BA Runs Out of Time Against MCI

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.

#23 Chance Jones gets to the rim against MCI

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."

#33 Paul Dick grabs a rebound against MCI

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."

Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) led Bridgton with 25 points, Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) scored 16 second half points and Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) added ten.

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.

Bridgton Drops Decision To Winchendon

Emotions 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.

Wolverines Grind Out Win Over Worcester

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.

BA DEFEATS ERNST ACADEMY 87-66

#1 Alex Harris blocks a shot against Ernst Academy on Wednesday

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 (Bronx, NY) with 19 points. Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) (16), Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) (15), Alexander Harris (Richmond, CA) (12) and Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) (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.

#11 Ruben Kanya drives to the hoop on his way to helping BA down Ernst 87-66. Kanya finished with 10 points.

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.".

#3 Dashaun Wiggins elevates for a jumpshot over an Ernst defender.

Wolverines Win 71-70 at Buzzer

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.

BA Dropped by Hargrave 80-57

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.

BA Falls At New Hampton

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 afterward. “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.

#3 Dashaun Wiggins shoots a foul shot Thursday vs. New Hampton. Wiggins led all scorers with 30 points.

#1 Alex Harris sets up a play Thursday against New Hampton.