Ryan Kennedy gets off a shot against Ayer. (Photos by Vishwa Rasania)
Brian McCullough takes a jump shot.
The Bromfield boys basketball team won its third straight game last Tuesday in a thrilling 67–58 win against the Ayer Panthers. Bromfield senior forward Jeffrey Yates led Bromfield with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Yates made five of his six two-point field goal attempts on the game.
Ayer started the game with a strong full-court press on their home floor, quickly jumping out to an 11-point lead behind three steals from Ayer point guard Deshawn Taylor. Taylor had six steals on the evening, to go along with eight points.
Ayer took off their half-court press after their quick shooting guard Scott Monge picked up two fouls in the opening minutes, giving Bromfield’s half-court offense a chance to work its magic.
With the score standing at 13-2, Ayer, the Trojans went on a seven-minute scoring streak in the first and second quarters, moving them ahead, 20-15. Ayer closed out the half with another full-court press, bringing them back to within three. Eighteen of Ayer’s 23 first-half points came off Bromfield turnovers resulting from the press.
Bromfield preserved its lead in the third quarter, thanks to strong defensive play from senior center Nick Ashe, who was severely outsized by Ayer center Cedric Gray. Gray finished with seven points and 10 rebounds.
Ayer got into foul trouble early in the second half, putting Bromfield into the double bonus by the end of the third quarter and giving them two free throws on every foul. As a result, Bromfield shot a jaw-dropping 40 free throws in the game, making 26 of them.
Trailing by one with seconds left in the third quarter, Bromfield point guard Brian McCullough found sophomore Matt Griffin for a three-pointer that put the Trojans ahead 42-40 as the quarter expired.
McCullough had steals that led to layups on consecutive possessions in the final quarter and finished with 17 points and four steals. He and Ashe also combined to make 19 of 26 free throws.
Bromfield’s second-leading scorer, Luke Broganer, was inactive for most of the game, after picking up three fouls in the first quarter. He logged his first points midway through the fourth quarter on two free throws that extended his team’s lead to 10, making the score 56-46. Broganer still scored six points in his limited minutes.
Ashe, Yates, and McCullough handled most of the Bromfield scoring to close out the game. The latter two’s presence was felt in the paint, as they combined for nine offensive rebounds.
Bromfield sank six of their eight free throws in the final minute, as they closed out their third consecutive win.
