Broncos Withstand Mid Pen's Three-Point Shooting

HARRIS---The three's kept raining down for the Mid Peninsula Wolverines Tuesday night, but the downpour came too late for the Wolverines to pull out a win over the Bark River-Harris Broncos. Mid Pen made 16 three-pointers, including six in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos made a living at the free throw line and held on for a 58-56 win.

"We were happy to be close in the game," BR-H Coach Joel Schultz said. "We came in shorthanded. We knew it's a tough team, and they got us good there (in Perkins). So, this marks a lot of progress for our team. We made just enough free throws."

Indeed, they did. The Broncos went 23-of-36 from the foul line. The Wolverines decided to foul the Broncos on nearly every possession in the fourth quarter.

"They sure as heck didn't miss too many," Mid Pen Coach Mark Branstrom said. "Of course, every coach at the end of the game does that. It (putting the Broncos on the line) worked out to our benefit, but we didn't finish."

This game was close all night long, with the Wolverines leading 13-12 after one quarter and 25-24 at the half. The Brocnos grabbed the lead after three quarters of play as Logan Heim got a rebound and drove the length of the court for a hoop, making it a 37-34 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Wolverines got hot from behind the arch. Kyle Klenow nailed two threes, and Terry Brower drained a pair of bombs. Brower's last three brought Mid Pen to within 51-48 with 1:58 to play. Then after two BR-H free throws, Damian Richmond got a three of his own to bring Mid Pen to within 53-51 with 47 seconds left.

Duane Englund joined the three-point party with a long shot with 6.5 seconds left, cutting the Bronco lead to 58-56. And then the inbounds pass was a poor one, giving the Wolverines a cfhance to tie. But Richmond missed the baseline lay-up with 1.1 seconds on the clock. The Broncos ended the game by throwing a long baseball pass.

"Grind it out, stuck with it enough," Schultz said. "That's a real good win for us. It's something that's getting to be different for us. We didn't press (defensively) a posession. I don't know the last time I coached a game that we didn't press a posession."

Jace Briggs led the Broncos with 18 points, including three three-point baskets. Josh Madalinski added 17 points, with many of them coming at the foul line.

Mid Pen got 17 from Richmond, 14 from Brower, 12 from Klenow, and nine from Englund.

"They shot extremely well," Schultz said. "They rained some three's, and for us to hang on and win, with them shooting that well? This is a big win."

"We just came alive too late," Branstrom said. "They're a very good team. Not to take anything away from them, they're an excellent team. We just didn't have 'er early in the game, and that's what happens when you wait too long."

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos from Tuesday night's game.