced turnovers costs BA as they saw their lead shrunk to 36-30 at the half.

The second half saw Champlain continue to come back, and then pull away from the struggling Wolverines for a final score of 69-58. Bridgton, out of sync for the final three quarters of the game, got in foul trouble and Champlain took advantage going 23 for 32 from the line, while Bridgton was only 7 of 12.

Three players registered double digits for the black and gray, Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) with 14, Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) 14 and Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) 11.

Following the game Coach Lesure said, "We shot ourselves in the foot. We cannot make that many errors when we are playing well. You have to stay in the trance. Opportunity is a fickle friend."

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines avenged an early season loss to New Hampton, by handing the Huskies a 75-66 set back in North Bridgton.

Coming off an emotional win over South Kent in double overtime, the BA offense was not clicking early as it took over three minutes for either team to record their first field goal of the game. New Hampton held the early edge with a 12-8 lead, but Bridgton was able to fight their way back and extend their lead to 32-24 with 3:43 remaining in the first half. The eight point spread was the largest by any team in the first half, as BA took a 37-31 lead into the intermission.

New Hampton wasted no time erasing Bridgton’s lead to start the second half, and with 14:30 remaining it was 42-42. Four straight points, including two free throws, by TeAndre Hubbard (San Francisco, CA) Bridgton took the lead for good with 13:32 to play. Over the next 3:49 BA would go on a 11-2 run, capped off by a Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) three pointer, to put the hosts up 53-44.

Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) converted on a three point play to end a 8-3 New Hampton run and put Bridgton back up by seven. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) added a three point play of his own with 4:34 to play, which would eventually be the decisive basket as Bridgton led 65-57.

The Wolverines converted on their foul shots down the stretch, including four straight, by Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) to put the Huskies away. Bridgton received offensive contributions from 11 different players, including five with seven or more points and only two in double figures. Harris led the way with 18, and Jones added 15.

Following the game alumni Jay Height '04 spoke to the team. Head Coach Whit Lesure commented on the game saying, “It wasn’t pretty, but we grinded enough to get it done.” Lesure gave credit to his bench saying, “I was most proud of the ‘fire brigade’ in the second half that got us to play the way we want when I thought our execution and production was going to stop.” Included in the “fire brigade” was Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH), Justin Miller (Agawam, MA) and Hubbard who after the game said, “We lost to them last time, so this was an important game, and it has given us a boost of confidence, we’ve won two in a row and are ready to knock off the next team.”

The Wolverines will next travel to Connecticut to compete in the St. Thomas Moore Tournament. Their first game will be against Champlain, a CEGEP team from Canada. Canada native Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) said of the up coming games, “We will be playing good teams, and Coach Lesure keeps telling us to focus on defense and our offense will come from it, tonight we hustled and got key rebounds, so our offense could get going.”

The Wolverines improve their record to 3-3 in NEPSAC play and 6-6 over all. Coach Lesure said, “New Hampton is a good team, and we are on our way to becoming a good team.”

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines played host to the South Kent Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. The battle of perennial powers lived up to the hype, as it took extra time to settle it. The Wolverines were able to pull out a 108-104 win in two overtimes.

Coming into the game the Wolverines had dropped two consecutive games and were looking for a much needed NEPSAC victory. South Kent had won two of its previous games including victories over Winchendon School and Brewster Academy.

The two teams came out shooting as it was a fast paced, high scoring affair. In the back and forth first half no team held a lead greater than six points and the Wolverines went into the break with a 54-48 advantage.

South Kent used a quick 6-0 run to eliminate the BA lead. Bridgton used key contributions off the bench to keep the Cardinals from running away with the win. South Kent extended its lead at the end of the half only to see Bridgton get timely buckets, and key stops to pull even. South Kent missed a shot with three seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into its first overtime, 91-91.

After the first extra session it was still knotted, 98-98. In the second overtime Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) knocked down critical free throws, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) and Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) also added late baskets to seal the thrilling victory 108-104.

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) lead Bridgton with 30 points, Jones added 28. J.J. Moore, a Pittsburgh commit, for South Kent, led all scorers with 33 points.

After the game Head Coach Whit Lesure said, “There is no way to downplay the significance of a key victory for us at this stage in our season. We made plays late in regulation and in the overtimes to give ourselves a chance. Anyone who saw the game appreciated the team effort.”

The Wolverines improve their record to 2-3 in NEPSAC play and 5-6 overall.

Coach Lesure said, “The game ranks with the most exciting we've had here. If you were one of the lucky ones to see this game today, you saw a good one.”

Bridgton is back in action on Wednesday as they take on New Hampton, home at 6:00 PM.

Bridgton Academy traveled to Chelsea High School MA early Saturday afternoon for the annual Martin Luther King weekend event sponsored by BABC and Boston Celtic assistant coach Leo Papile.

Both teams were playing their first game back after the semester break and the host Crusaders ultimately held off a game effort by the Wolverines. The first half was close throughout with ND Prep using a late run to take a slim 33-29 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Prep used a fast start to gain some momentum but BA battled back to take its only lead of the second half at 48-47 entering the final ten minutes. Once again Notre Dame built an 11 point cushion but the Wolverines put together an impressive run of their own in the final five minutes and gained possession of the ball trailing 66-61. BA could not convert a steal and fastbreak opportunity and moments later had one more open look at the rim but could not knock down the three point shot to pull closer.

Leading the BA attack for the day was Alexander Harris (Richmond, CA) with a game high 21 points. Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) netted eleven in a very balanced effort for Bridgton Academy. U-Conn bound Clarendon Melvin put in 16 for ND Prep while Providence bound Ron Giplaye added 15 of his own. Coach Lesure saw mixed results for the afternoon’s effort. “We certainly competed and played as a team down to the wire…I liked our poise…We need to cut down on some give-aways, as much on the defensive end as within our offense… But I feel like our guys understand what has to happen and the focus is primarily on getting better”, Lesure said.

The Wolverines have a quick turn-around facing South Kent on Sunday afternoon for the first time since last year’s NEPSAC championship game. South Kent enters the game with second semester victories over both Winchendon and Brewster to their credit. Game time is 1 PM at the Wolverdome.

The Bridgton Academy come back attempt fell just short as the Wolverines looked to over come an 18 point second half deficit. Taking on MCI in the last game before the Holiday Break the Wolverines found themselves trailing most of the night. Bridgton's effort fell just short as they lost to the Huskies 74-72.

After two quick baskets by BA, MCI responded with a 23-6 run to see their first half lead balloon to 13 points with 6:37 to play in the half. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) kept the hosts within striking distance as he scored seven straight points to cut the lead to 30-22 at the half.

In the second half Bridgton was able to trim the lead in half with 13:53 remaining, just to see MCI expand it to 18 points, 60-42 with 6:24 remaining. The Wolverines used an 11-1 run to bring the lead to single digits. With under one minute remaining it was a two possession game. An offensive rebound put back and chance for a three point play by Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) brought the Wolverines within three, 69-66, with 40.1 seconds remaining. The foul shot was not converted and MCI came away with the rebound. Two late three pointers by Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) could not make up the difference as the Huskies knocked down their foul shots.

Coach Lesure, whose Wolverines shot just 15-30 from the foul line, said "We just ran out of time," he went on to give credit to the Huskies saying, "they are a good team, they are always well coached and did a good job building the lead." Speaking of his team Lesure said, "I'm very proud of us for sticking around and giving ourselves a chance to make a run at it."

Starting guard Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) said after the game, "It (the game) was a struggle, we showed good character to get back into it, and if we get a couple calls it could have been different." Contributing his most minutes of the season Derek Mayo (Orlando, FL) commented, "We pulled together as a team without Alex (Harris), everyone stepped up and I think it will help us in the long run."

The home crowd in the Wolverdome helped BA claw their way back into the game, "Big props to the crowd, they didn't give us up for dead. They had a large part is us coming back," added Lesure.

The Wolverines who, "have done enough good things to take a break and return a better team," as Lesure puts it, enter the break at 2-3 in NEPSAC play and 4-5 overall. BA is back in action on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 as they travel to take on Notre Dame Prep.

PEmotions were running high as Bridgton Academy took on the Winchendon School Sunday afternoon in North Bridgton. For the Wolverines it was their second home NEPSAC contest in as many days, and the Wapiti were looking to extend their six game winning streak. In a game of runs Winchendon was able to hold of Bridgton and earn a 69-62 victory.

Bridgton opened the game with a 9-2 run capped off by a three pointer from Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) to jump out to the early lead. However, Winchendon responded by going on a 10-3 run of their own to even the score at 12-12 with 9:33 remaining in the half. In a half that Bridgton led for the majority of time, it was a deadlock at the half 32-32.

The start of the second half saw Winchendon get off to a hot start and take a 38-32 lead. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) would cut the lead in half by converting on a three point play with 15:35 left to play.

Winchendon would not slow down as another run, this time 11-3, gave them their largest lead of the game at 43-35. Bridgton would fight its way back with a 6-0 run to close within two points, 47-45, with 7:52 remaining. The Wolverines would not be able to come any closer however, as Winchendon was able to extend the lead to double figures before late three pointers from the hosts closed the margin.

Chance Jones (Knoxvile, TN) led the way for Bridgton with 15 points, Wiggins ended with 12 and Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) got into double figures with 10.

Coach Lesure commenting on the game said, "As well as we played for large stretches throughout the game, we committed too many defensive errors. At the half we felt that we could improve on our execution and regain the lead; the effort was not the main issue. I won't say I'm happy losing, but our team has made progress despite the setback. MCI will provide a new challenge Wednesday."

Bridgton slips to 4-4 on the year, and 2-2 in NEPSAC play. The Wolverines close out the first semester by hosting instate rival MCI Wednesday, December 9th at 6:00 PM.

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines opened up their home NEPSAC schedule Saturday afternoon with a hard fought 79-74 win over Worcester Academy. In what Head Coach Whit Lesure called, "Our most complete game so far," the Wolverines were able to get key contributions off the bench to hold off Worcester.

Bridgton benefited from 38 points off the bench, lead by Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) who contributed a season high 21 points. "The hope is that every year you can build around a number of guys to make big contributions, and tonight Chance, Addison (Williams), and Goof [Justin Miller], (Agawam, MA) did that for us," added Lesure.

The first half was a back and forth battle in which no team had more than a five point lead. The Wolverines were able to take a slim 35-33 advantage into the half.

Bridgton used a 7-2 run, capped off by a three from Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario), to start the second half and take a 42-35 lead. Worcester would come back by knocking down consecutive three pointers, and come all the way back to take the lead with 13:35 remaining.

Worcester would hold off numerous BA flurries until Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) knocked down a shot from beyond the arc to put the Wolverines ahead 61-60 with 5:34 remaining. Worcester would get no closer as Bridgton converted their foul shots down the stretch to earn a 79-74 victory.

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) and Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) each contributed 17 points. Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) put in a season high 12 points, after the game he stated, "It was a tight game so I wanted to be calm and get the offense going, while also stopping their point guard." Justin Miller, who gave key contributions off the bench said, "They were a very good team and executed well, so we had to continue to play our game and remain focused."

Bridgton will be in the Wolverdome tomorrow afternoon for another NEPSAC battle, against Winchendon School, scheduled for a 2:00 PM tip-off.

Bridgton Academy overcame a five point halftime deficit to overwhelm the visiting Ernst Academy (SC) 87-66 at the Wolverdome on Wednesday night. Five players scored in double figures for BA led by Dashaun Wiggins with 19 points. Chance Jones (16), Paul Dick (15), Alexander Harris (12) and Ruben Kanya (10) contributed to the balanced attack. Once again all thirteen players saw action in the contest, but in the first half it looked like extended vacation rather than competitive basketball and the visitors were more than willing to take advantage of the complacency and lead 41-35 at the break. The home team wasted little time turning the game around in their favor building a double figure lead within the first ten minutes of the second half. Coach Lesure relayed his halftime comments afterwards..."I expressed my belief that we are a better team than the way we played for the first twenty minutes"..."In the second half we demonstrated the ability to leave some bad play behind us, but give Ernst credit for their smart play to open the game", Lesure added. The victory evens the Wolverine record at 3-3 on the young season. Bridgton Academy host a pair of NEPSAC league games over the coming weekend with Worcester Academy coming to North Bridgton on Saturday followed by the Winchendon School on Sunday afternoon. Coach Lesure was pointing to the games in his closing comments Wednesday night. "These are two good clubs coming in here...It will be a test for us.".

The Turkey is likely to taste just a little bit better for the thirteen Wolverines who managed to pull out a dramatic 71-70 victory over defending national champion Tilton (NH) at the National Prep Showcase (CT) Sunday afternoon. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) had his halfcourt prayer answered when he swished home a 50 foot desperation heave following a missed free throw by Tilton. The dramatic shot completed a gutty comeback which saw BA erase a 13 point hole with less than ten minutes to play in the game. In fact, it was a game largely controlled by Tilton but taken over late by inspired defense and improved execution on the offensive end by Bridgton Academy. Tilton finished the first half with a pair of baskets to lead 30-26 at intermission. In the second half, the game remained close before Tilton built a double digit advantage setting the stage for the late game heroics that saw multiple contributions from BA players that shared plenty of action. In addition to Wiggins (24 points), Alexander Harris (Richmond, CA) played his best game of the year (24 points) to pace the offense. But Coach Lesure was quick to praise the contributions of several other players that did not stand out in the official stat sheet for the afternoon. Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) stepped up inside as did Jeff Schmelz (Pascoag, RI). Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) was a defensive stopper, and Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) contributed his most significant minutes in the early season. "Like so many good wins, it was easy to point out the difference that so many individuals made by not hanging their heads", Lesure said. "Wiggins deserves alot of credit, but it was his defense and not his shot that ultimately gave us a chance..When we were behind (Derek) Mayo, (Kevin) Anthony, Schmelz, Kanya, and Harris gave us life" "We were on the other end of this last year (a Hargrave 3 pointer defeated the Wolverine upset bid) so I feel for the Tilton guys, but they're a well coached team and will be fine, I'm sure". The victory evens the Wolverine NEPSAC record to 1-1 and 2-3 overall heading into the holiday break. For a complete rundown of the weekend action go to New England Basketball Report or ESPN college basketball recruiting.

In a game generally closer than the final score the Wolverines were beaten by #1 nationally ranked Hargrave Military Academy (VA) 80-57 Saturday afternoon the National Prep Showcase Event on the campus of Albertus Magnus College (CT). Out of the top ten in ESPN/NERR polls for the first time in many years, Bridgton Academy set out this weekend to prove they still belonged in the conversation among elite prep school basketball teams. In the first half, BA led at the midway point but costly turnovers forced them to settle for a 32-24 deficit at the break. Hargrave extended their lead to open the second half and while the Wolverines were competitive they also did not seriously threaten the top ranked team in the country. Balanced scoring was the highlight of the Bridgton Academy attack with all 13 players making contributions on the afternoon. Coach Lesure reflected matter of factly on the Wolverine performance afterwards. "There were certainly some positives and negatives to be taken from today as we try and improve our overall team play"..."We will try and gain a split for the weekend tomorrow by decreasing our errors and building on the positives". The Wolverines face last year's National Prep Champion Tilton School (NH) at noon time before heading home on holiday break for the week.

Bridgton Academy played its first league contest of the early season on the road and came up short 81-69 at NEPSAC rival New Hampton. BA held the lead through the middle portion of the first half but saw the Huskies rally to earn a three point advantage at halftime 33-30.

New Hampton capitalized on the momentum early in the second half and built double digit leads before the Wolverines mounted a comeback effort of their own that ultimately fell short. BA cut the deficit to six with the ball on two occasions but could get no closer as the home team made the plays to secure the win. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) led all scorers in the game with 30 points for Bridgton Academy. BA coach Whit Lesure gave credit to New Hampton afterwards. “I thought they were better than us in every phase of the game”, Lesure said. “Our guys gave an honest effort, but that certainly won’t cut it on the road against a good club”, Lesure added. “We have a good chance to accomplish something very positive for ourselves this weekend and then enjoy a well deserved holiday break”.

BA plays at the 2009 National Prep Showcase this coming weekend being held on the campus at Albertus Magnus College (CT). The Wolverines face national power Hargrave Military Academy (VA) on Saturday afternoon and last years national prep champion Tilton School (NH) Sunday to wrap up the November schedule.

Bridgton Academy had twenty-four hours to digest a heart-breaking opening season loss but rebounded convincingly to win 74-54 over Edison (NJ). The Wolverines started strong again and rode an Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) three point shot that beat the first half buzzer to lead by 13 at the break 41-28.

Edison made one strong run at the home team in the second half to cut the deficit to ten but timely offense and three point shooting put away any serious threat on this warm afternoon in the Wolverdome. All thirteen BA players saw action in each half led by Harris's game high 19 points and the win evens the BA record to 1-1 on the season. Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) added 16 and Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) and Thierno Niang (Dakar, Senegal) added 11 a piece to pace the Wolverine attack.

Coach Lesure was pleased with much of the action in this contest. "We played solidly on both ends of the floor...I was well aware of the lingering effects of yesterday's loss and I thought our guys brought sufficient focus and energy to get a W today...Hopefully, we will have learned a few things this weekend that may help us out in the coming week", Lesure concluded.

BA travels to NEPSAC rival New Hampton on Thursday evening for a 6pm contest before closing the pre-Thanksgiving segment of the schedule at the 2009 National Prep Showcase being held at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven CT over the weekend.

The Wolverines showed signs of early season progress from their scrimmage action but were ultimately not able to hold off an improbable last second victory to NIA Prep (NJ) 83-82 at the Wolverdome in North Bridgton. NIA won the game by stealing the ball with less than 5 seconds to go and making two free throws. BA had moments earlier led by five with under 25 seconds to play. The late game fireworks were not the only part of a very exciting early season contest that saw both teams enjoy double digit leads; the Wolverines jumping out early in the first half to a 21-6 advantage and NIA taking a 12 point lead with ten minutes remaining only to see the home team mount a dramatic rally that unfortunately did not hold up in the end.

Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) 20, Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) 18, Thierno Niang (Dakar, Senegal) 12, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) 12, and Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) 10 led five Bridgton Academy players in double figures for the afternoon.

After gaining the early first half advantage, several Wolverine miscues in the final minutes forced them to settle for a 37-34 haftime lead. NIA kept the momemtum at the start of the second half before BA staged its exciting comeback effort with five minutes remaining that certainly appeared like it would give the defending Class A champions their first victory. BA Coach Whit Lesure was candid in his comments afterwards..."I am as shocked as our players right now...Give credit to NIA for making the plays they had to, especially the big 3....Ultimately I bear the bulk of the responsibility for this loss....Obviously, it's a coach's nightmare, but it happens...The most important thing is to respond properly tomorrow." BA takes on Edison (NJ) at 1 pm in their second home contest to start the season.