Sunday, January 31, 2010

Notre Dame Takes Title, BA Ends Skid

The Wolverine Winter Tournament wrapped up today with Notre Dame Prep taking home the title. Notre Dame edged St. Thomas More 83-77, in a hard fought battle. The consolation game was a match up of instate rivals MCI and Bridgton, the third meeting for the teams this year.

The start of the game looked like it would be a repeat of the previous meetings, MCI walking away with the win. The Huskies scored on their first two possessions and quickly went up 5-0, however they would only score nine more points in the half and Bridgton outscored MCI 31-9 over the remainder of the half to enjoy a 31-14 lead at the break.

Bridgton was able to hold onto the double digit lead for the entire second half, MCI cut the lead to 11 with 12:45 to play. BA was able to extend the lead again and reached their biggest advantage at 60-42 with 2:22, after Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) knocked down a three. Bridgton ended its four game skid with a 64-51 win.

Head Coach Whit Lesure likened the game to bargain shopping by saying, "This game had the 'three for a buck' feel to it. You think you are getting a deal, but do not know if you actually got anything." Lesure went on to say, "our team is like iron, the key ingredient is heat. When the heat is on its going to stay on and we are not going to break."

Bridgton will next host Lee Academy on Tuesday February 2nd. Bridgton's record now stands at 7-10.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Winter Tournament Update

Bridgton hosted its first Winter Tournament game against St. Thomas More on Saturday night. Following the opening game, which saw Notre Dame Prep pull out a win over MCI, the Wolverines could not overcome the Chancellors second half surge.

BA jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and then did not see a lead until five minutes remaining the the first half when Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hit a three pointer to put Bridgton up 28-27. At the half the two squads were knotted at 33. Coach Lesure said later, "Settling for a tie at the half was not enough, we could have put ourselves in a position for more of an advantage."

In the second half St. Thomas More came out firing as they quickly went up by 10 in the first five minutes. Bryon Allen carried St. thomas More with 22 second half points. Bridgton was able to close the lead to single digits using an 11-2 run over 4:23 but the Chancellors would not let up and pulled away for a final of 95-87.

"We did a nice job to battle back in the second half. Give credit to St. Thomas More who stepped up in the second half and Allen was hitting big shots," Lesure commented. "I like how we finished the game hard, you have to respect our effort."

Harris had a game high 36 points, including nine three pointers. Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) had a season high 21 points in a battle down low. Derek Mayo (Orlando, FL) added a big seven points. Bryon Allen ended with 24 points.

"The event staff and game management staff need to be commended for their efforts, as this tournament has run very well," Lesure added.

Bridgton will face off against MCI, for the third time this season, tomorrow at noon in the consolation game. The championship game will pit St. Thomas More against Notre Dame Prep at 2 PM.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Bobcats Bite Bridgton

Bridgton Academy Wolverines traveled to Brewster Academy to take on the NEPSAC leading Bobcats. The Bobcats showed Bridgton why they are the cream of the crop this year in handing them a 74-54 set back.

It was not all Brewster however, as Bridgton led early on, and held their own for the first ten minutes of the contest, but Brewster took over from there and opened up a 24-19 lead with five minutes left in the first half. Over the final five minutes Brewster used a 12-4 run and was up 36-23 at the break.

Bridgton came out shooting in the second half and was able to quickly narrow the Bobcat lead to just seven. That was as close as the Wolverines would be able to get as they could not convert, and Brewster's defense held Bridgton in check, which allowed the Bobcats to pull away.

Three Bridgton players reached double digits as Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) had 15 points, Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) 11 and Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) 12.

Coach Lesure commented, "We played okay. We were not able to convert enough chances during key stretches of the game. Brewster had a lot to do with that. We will go back to practice and prepare for Saturday."

Bridgton will host the Wolverine Tournament this weekend as MCI will play Notre Dame Prep on Saturday at 6PM and then Bridgton will play St. Thomas More at 8PM. Bridgton sees its record fall to 6-9.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

St. Thomas More Tourney Recap

Bridgton basketball traveled to Connecticut this weekend to participate in the St. Thomas More Invitational Tournament. The field included instate rival MCI, Champlain, as well as the hosts.

Bridgton's first round match up was with Champlain. The Wolverines came out on fire leading 22-5 midway through the first half, but sloppy play and unforced turnovers costs BA as they saw their lead shrunk to 36-30 at the half.

The second half saw Champlain continue to come back, and then pull away from the struggling Wolverines for a final score of 69-58. Bridgton, out of sync for the final three quarters of the game, got in foul trouble and Champlain took advantage going 23 for 32 from the line, while Bridgton was only 7 of 12.

Three players registered double digits for the black and gray, Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) with 14, Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) 14 and Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) 11.

Following the game Coach Lesure said, "We shot ourselves in the foot. We cannot make that many errors when we are playing well. You have to stay in the trance. Opportunity is a fickle friend."

In the second game Bridgton squared off against MCI, whom they had lost to earlier in the year at home. The Wolverines woes continued from the first game, as they could not buy a basket and found themselves trailing 15-2 early on. Solid bench play allowed BA to fight its way back into the game and make it 28-22 MCI at the half.

Chance Jones hit a three to start the second half and cut the deficit to three, where it would stay for the majority of the half, before MCI pulled away and stretched the lead to ten. Bridgton was able to come within seven, but could not convert after that and turnovers allowed MCI to put the Wolverines away, 70-57.

MCI's Steve Roundtree led all scorers with 30 points to go along with 22 rebounds. 11 Bridgton players scored in the losing effort.

"The better team won, " said Lesure. He went on to say, "They have defeated us twice. We do not match up well with them and they are very well coached. Our only answer that I'm aware of is playing harder and cutting down on the mistakes at both ends that really hurt. Our margin for error is something we must confront in order to improve if we want to win in this league."

Bridgton sees its record fall to 3-4 in NEPSAC and 6-8 overall. Bridgton plays next at NEPSAC power Brewster Academy on Wednesday, January 27th at 6PM.

Friday, January 22, 2010

BA Winter Classic only a week away!

The 2010 BA Basketball Winter Classic is set to tip off next Saturday at 6 PM as Maine Central Institute will take on Notre Dame Prep (MA). The Wolverines will host St. Thomas More (CT) in the second game slated for 8 PM. College prospects will be plentiful in the four team tournament. Current college commitments include BA's own DeShaun Wiggins (Seton Hall), MCI's Levan Shenagelia (Rhode Island), St. Thomas More's Dominique Langston (Quinnipiac) and Jacob Jenkins (Bellarmine), and Notre Dame Prep's Cleveland Melvin (committed to UConn this week), Ron Giplaye (Providence), and Antonio Barton (Memphis). Additionally, a couple of prominent underclassmen will be suiting up. Notre Dame Prep's Tyler Strange is currently ranked regionally as a junior by ESPN.com and St. Thomas More's Andre Drummond is currently ranked #2 nationally for all sophomores by ESPN.com. Check back this week for more information about the upcoming tournament.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Wolverines Avenge Earlier Loss With 75-66 Triumph Over New Hampton

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines avenged an early season loss to New Hampton, by handing the Huskies a 75-66 set back in North Bridgton.

Coming off an emotional win over South Kent in double overtime, the BA offense was not clicking early as it took over three minutes for either team to record their first field goal of the game. New Hampton held the early edge with a 12-8 lead, but Bridgton was able to fight their way back and extend their lead to 32-24 with 3:43 remaining in the first half. The eight point spread was the largest by any team in the first half, as BA took a 37-31 lead into the intermission.

New Hampton wasted no time erasing Bridgton’s lead to start the second half, and with 14:30 remaining it was 42-42. Four straight points, including two free throws, by TeAndre Hubbard (San Francisco, CA) Bridgton took the lead for good with 13:32 to play. Over the next 3:49 BA would go on a 11-2 run, capped off by a Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) three pointer, to put the hosts up 53-44.

Ron Blossomgame (Atlanta, GA) converted on a three point play to end a 8-3 New Hampton run and put Bridgton back up by seven. Dashaun Wiggins (Bronx, NY) added a three point play of his own with 4:34 to play, which would eventually be the decisive basket as Bridgton led 65-57.

The Wolverines converted on their foul shots down the stretch, including four straight, by Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) to put the Huskies away. Bridgton received offensive contributions from 11 different players, including five with seven or more points and only two in double figures. Harris led the way with 18, and Jones added 15.

Following the game alumni Jay Height '04 spoke to the team. Head Coach Whit Lesure commented on the game saying, “It wasn’t pretty, but we grinded enough to get it done.” Lesure gave credit to his bench saying, “I was most proud of the ‘fire brigade’ in the second half that got us to play the way we want when I thought our execution and production was going to stop.” Included in the “fire brigade” was Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH), Justin Miller (Agawam, MA) and Hubbard who after the game said, “We lost to them last time, so this was an important game, and it has given us a boost of confidence, we’ve won two in a row and are ready to knock off the next team.”

The Wolverines will next travel to Connecticut to compete in the St. Thomas More Tournament. Their first game will be against Champlain, a CEGEP team from Canada. Canada native Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) said of the up coming games, “We will be playing good teams, and Coach Lesure keeps telling us to focus on defense and our offense will come from it, tonight we hustled and got key rebounds, so our offense could get going.”

The Wolverines improve their record to 3-3 in NEPSAC play and 6-6 over all. Coach Lesure said, “New Hampton is a good team, and we are on our way to becoming a good team.”

Student Profile: Addison Williams




HOMETOWN: Boulder, CO

IN HIGH SCHOOL: I was distracted, I procrastinated a little too much, so not a lot of homework got done.

HEARD ABOUT BA: One of my friends who I played football with, his Uncle went here. John Embree he is a coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.

GOALS AT BA: To get better, more focused, determined, more confident.

BA IS DIFFERENT FROM HIGH SCHOOL: Little bit more put together, you have someone who can help you with anything you need. It’s not scattered, if you need to find someone you can.

BEST ABOUT BA: The people, you know everyone so you feel at home, even though you are thousands of miles away from your actual home.

WORST THING ABOUT BA: The hill, walking up the hill everyday.

ACTIVITIES AT BA: Basketball

OUTSIDE OF BA: Relaxing, listen to music, read a little bit.

ROLE MODEL: My Dad, because he is focused and when he needs something done, he does it.

FAVORITE BOOK: The Green Mile.

FAVORITE MOVIES: Purple Rain.

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM & ATHLETE: I do not have a favorite sports team, but Allen Iverson is my favorite athlete.

FAVORITE MUSIC: I like Jazz and Blues.

FRIENDS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW: I’m really open with everybody, but maybe that I used to mountain bike on a competitive team.

BA PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW: Come prepared and on time.

Monday, January 18, 2010

BA Pulls Off 108-104 2OT Thriller Over South Kent

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines played host to the South Kent Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. The battle of perennial powers lived up to the hype, as it took extra time to settle it. The Wolverines were able to pull out a 108-104 win in two overtimes.

Coming into the game the Wolverines had dropped two consecutive games and were looking for a much needed NEPSAC victory. South Kent had won two of its previous games including victories over Winchendon School and Brewster Academy.

The two teams came out shooting as it was a fast paced, high scoring affair. In the back and forth first half no team held a lead greater than six points and the Wolverines went into the break with a 54-48 advantage.

South Kent used a quick 6-0 run to eliminate the BA lead. Bridgton used key contributions off the bench to keep the Cardinals from running away with the win. South Kent extended its lead at the end of the half only to see Bridgton get timely buckets, and key stops to pull even. South Kent missed a shot with three seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into its first overtime, 91-91.

#23 Chance Jones converts in traffic on his way to 28 points in a 108-104 (2OT) win over South Kent

After the first extra session it was still knotted, 98-98. In the second overtime Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario) knocked down critical free throws, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) and Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) also added late baskets to seal the thrilling victory 108-104.

#1 Alex Harris came up with a steal and break away dunk.

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) lead Bridgton with 30 points, Jones added 28. J.J. Moore, a Pittsburgh commit, for South Kent, led all scorers with 33 points.

After the game Head Coach Whit Lesure said, “There is no way to downplay the significance of a key victory for us at this stage in our season. We made plays late in regulation and in the overtimes to give ourselves a chance. Anyone who saw the game appreciated the team effort.”

The Wolverines improve their record to 2-3 in NEPSAC play and 5-6 overall.

Coach Lesure said, “The game ranks with the most exciting we've had here. If you were one of the lucky ones to see this game today, you saw a good one.”

Bridgton is back in action on Wednesday as they take on New Hampton, home at 6:00 PM.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Wolverines Fall to Notre Dame Prep 72-64

Bridgton Academy traveled to Chelsea High School MA early Saturday afternoon for the annual Martin Luther King weekend event sponsored by BABC and Boston Celtic assistant coach Leo Papile.

Both teams were playing their first game back after the semester break and the host Crusaders ultimately held off a game effort by the Wolverines. The first half was close throughout with ND Prep using a late run to take a slim 33-29 lead into halftime.

In the second half, the Prep used a fast start to gain some momentum but BA battled back to take its only lead of the second half at 48-47 entering the final ten minutes. Once again Notre Dame built an 11 point cushion but the Wolverines put together an impressive run of their own in the final five minutes and gained possession of the ball trailing 66-61. BA could not convert a steal and fastbreak opportunity and moments later had one more open look at the rim but could not knock down the three point shot to pull closer.

Leading the BA attack for the day was Alexander Harris (Richmond, CA) with a game high 21 points. Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) netted eleven in a very balanced effort for Bridgton Academy. U-Conn bound Clarendon Melvin put in 16 for ND Prep while Providence bound Ron Giplaye added 15 of his own. Coach Lesure saw mixed results for the afternoon’s effort. “We certainly competed and played as a team down to the wire…I liked our poise…We need to cut down on some give-aways, as much on the defensive end as within our offense… But I feel like our guys understand what has to happen and the focus is primarily on getting better”, Lesure said.

The Wolverines have a quick turn-around facing South Kent on Sunday afternoon for the first time since last year’s NEPSAC championship game. South Kent enters the game with second semester victories over both Winchendon and Brewster to their credit. Game time is 1 PM at the Wolverdome.

ACADEMIC-BASKETBALL-AWARENESS


On Thursday evening BA Coaches Whit Lesure and Tim Atwood were proud to recognize the eight young men on the 2009-2010 basketball team who were named to the High Honors and Honor Roll of Bridgton Academy for the first semester. Earning High Honors were Jeff Schmeltz and Ruben Kanya. Achieving Honor Roll status were Chance Jones, Kevin Anthony, Derek Mayo, Thierno Niang, Justin Miller, and Paul Dick. "I am happy for the individual accomplishments that each of these student-athletes has earned through their own efforts...At the same time, this is a group of young men that by and large has been doing the right thing since the start of the school year and that is a visable and vital component to the success and tradition of this program...We have a tradition of winning on the court but likewise achieving in the classroomd putting out college-ready young men", Lesure remarked. As a classroom teacher, Coach Lesure also had the opportunity to present two academic awards in his Contemporary History and Political Science courses to Jerrell Greene and David Roberson respectively. Congratulations guys!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

BA Bits

The Boston Blitz effort is wrapping up on Friday, the Admission’s team is visiting the following schools today: Newton North, Newton South, CRL, Everett, Medford, Winchester, Wakefield, Malden, Barnstable, Falmouth, Dennis-Yarmouth, Nauset, Hopkington, Bellingham, Dover-Sherborne, Ashland, and Norton. The trip wraps up tomorrow with a swing through Billerica, Burlington, Bedford, Lexington, and Arlington.

Feedback from the team on the road has been very positive as they have had the opportunity to meet up with a number of great kids who are interested in BA.
Bridgton will be holding a Group Information Session on January 18th here on campus, if you are interested in attending give the Admission Office a call at 207-647-3322x4 for details.

Head Lacrosse Coach, Garrett Bamann ’00 will be heading out to the Rochester NY area on January 18th to conduct interviews, if you are interested in contacting Mr. Bamann call 207-647-3322 x211 or email gbamann@bridgtonacedemy.org.

Two other quick pieces to pass along-become a Fan of Bridgton Academy on Facebook and don’t forget to check out the new online book store where you can pick up all your Bridgton Academy gear to keep you looking sharp in 2010.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The Boston Blitz Day Two

The Admissions team and coaches are continuing their tour of schools in the Greater Boston area, tomorrow they will be visiting: Wayland, Weston, Framingham, Natick, Holliston, Acton-Boxboro, Belmont, Groton-Dunstable, Littleton, Hull, Middleborough, Scituate, Duxbury, Wareham, Medway, Millis, Medfield, Westwood, and Burriville (in RI). If you would like to get in touch with the Admissions office call 207.647.3322 x4. Thank you for all the leads that you called in yesterday.

Monday, January 4, 2010

The Admissions Team Heading to the Greater Boston Area

The Admissions team along with a number of coaches will be out in the greater Boston area starting tomorrow. If you know of a potential student that they should see give the Admissions office a call today- 207 647 3322 x4. Tomorrow the team will be in Dracut, Chelmsford, North Reading, Reading, Woburn, Plymouth North, Plymouth South, Marshfield, and Hingham.