Boys Basketball: Windward rallies against Bryant, Paraclete
Jan. 29, 2015
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — After missing his share of free throws during Paraclete's 59-47 Gold Coast League loss to Windward on Thursday night, Brennen Bryant didn't take it easy on himself.
"It's on me," said Bryant, the Spirits senior center. "I just got to make free throws. That's the reason we lost. I know I could have done better and I know we could have won that game. We should have won that game.
"It's my fault. I let my team down."
It was a statement hardly anyone could agree with. Bryant, multiple times the very reason the Spirits have come out on the victorious side of a game, scored a game-high 17 points and did a decent job in the unenviable task of patrolling the paint against a rival that featured several players on the plus side of 6 feet 5.
Bryant also scored 11 of the Spirits' 21 second-half points, which just wasn't nearly enough against Windward.
"Oh no, never, never, no, no, no," Paraclete coach Tim Atkerson said upon learning of Bryant's postgame mea culpa. "I completely disagree with that."
After an inspired first half, the Spirits (14-7, 1-4 GCL), who missed 13 of 22 free throws as a team, simply couldn't keep up against a squad that was so talented and lengthy that it had Shaquille O'Neal's 6-foot-7 freshman son, Shareef, on the bench.
"We play in a lights-out conference," Atkerson said. "There are some big-time players and big-time teams in this baby."
Following a Bryant layup, the Spirits held a 26-20 lead late in the second quarter, and the tall task seemed very doable.
Next thing they knew, Windward (13-7, 4-1) scored the final eight points of the half to take a two-point lead into halftime. The run continued into the third quarter and suddenly Paraclete found itself down 36-26, a 16-0 run, with 6:17 to go in the period.
"We played well," Atkerson said. "It's just this is a four-quarter game."
Guards Jalen Harris, who scored 10 points in the second quarter, and Wonder Smith each had 15 points for Windward. The big men were mostly held in check offensively and led by Roman Davis with 10 points.
The Bryant vs. O'Neal matchup never fully materialized, as the freshman played limited minutes, scoring five points. Instead, Bryant had to deal with the 6-7 Davis and 6-6 forward Breland Brandt (five points).
In the end, Bryant, who generously lists himself as 6-foot-5, couldn't avoid fouling out.
"Brennen is really good. I've known him for years," Davis said. "It's always a good matchup when me and him play. I enjoy playing against him."
After the Wildcats made their move to take control of the game in the third, the Spirits, who also got 12 points from Patrick Hunt, came back with consecutive baskets to draw within six points.
That would be as close as they got the rest of the way.
"When you shoot 9-for-22 from the free-throw line, it really handcuffs your offense," Atkerson said. "It's just frustrating seeing your team work so hard, but we just can't get over the hump right now.
"But I credit (Windward). They had a lot to do with that, too. We play in a special conference."
The Spirits have only two games left in their conference schedule. Time is running out for them if they want to get one final quality win before the playoff pairings are announced.
If they are unable to, it's safe to say it won't be because of Bryant.
"Brennen is special," Atkerson said. "He's a big-time competitor. He's helped us out probably more than he'll ever know."
ALONSO TACANGA/Valley Press
LANCASTER — After missing his share of free throws during Paraclete's 59-47 Gold Coast League loss to Windward on Thursday night, Brennen Bryant didn't take it easy on himself.
"It's on me," said Bryant, the Spirits senior center. "I just got to make free throws. That's the reason we lost. I know I could have done better and I know we could have won that game. We should have won that game.
"It's my fault. I let my team down."
It was a statement hardly anyone could agree with. Bryant, multiple times the very reason the Spirits have come out on the victorious side of a game, scored a game-high 17 points and did a decent job in the unenviable task of patrolling the paint against a rival that featured several players on the plus side of 6 feet 5.
Bryant also scored 11 of the Spirits' 21 second-half points, which just wasn't nearly enough against Windward.
"Oh no, never, never, no, no, no," Paraclete coach Tim Atkerson said upon learning of Bryant's postgame mea culpa. "I completely disagree with that."
After an inspired first half, the Spirits (14-7, 1-4 GCL), who missed 13 of 22 free throws as a team, simply couldn't keep up against a squad that was so talented and lengthy that it had Shaquille O'Neal's 6-foot-7 freshman son, Shareef, on the bench.
"We play in a lights-out conference," Atkerson said. "There are some big-time players and big-time teams in this baby."
Following a Bryant layup, the Spirits held a 26-20 lead late in the second quarter, and the tall task seemed very doable.
Next thing they knew, Windward (13-7, 4-1) scored the final eight points of the half to take a two-point lead into halftime. The run continued into the third quarter and suddenly Paraclete found itself down 36-26, a 16-0 run, with 6:17 to go in the period.
"We played well," Atkerson said. "It's just this is a four-quarter game."
Guards Jalen Harris, who scored 10 points in the second quarter, and Wonder Smith each had 15 points for Windward. The big men were mostly held in check offensively and led by Roman Davis with 10 points.
The Bryant vs. O'Neal matchup never fully materialized, as the freshman played limited minutes, scoring five points. Instead, Bryant had to deal with the 6-7 Davis and 6-6 forward Breland Brandt (five points).
In the end, Bryant, who generously lists himself as 6-foot-5, couldn't avoid fouling out.
"Brennen is really good. I've known him for years," Davis said. "It's always a good matchup when me and him play. I enjoy playing against him."
After the Wildcats made their move to take control of the game in the third, the Spirits, who also got 12 points from Patrick Hunt, came back with consecutive baskets to draw within six points.
That would be as close as they got the rest of the way.
"When you shoot 9-for-22 from the free-throw line, it really handcuffs your offense," Atkerson said. "It's just frustrating seeing your team work so hard, but we just can't get over the hump right now.
"But I credit (Windward). They had a lot to do with that, too. We play in a special conference."
The Spirits have only two games left in their conference schedule. Time is running out for them if they want to get one final quality win before the playoff pairings are announced.
If they are unable to, it's safe to say it won't be because of Bryant.
"Brennen is special," Atkerson said. "He's a big-time competitor. He's helped us out probably more than he'll ever know."