Bishop Brossart (12-8) was unable to overcome a dreadful start on Thursday in the first round of the All “A” state tournament in a 68-62 loss to Hazard (18-2).
It was 18-1 before the Mustangs first field goal from Parker Mulberry came over six minutes into the game.
“Too many mental errors on our behalf early in the game to put us in that spot. Offensively just sloppy. We didn’t take care of the ball the way we needed to get off to that start that we did. Our guys worked hard to climb back, but it just wasn’t enough,” Mustangs coach Ben Franzen said.
That ended up putting the Mustangs in a 22-6 first quarter deficit. The rough first half continued, Brossart trailing 41-21 at the break as they made nine field goals and had eight turnovers.
“I came in at halftime and I said they were way more physical. The refs were letting us play and for whatever reason, we didn’t take advantage of that like they did. They did a good job of playing physical and just flat out in tougher, especially in the first half. That’s why it was a 20 point game,” Franzen said.
Hazard’s Max Johnson made it as big as a 23-point lead in the third, but Brossart wasn’t going down lightly from there. An 11-2 run got them within 14 after two Logan Woosley free throws, eventually getting the game to single-digits by the end of the third after a Bulldogs technical that turned into a five-point Mustangs possession to make it 51-42.
Hazard would take a 53-42 lead into the fourth.
And that’s pretty much where things remained as the Mustangs were unable to trim the deficit much more than that, Brandon Bezold’s 3-pointer making it a six-point game with 27 seconds left. Hazard hit 7-of-11 free throws in the final frame to remain comfortably ahead.
It ends the Mustangs All “A” run early, now needing to focus and regroup for the final three weeks of the regular season.
“This is my first go around at this and it’s a roller coaster ride. The high school basketball season is already a roller coaster ride. So when you have this experience in there it’s a different roller coaster. We’ll see what this completed roller coaster is at the end of the year. And hopefully it’s a good one and hopefully it’s a fun ride,” Franzen said.
Mason Sepate led the Mustangs with 17 points, Anthony Kruse adding 14 and Brandon Bezold with 11.
Hazard was paced by Max Johnson’s 18 points, Jamal Hazell adding 16 and Landon Smith chipping in 14. Hazard scored 46 points in the paint to Brossart’s 28 and had a 14-7 edge in second chance points. Hazard finished 62% from the field.
HAZARD — 22-19-12-15 — 68
BROSSART — 6-15-21-20 — 62
Hazard (68) – Johnson 17, Hazell 16, Smith 14, Caudill 8, Morris 7, Eversole 6
Brossart (62) – Sepate 17, Kruse 14, Bezold 11, Woosley 9, Mulberry 5, Schumacher 3, Gulley 3