The Trojans were defeated Friday, Dec. 15, in a heated game against the Gardner Wildcats. The final score was 69-60, but Bromfield lost its edge in the last two minutes of the game when the teams were tied at 59-59. Gardner scored two 3-pointers in a row and then sank two foul shots in the final seconds, leaving the Trojans disappointed.
The Wildcats’ gym was packed with spectators and cheerleaders, giving Gardner the edge in team spirit; but what Bromfield lacked in patrons, they made up for in determination. Freshman forward Charlie Gowel’s first basket of the night, seconds after winning the tipoff, set the tone for an aggressive game. High scorers and team co-captains Luke MacLean, senior forward, and Ethan Russo, junior guard, each racked up 15 points for the Trojans.
The first quarter ended with Bromfield down by three, and the gap widened in the second quarter to a 5-point difference at 32-27, with Gardner in the lead. MacLean fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter, exiting the court having voiced his opinion of the referee that earned him a technical foul. Bromfield’s coach, Tim Skaggs, said later, “I tell my players that you’re often playing five against seven at an away game because you have the refs who might know the coaches of the home team and you have the home fans. The only way to play through the adversity is to outplay and outsmart and continue to do our best.”
MacLean wasn’t alone on the bench; sophomore and co-captain Owen Blasis and sophomore Josh Pelak joined him after some intense plays. The Trojans racked up 23 fouls while the Wildcats earned 19 and also lost one player to the bench.
The last quarter was fraught with tension as the Trojans tied the score in the final minutes of the game at 59-59. “When the score was tied with a minute and a half to go, I froze the team by calling a timeout to set up a play, versus calling the play while already on the court,” said Skaggs. “It allowed the other team to set up a defensive play which worked for them.” Skaggs noted that Gardner is a shooting team, and they did what they do best, resulting in the loss for Bromfield.
The Trojans were scheduled to face the Narragansett Warriors at Bromfield Tuesday, Dec. 19, and the Tahanto Stags on their home court Thursday, Dec 21. Coach Skaggs’ strategy for both matchups is to slow the tempo of the game and stop the opponents’ shooters.
Julie Gowel is a Bromfield varsity basketball parent.
