Brandywine’s defense corrals Schoolcraft for regional title

Published 2:41 am Friday, March 8, 2024

By Scott Hassinger

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WATERVLIET — Nathan Knapp, Brandywine’s boys’ basketball coach, attributes much of his team’s success to the Bobcats’ ability to defend well.

It was No. 1-ranked Brandywine’s work on the defensive end of the court that helped the Bobcats hold off No. 6-ranked Schoolcraft for a 41-32 win in Thursday’s Division 3 Regional finals in Watervliet’s gymnasium.

Brandywine (23-3) advances to face Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (18-8) in Tuesday’s 7 p.m. state quarterfinals game at Kalamazoo Loy-Norrix’s Robert Quiring Gymnasium.

“Schoolcraft is a heck of a basketball team who is tough to defend. They extend the floor and put so much pressure on us. We were just hoping our defense could wear them down. My hats off to them. They are a tough team to keep off the glass too. We have to do a better job of boxing out going forward,” Knapp said.

After trailing Schoolcraft by two at halftime, Brandywine erased a third-quarter deficit with a 7-0 run that put the Bobcats in front 30-23. Byron Linley drained a three pointer and added two free throws to spark the run.

Shane Ryske hit a short jumper before the end of the period to lessen the Eagles’ deficit to five, 30-25 entering the fourth quarter.

Schoolcraft’s Tucker Walther opened the final stanza with a triple and Luke Ryske banked in a shot to knot the game up at 30-30.

“Basketball is a game of runs. We remained calm, spread the floor a little bit and Jaremiah attacked the bucket to put us back up by two and then our defense kind’ve kicked in from there,” Knapp said.

Brandywine would score 11 of the game’s final 13 points, including a 9-0 run. The Bobcats got consecutive close-range jumpers by Jaremiah Palmer and Linley before sealing up the win by hitting 7-of-8 free-throw attempts in the final 20 seconds.

“You won’t see Byron or Jaremiah’s defense show up in any box score. They did an amazing job tonight stopping the ball pressure and penetration of Schoolcraft’s two guards Shane (Ryske) and Tucker (Walther),” Knapp said. “Our kids don’t really care who it is that steps up. They all buy in, play good defense and play for each other.”

Linley and Jaremiah Palmer scored 13 points each for Brandywine. Nylen Goins added seven for the Bobcats, who made 12 field-goal attempts and 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) free-throw attempts on the night.

Ja’Torian Smith pulled down six rebounds for Brandywine.

Schoolcraft was led in the scoring column by senior guard Shane Ryske with 13 points. Walther added nine for the Eagles, who connected for 12 field-goal tries, including four triples, and 4-of-5 free-throw tries.

“Shots that normally go down for us didn’t go in tonight. Losing Colin Holtrum tonight was a big difference too because it screwed up our rotations. We missed his physicality and presence on the boards after he left the game,” said Schoolcraft coach Derek Small. “Brandywine defends very well and they are quick.”

Schoolcraft (22-4) scored the first four baskets of the game for a quick 8-0 lead.

Goins, Brandywine’s sophomore guard, swished a pair of free throws and added a layup a few seconds after that to trim the Bobcats’ deficit to four, 8-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Brandywine scored the first seven points of the second quarter, including back-to-back buckets by Jaremiah Palmer, to take a 11-8 lead. Linley added a baseline layup and free throw during that spurt.

Two free throws and a three pointer from Schoolcraft’s Shane Ryske helped the Eagles reclaim the lead 13-11.

Palmer made the second of two charity tosses to lessen the Bobcats’ deficit to one, 13-12.

Ryske knocked down another triple to push the Eagles lead to four, 16-12.

Palmer drove and scored off a drive in the lane as Brandywine whittled its deficit down to two, 16-14 entering halftime.

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