Resilient Bruins Lose To Gaithersburg In State Playoffs

Going on the road for a state quarterfinal playoff game against a strong opponent, it is almost imperative to get off to a good start. Unfortunately for the Broadneck boys basketball team, not only did the start not go as they envisioned on Saturday, but they fell behind big early and were never able to recover.

Gaithersburg used a 12-0 run to open the game, and held off every Bruins attempt to get within earshot as the Trojans won 67-52 and earned a semifinal berth against top-seeded Parkville. For Broadneck, a season that started slow in December before they found a rhythm in January ended a game short of the fourth state semifinal appearance in program history.

Gaithersburg scored in every way, running out to their big lead. Ben Bradford scored 14 of his game-high 32 points as the host Trojans led 23-7 after the first quarter.

“Ben Bradford was dominant today,” said Broadneck head coach John Williams. “He provided challenges for us."

Gaithersburg continued their hot shooting to open the second quarter, extending to their biggest lead of the game at 33-11. The fast start was a surprise to Williams, who watched film ahead of the game.

“I didn't see them shoot the ball quite as well as they did today,” he said.

After a timeout, Broadneck's Jalen Carter began to assert himself on the offensive end, scoring nine second-quarter points as the Bruins closed the gap to 36-22 at the half.

Broadneck emerged for the second half with increased defensive pressure, slowing down Bradford and the Trojans by employing different matchups and help defense. The teams exchanged baskets before a Broadneck timeout with three minutes left and the Bruins down by 12. Carter sandwiched a 3-pointer and a three-point play around a Gaithersburg bucket, and suddenly the Bruins were within eight points at 44-36.

After a defensive stop, Broadneck had a chance to get within five points but missed a couple of 3-pointers. The quarter ended with the Trojans up by 11 and the Bruins could get no closer in the fourth quarter.

Carter led the Bruins with 17 points, followed by Jordan Brown with 14 points and Amare Jefferies with 11. Despite the loss, Williams was appreciative of the way his team responded to their December start, saying, “The ride these guys took us on was a lot of fun.”