Bartlett’s Jesse Bond was no match for Bromfield’s Ben Brown Tuesday night as the Trojans held a sizeable lead in the first half of the game. (Photos by Ellen Harasimowicz)
The Bromfield boys basketball team powered its way to the District semi-finals on Friday night, defeating number one seed West Boylston for a second time this season in the District quarterfinal game.
The Trojans were fresh off a dramatic home victory against rival Bartlett, with senior captain Josh Lyvers hitting a contested buzzer-beating jumper to defeat the Indians 60–58. Despite rushing out to an early 12–0 lead, the Trojans had to come from behind late to win. With seven seconds, Lyvers hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 58, setting the stage for his stunning game-winning shot.
Entering the District quarterfinal game, the Lions were heavily favored as the number one seed after going 22–1 during the regular season. The Lions had also recently won the Clark tournament and received a bye for the first round of District playoffs. However, the Lions’ only loss came at the hands of the Trojans earlier in the regular season. From the beginning of the game, Bromfield was determined to defeat West Boylston. The Trojans knew that they had to bring their best game to stay with the Lions, who typically average about 70 points a game and play tight full-court man defense the entire game.
Bromfield’s Josh Lyvers runs over to the bench to celebrate after hitting the winning basket at the buzzer against Bartlett in the first round of the district playoffs.
For Bromfield, the key to the game was defense. The team has used its match-up zone throughout the year to succeed and keep the score low, and knew that their chances were tied to defensive success. The Trojans knew that if they kept the score down and got out on the Lions’ numerous three-point threats, they would have a good chance of winning.
Early, however, the momentum was all for West Boylston. The Lions jumped out to a 14–7 lead early on three-pointers from senior captain Eric Rosiello and junior Ryan McKernan. The Trojans, however, would not be put away. Controlling the boards and isolating 1,000-point center Mike Dziczek were key to staying in the game. Junior Hugo Al-Homsi was also crucial in netting important points in transition for senior forwards Ben Brown and Josh Lyvers. Despite the defensive energy and resiliency from Bromfield, West Boylston led 24–17 at halftime.
Coming out of the locker room, both teams knew that their future playoff hopes were on the line. The third quarter was filled with energy from both teams, but no points were scored for the first three turnover-plagued minutes. The score remained relatively low, with both teams benefiting from their tough defenses. West Boylston’s lead remained at seven points going into the fourth quarter.
The final period was dominated by Bromfield’s gritty defensive and offensive play. Senior Connor Kempton was huge for the Trojans, grabbing nearly every rebound on both ends of the floor while severely limiting the effectiveness of Dziczek inside. Kempton had a huge three-point play following a pass from Brown on the baseline to put the Trojans on top for the first time. Kempton scored all of his critical eight points in the fourth quarter. From that point on, Bromfield took over. Senior Brian Morgan hit a three-pointer to double the lead to six with three minutes remaining. Following a steal, Al-Homsi drove the length of the court and netted an acrobatic lay-up while being fouled. Al-Homsi completed the three-point play en route to his important nine points. Morgan finished with 12 points. In the dying moments, the Lions were forced to foul to stop the clock, but Morgan, Kempton, and Al-Homsi were nearly perfect from the line. When all was said and done, the Trojans triumphed in emphatic fashion with a 50–38 victory. Lyvers led the team with 13 points.
“Certainly one of the biggest factors in the game at Clinton against West Boylston was the Bromfield fans,” said Coach Charlie Noonan. “They were all standing up in the second half, cheering and supporting the players, which helped to bring up the level of energy needed for us to finish with a strong fourth quarter. This was a great comeback situation and the team united with the help of some great Friday night lights game spirit and unselfish teamwork by all.”
