WA Boys’ Basketball powered through Bedford in a dominant 53-42 victory at home on Friday, Jan 27, bringing their season record up to 7-5.
Energy and endurance were on full display throughout the game from both teams, but drive and skill allowed WA to claim the victory. With the Ghosts’ poise and consistent possession of the ball, Bedford was unable to overcome WA’s lead for the entirety of the game.
“The main focus for us was to come in with a lot of energy and play aggressive and give them nothing easy, and we did that,” senior Nick Russo said.
The first quarter kicked off with a quick struggle for possession of the ball which ended when junior Vishal Rampur hit a three-pointer. The Buccaneers were quick to strike back with two layups before Russo brought WA’s lead up to 6-4 with their second three-pointer of the game.
Both Rampur and junior Nate Pitts were able to extend WA’s lead through jump shots and foul shots while Bedford was only able to make one basket before finishing the quarter with a score of 16-6. By the end of the first quarter, the Ghosts were beginning to find their stride with fast, clean plays on both the offensive and defensive ends.
Pitts ran into the second quarter with full speed, quickly scoring a jump shot within the first few moments. A jump shot from Rampur followed, bringing WA to a 14-point lead. However, the increase in energy and aggressive defense of Bedford allowed the Buccaneers to go on a run at the end of the half, cutting WA’s lead to 24-23 as the first half buzzer sounded.
Unwilling to fall behind in the third quarter, the Ghosts focused in and brought up their score to 26-23 with two free throws from senior Jonathan Coughlin. Clean passing at the wings of the court allowed Russo to get in a jump shot before Rampur made his second three-pointer of the game, increasing their lead to 31-23.
The Buccaneers refused to go down without a fight as they increased their speed and took shots from the three-point line after a timeout. They managed to make two three-pointers and a layup, only interrupted by a jump shot from sophomore Teddy Hirbour. Bedford was once again closing in with a score of 33-31, but WA’s smooth passing led to an impressive play with Hirbour faking out a defender before passing to Russo for a layup. Just as the third quarter came to a close, Bedford was able to tip in the ball for a score of 35-33 going into the final quarter.
With Wednesday’s buzzer beater defeat still fresh on their minds, WA came back strong with a three-pointer from Rampur extending their lead to 38-33. The Buccaneers were still unwilling to let up as they made two consecutive shots, bringing the score to 38-37. Head coach Christopher Bramanti called all of his timeouts throughout the quarter to ensure the team remained focused on preventing Bedford from getting ahead.
WA’s defense picked up in the fourth quarter with blocking and rebounding, preventing Bedford from taking the lead. Rampur and Russo were unrelenting in their energy and aggressiveness even this late in the game. Russo began the Ghosts’ run in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, and senior Rajit Talluri followed with a jump shot. Rampur also contributed two free throws and a jump shot, making the score 47-37.
“We were pressuring them really well and this is a really physical team, [they are] top 20 in the state so we needed to put pressure on them,” Rampur said. “They were putting pressure on us, but we stayed calm we didn’t have too many turnovers and we just played common control.”
Although WA continued to make clean plays, Bedford remained uncovered around the three-point line, allowing them to sink a layup and a three-pointer. However, WA made these the Buccaneers’ last points of the game as Rampur, Pitts, and Russo all racked up free throws which brought their lead up to 53-42 and secured WA’s victory.
“Our ultimate goal is to make the state playoffs, so that goal is really driven into my mind and that really boosts my energy,” Rampur said. “[That] makes me play the way I play.”
The Ghosts’ focus and energy were key factors in their win. In all four quarters, WA seemed determined to not lose their edge and continuously put in their best effort to stay ahead. The team also managed to build off each other and worked to create smooth plays filled with clean passing and well executed fakeouts.
Bedford was physically aggressive and managed to gain possession of the ball often, but WA’s tight defense around the hoop prevented a lot of the Buccaneers’ shots from falling.
“Defensively we held our position, [I] asked these guys to get back first and stop the basketball, and we did that,” Bramanti said. “Offensively we talked about sharing the basketball, not dribbling as much as we have been, and we did all that. We still have some pockets of messiness but I’m super, super pleased with these guys.”
WA’s next game will be away against Concord-Carlisle on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 pm.
