Bishop Brossart hitting not one, but two halfcourt buzzer beaters, one by Drew Steffen at the end of the first quarter and another by Brady Boruske to close the second, perfectly summed up the Mustangs’ night.
Brossart defeated Scott 83-74 in Taylor Mill in the LINK nky Game of the Week presented by Mr. Kentucky and Skyline Chili, with 37th District tournament seeding on the line.
The win moved the ’Stangs one step closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the district, improving to 2-0 after upsetting Campbell County on Jan. 3. Brossart has one game remaining to determine the final seedings, a matchup at Calvary Christian on Feb. 3.
Friday’s victory pushed Brossart closer to a goal the team set before the season began.
“Our first goal is to make it to the All “A” state, something that we weren’t able to achieve,” Mustangs head coach Ben Franzen said. “But because of the Campbell win, even after losing in the All “A,” we still have this goal in front of us that’s attainable.”
Helping make that goal attainable was a balanced scoring effort, as all five starters finished in double figures. Skyline Chili Player of the Game Carson Hesse led the way with 23 points, 13 in the first half, while Steffen added 15, Nick Cozzi scored 14, Boruske finished with 13 and Beckett Kuntz chipped in 12.
Hesse said his physical style of play only ramps up with more on the line.
“Getting downhill, ripping low and using my height and speed to my advantage,” Hesse said. “It’s a big game, so it definitely boosts my physicality.”
Despite the first-quarter buzzer beater, Scott held an 18-16 lead early, but Brossart pulled ahead 36-30 at halftime and 56-50 after three quarters.
“We needed to get stops, and we weren’t,” Scott head coach Steve Frommeyer said. “We worked three days on prepping, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to execute.”
The Eagles surrendered 27 points in the fourth quarter, leaving them with the No. 4 seed in the district tournament.
Scott was led by Ty Cook, who scored 17 points before suffering an injury in the second half and not returning. Ben Brown added 15 points, Jayden Dodd had 13 and Jordan Clemons finished with 11.
The Eagles fell to 11-8 and will face Holmes next on Saturday at 5 p.m., while Bishop Brossart evened its record at 9-9 with their matchup against Calvary Christian looming on Tuesday.
MORE PHOTOS: Provided by Charles Bolton
MUSTANGS 83, EAGLES 74
BISHOP BROSSART — 16-20-20-27 — 83
SCOTT — 18-12-20-24 — 74
Scoring
Bishop Brossart (83) — Hesse 23, D. Steffen 15, Cozzi 14, Boruske 13, Kuntz 10, Rowe 5, Trauth 3
Scott (74) — Cook 17, Brown 15, Dodd 13, Jor. Clemons 12, Boyd 9, Jon. Clemons 6, Hardy 2
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Bishop Brossart 3, Scott 7
Free Throws: Bishop Brossart 26/33, Scott 14/18
Fouls: Bishop Brossart 20, Scott 24
Records: Bishop Brossart 9-9, Scott 11-8