Beamer Fever Advances to State Semis

Beamer Fever Advances to State Semis
By Colin Caruso

In one of the bigger size mismatches of the day, the Todd Beamer Titans faced off against the Bullpups from Gonzaga Prep to secure a spot in the 4A state semifinal. Beamer started the game on a strong 8-2 run, utilizing their size and strength to get shots close to the hoop. But Gonzaga Prep answered with a 12-4 run to close the quarter with a two point lead 14-12.

The Bullpups made up for the size differential with a higher level of intensity. Gonzaga Prep added a 7-0 run on top of their 12-4 run in the first to take an early nine point advantage, 21-12. Beamer seemed very stagnant on the offensive side, too much standing around and not enough screening and cutting. Gonzaga Prep took a 28-16 lead into half.

Beamer finally adopted their diamond full court trap to start the second half, which completely stifled the Bullpup offense. Beamer’s length was in the passing lanes on every possession and they started the quarter on a 15-2 run to take their first lead since the first quarter. Gonzaga Prep recaptured their lead on back to back threes, but Beamer was back in the game, trailing by just three going into the fourth 38-35.

Beamer closed the three point lead in a hurry, and the teams repeatedly exchanged leads down the stretch. The Titans snagged the lead by two on a Bogdon Bliznyuk three with two minutes to play. Quadir Williams added two free-throws for Beamer, extending their lead to four. Sam Dowd answered for the Bullpups with two free-throws of his own, trimming the lead to two with one minute to play. The Titans answered with a Charles Frazier layup, a defensive rebound, and two more Quadir Williams free-throws to take a six point lead. Another miss for the Bullpups led to two more free-throws for the Titans, extending their lead to eight with less than thirty seconds to play. But a quick two and a turnover for the Titans led to a three pointer by Brendan McClary. The Bullpups were within three with just 22 seconds remaining. Frazier hit one from the line to extend the lead to four, and Williams added two more from the stripe to take a six point lead with ten seconds to play. The Titans put together a great comeback, winning 57-49 and advancing to the state semifinal.

Top Performers:
Gonzaga Prep
Sam Dowd – 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
Brendan McClary – 12 points, 4 steals

Todd Beamer
Quadir Williams – 18 points, 6 rebounds
Trey Burch Manning – 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals