AA Battle as Brentwood Defeats Pacific Academy in Close Matchup
PACIFIC ACADEMY VS BRENTWOOD COLLEGE
Written by Cam Yates
Pre-game
Two AA heavyweights are facing off in the opening round of the 2022 No Regrets Basketball Tournament - an early season matchup between two teams that could meet in March at provincials. The Pacific Academy Breakers are bringing tremendous energy to their pre-game warmup in slick black jerseys while Brentwood College is wearing their festive white with red trim jerseys - seems appropriate with the winter holidays around the corner.
1st quarter
Brentwood opens the scoring with #10 Dylan Gage and #9 Taylor Edwards setting the pace early for Brentwood, scoring on drives and dump offs around the basket. Pacific can’t seem to find easy buckets early on and are down 14-7 early.
Brentwood’s diminutive guard, #8 Avik Bakshi, is making several heads up plays creating steals and buckets in transition for Brentwood. Bakshi also makes the most polite request to sub into a game I’ve ever heard - the kid’s got some great manners to go along with his high basketball IQ.
Pacific starts to hit their groove in the last two minutes of the 1st quarter, cutting the lead to 15-12 at the break. The Breaker’s shifty point guard, #7 Jaden Mesfin, seems to be their go-to guy with seven points in the quarter.
2nd quarter
The Breakers aggressive defense is getting them into foul trouble with #12 Simon Akindele going to the bench with three fouls early in the 2nd quarter.
Out of a timeout, Brentwood gets their smooth lefty swingman Gage in isolation, who hits a fadeaway to the baseline for a 20-16 lead. Pacific’s #2 Paul Ude responds with a big offensive board and putback, but Gage hits again with a deeeeep three. Doesn’t seem shy to pull the trigger at all.
Pacific’s Mesfin has a very quick first step and is tough to stop with a head of steam. He seems to be the engine for the Breakers’ attack. Brentwood goes into half time maintaining their lead, 33-29. Brentwood’s disciplined style against a high-energy, tough Pacific team has been impressive.
3rd quarter
Pacific opens up the scoring in the second half with a couple layups and ties up the game, but Brentwood again isolates to Gage out of a baseline set for a short fadeaway and then gets the ball to Edwards in the post to regain the lead.
#8 Leo Liu comes through big with a corner 3, but Gage is in a rhythm, getting his own rebound for another short fade and then yet another mid range pull up. Pacific calls timeout to figure out how to stop the headband bandit as Brentwood starts to pull away.
Brentwood plays a bit of zone out of the timeout and Pacific is out of rhythm offensively. A corner catch and fire 3 by Brentwood’s #6 Milan Pasquale (it’s probably wise to get a hand up on a kid from the island named Pasquale) extends their lead to 54-41, but Pacific’s #21 Oureal Mulugeta responds with a 3 of his own. A mad scramble at the end of the 3rd ends with an unsportsmanlike foul on Brentwood’s Edwards - the fouls are mounting for Brentwood and Pacific is capitalizing at the free throw line. The lead is cut to 57-51 at the end of the 3rd.
4th quarter
Mesfin goes down hard on a drive to the basket and comes up nursing his left elbow early in the 4th. Not a good sign for Pacific, but his team responds - Mulugeta scores another jumper followed up by a trey from #9 Nathan Chiang. Pacific is starting to string together some stops and momentum is swinging over to the Breakers - a 3 by Liu cuts the lead to one with 6:39 remaining! Timeout Brentwood.
Another 3 from the same corner by Liu - Pacific’s bench is losing it! A steal by Brentwood for a fastbreak but a huge two-handed pin by Mulugeta draws oohs from the crowd. The big guy’s got some sneaky bunnies.
Brentwood seems unfazed and their discipline keeps them in the game - a couple of stops into transition baskets earns them their four point cushion back. Timeout Pacific.
Another huge block by Mulugeta! with 1:30 to go… back and forth… Mesfin hits a clutch 3 from deep! Lead is cut to one with 40 seconds left! Brentwood has two timeouts remaining but coaches Blake Gage and Liam Sullivan place trust in their team and let them play.
Brentwood misses but #3 Jayden Lust comes up with a huge offensive rebound. Brentwood swings it on a drive to the basket and the Breaker’s Mesfin is called for an unsportsmanlike foul with 7 seconds remaining. Grade 10 guard #1 Julian Bishop cans both free throws (banks the 1st? Not sure if he called it) for a 3 point lead… Mesfin takes a halfcourt heave at the buzzer to tie it… no good!
Brentwood College’s #10 Dylan Gage is named Player of the Game, leading all scorers with 28 points on the night. Brentwood can expect a raucous crowd in the second round as they face their AA Independent School rivals Collingwood on Friday at 3pm. The Pacific Academy Breakers will face the Pitt Meadows Marauders at 4:45pm, also at Collingwood.