It was billed as the Game of the Season and it did not disappoint.
In a back-and-forth game that saw neither side lead by double digits, Bruton used a stout defensive effort and a balanced scoring effort from its Big Three to edge host Grafton, 64-59, in a matchup between the only two previously unbeaten boys basketball teams in the Bay Rivers District.
Panthers’ coach Joe Dillard called it a “statement game” for his team, while Grafton had a pair of impressive streaks come to an end with the loss. The Clippers entered the showdown with a 39-game winning streak against district opponents and a 33-game winning streak in their home gym.
The game was played in front of a jam-packed crowd, one that was larger than some school administrators say they had ever seen inside Grafton High. The atmosphere rivaled the memorable 2011 Region I championship game against Tabb that the Clippers won in the final seconds.
Friday’s showdown, though, was only the first of two regular-season meetings between Bruton and Grafton, but had the feel of a playoff game nonetheless.
“This was a big statement,” said Dillard, whose team entered as the No. 1 ranked team in the Virginia Preps 3A poll. “Grafton’s a heck of a team, but we feel like we’re the team to beat in the [Bay Rivers] district now and we proved we deserved the No. 1 [state] ranking.”
Bruton led for a greater portion of the game, but each time the Panthers threatened to run away with it, Grafton found an answer. Most often that answer was senior Joey Miller, who led all scorers with a game-high 27 points.
Take the first quarter, when standout forward Marcus Carter (18 points, four steals) sparked an early run by the Panthers with a pair of steals that each led to a powerful two-handed flush for two at the other end.
Bruton’s defense was the story early on, forcing Grafton into 1-10 shooting during the opening period as the Panthers held the Clippers to a single bucket during the first eight minutes to take an 11-2 lead into the second quarter.
“Getting out ahead like that is something we’re used to,” Dillard said. “It’s been a key for us all year, starting out fast.”
Between quarters, Dillard warned his team of Grafton’s potential for a comeback. The Clippers proved him right, responding to their first-quarter woes with a 20-point effort in the second quarter as Miller took over and was virtually unstoppable getting to the hoop. Junior Preston Kiedinger added a couple of big 3-pointers, the last of which gave Grafton its first lead of the game, 18-17, with a little more than two minutes to play in the half.
The Clippers seemed poised to hold onto the lead into the break, but with two seconds left in the second quarter they fell asleep on a Bruton inbounds play. Carter made them pay with a corner 3 at the buzzer to put Bruton on top 23-22 at halftime.
The second half opened in similar fashion to the way the first ended — with both teams exchanging bucket for bucket — before Kiedinger’s third 3-pointer of the game put the Clippers on top 32-31.
Bruton’s leading scorer, Lonnie Swinton (17 points), who entered the game averaging better than 20 points per contest, scored just two points in the first half but found his rhythm in the second. He and Kapri Doucet (13 points) scored the final 11 points of the third quarter for Bruton as the Panthers took a 47-41 lead into the fourth.
Early in the last period, Evan Sperling, who finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds despite playing at roughly 70 percent health according to Grafton Coach Jeremy Jordan, tipped in a missed shot and Kiedinger buried his fourth long ball of the game as Grafton opened the quarter with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 49-all.
The final four minutes were the Swinton and Miller show, as the two guards penetrated seemingly at will.
Swinton scored all eight of his fourth-quarter points during the final three-and-a-half minutes while Miller seemingly provided an “And-One” finish every time Bruton threatened to pull away for good.
With a minute-and-a-half to go and Grafton trailing 59-57, Kiedinger had a good look at a 3 from the corner that would have given the Clippers a one-point lead and send the home crowd into a frenzy, but his shot rimmed out.
Swinton’s nifty finish in the lane put on the Panthers’ ensuing possession put Bruton ahead by four, and Grafton was forced to play the foul game the rest of the way.
Carter, who was Bruton’s offensive spark in the first half, and Swinton, who took care of things during the final two periods, talk about the victory in the video above. Doucet also played a strong game down low for Bruton with 13 points while shooting 7-8 from the charity stripe.
Miller, who gave a “superb” effort according to his coach, led three Grafton scorers in double figures while Sperling and Kiedinger finished with 12 apiece. Jordan’s biggest area of concern was his team’s 3-point shooting, as the Clippers finished 4-21 from beyond the arc.
“When you shoot 22 percent from behind the line, especially when you shoot as many as we do, it’s tough to beat really good teams,” Jordan said. “But we’re a young team, still trying to find our identity, and we continued to battle. In a heavyweight fight, one guy throws a blow and then another guy throws a blow. That sort of described how things went tonight, so give [Bruton] credit.”
Bruton 64 Grafton 59
Bruton- 11 12 24 17 – 64
Grafton- 2 20 19 18 – 59
Bruton (6-0, 6-0 BRD)- Carter 18, Swinton 17, Doucet 13, Edwards 8, Sangalang 4, Carr 3, Jones 1. Totals 23 15-23; 64.
Grafton (8-2, 6-1 BRD)- Miller 27, Sperling 12, Kiedinger 12, Greene 8. Totals 20 11-15; 59.
