The Bridgeport boys basketball team gave Class C-2 No. 1 seed Amherst all they could handle in a first round game at the State Tournament on Wednesday morning at the Devaney Center with the Bulldogs eventually falling to the Broncos 55-47.
After Amherst jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the opening minutes Bridgeport responded and played neck and neck with the top seed the rest of the way.
Amherst led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter and then late in the second quarter when it appeared Bridgeport would lead at halftime a Bulldogs inbound pass was stolen and then a late foul on Landon Dean on a three point shooter allowed Amherst guard Austin Adelung to knock down three straight at the line to give the Broncos a 26-24 lead at the break.
Fouls were a major story in the game with both Dean and Lussetto fouling out in the fourth quarter. Amherst senior star Tayje Hadwiger sat for around 11 straight minutes of game action after picking up his fourth early in the third quarter.
When the dust settled Amherst hit 23-33 at the stripe including 9 of 10 in the fourth quarter (eight straight makes to close out the win when Bridgeport was forced to foul to extend the game) while Bridgeport hit just 4-8 at the stripe.
Amherst’s biggest lead in the third quarter reached seven points but was quickly answered by a Bridgeport 5-0 run to tighten things up and the Bulldogs trailed by only three, 38-35, at the end of the third.
Bridgeport could never grab the lead in the fourth quarter and after Dean fouled out eventually senior Kolby Lussetto joined him with a fifth foul.
Hadwiger made all six of his free throws in the fourth and the Broncos got some key baskets from freshman Gavin Davis to help keep the lead.
In total Bridgeport had nine different players score but no one in double figures. Nik Weibert, a sophomore, led Bridgeport in scoring with 9 points while freshman Landon Dean had 8 and senior Kolby Lussetto and freshman Hayes Watts both tallied 7 points in the loss.
Austin Adelung hit three three’s in the win for Amherst and led the Broncos with 20 points while Hadwiger made all six of his free throws in the fourth quarter and finished with 16 points.
Bridgeport finishes the season with a record of 21-6 and they’ll return of seven of their top nine players to next year’s squad.
