By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (December 28, 2024) – Swanton veteran coach Bruce Smith was all smiles postgame, and he should’ve been.
The reason being is that his Bulldogs had put together their best quarter of basketball of the season to bust open a tie game into a 38-20 halftime lead, on their way to a 66-52 win over Ottawa Hills.
The victory gave the host Bulldogs the title in the Fisher Holiday Tournament and raised their record to 7-2.
Swanton’s go-to big man Charlie Wood scored 10 first quarter points, but the Green Bears countered as Jackson Snyder got inside twice and Avi Hanusz hit a buzzer-beating triple to knot the game at 15-15 after a period.
What followed the easily the Bulldogs best eight minutes of the year. Wood got two more inside, Evan Reinhard hit a jumper, and Brady O’Shea threw in a three-pointer to boost the Bulldogs on top 24-15.
Then three more three-pointers from Reinhard drove the Bulldogs ahead 38-17 before Snyder hit from long range with seconds left int he half.
“I think so,” Smith said when he was asked if the second quarter was the most efficient of the season. “It always looks good when you shoot well and we shot it well which gave us the 18-point lead, but yeah that is probably the best quarter we have played.”
Swanton shot 9/13 from the floor for just under 70 percent for the quarter and only had two turnovers, while Ottawa Hills was just 1/9.
“I thought our halfcourt man was pretty darn good,” Smith explained of his team’s defensive effort. “They are very well coached and any time you can beat them it’s a plus.”
“Again, it was our best all year, but you know what, this is game nine and you better be playing better than you were in game 3, 4 or 5. We have kids buying in to what we are trying to do.”
Ottawa Hills made a run in the third as Snyder hit a triple among his seven points, then Preston Thom hit from outside the arc after a turnover and Gabe Grimm scored off another Swanton turnover to get Ottawa Hills back to 44-36 with 3:27 to go.
However, when in trouble, the Bulldogs look to the brawny lad inside, and Wood delivered. The 6’9 senior scored 11 straight Bulldog points to hold off the Green Bears for the next eight minutes.
Ottawa Hills made one last rush when they scored six straight, the last Jay Breed’s second chance score to get the lead down to 57-50 with 2:57 to go, but Wood got inside for his game high 29th point and Swanton knocked down 7/8 free throws down the stretch, 5/6 by Reinhard, to put it away.
Reinhard supported Wood’s big night with 16. Snyder had 16 for Ottawa Hills.
Swanton opens league play against the other preseason favorite, Patrick Henry, Friday night.
