Bridgeport’s game plan heading into this afternoon’s Class AA quarterfinal with Chapmanville wasn’t too complex. The Indians wanted to contain leading scorer Drew Williamson or 6’9 center Obinna Anochili-Killen.

 

While half the equation worked, it wasn’t even the other half that completely did in the Tribe in what turned into a 70-44 setback at the Charleston Civic Center. Instead, it was the rest of Chapmanville’s crew that proved to be the difference.

 

Bridgeport, the number seven seed, saw its season end at 17-8. Chapmanville moves to 25-1 with the win and will play in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday.

 

“We were trying to limit Obinna on the inside and, obviously, Williamson on the outside,” said Bridgeport Coach Mike Robey. “They had other kids come up and step up and hit shots; a lot of big shots. Our game plan was to make someone else win the game for them because we tried to take away their two main weapons.”

 

Williamson managed to surpass his season average of 17 points per game and finished with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. However, Anochili-Killen finished with seven points, five blocked shots and three rebounds.

 

Add what those two did to others on the CHS squad and it was way too much for Bridgeport to overcome. The game was never under 16 points in the final 16 minutes.

 

After a mini-spurt made things interesting in the second quarter, the game belonged to Chapmanville. The Tigers, who led by 17 at the intermission, scored the first basket of the second half when Kyle Browning drained a 3-point basket to start the third and make it 38-18.

 

CHS eventually stretched the lead to 25 points at 49-24 with 2:44 to go in the third before Bridgeport made its only other push of the contest. The Tribe used a 9-2 run that concluded when Jack Mitchell drove strong to the basket for two points to make 51-33 with 35 seconds left. The run’s momentum ended when Philip Mullins busted a triple with nine seconds left to make it 54-33 with eight minutes to play.

 

The final eight minutes would prove uneventful. Although the Indians played hard, they would not get closer than 16 points. Despite the inability to narrow the gap, Robey wasn’t dismayed with what his team produced.

 

“It’s tough when you lose down here, but it doesn’t take away from my kids’ season,” said Robey. “ … I am as proud of this bunch as any team we brought down here because they played for each other and they played hard.”

 

Bridgeport was led senior Brayden Lesher who finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting. No other player was in double figures, but Tanner Bifano finished with nine points and a team-high five rebounds.

 

BHS shot a crisp 5-of-9 from the 3-point line, but it was the 2-point shooting that failed the Indians. Bridgeport was just 9-of-33 on the rest of its field goals and a combined 15-of-42 (35.7 percent) for the game.

 

Robey attributed the shooting problems to Anochili-Killen. The 6’9 standout’s biggest contribution came with his blocked shots and ability to alter multiple others.

 

“We ran four or five back doors and got it and what looked like a layup … and he would cover 16 or 18 feet and still got there and blocked shots or be enough of a presence to alter shots,”  said Robey.

 

Robey was pleased with his team keeping the Chapmanville big man from putting up his usual stat line.

 

“I think (Anochili-Killen’s numbers) were a testament to my kids,” said Robey, who emphasized he wasn’t taking anything away from Anochili-Killen’s ability. “We said we are going to do everything we can to keep him off the boards and try to keep him from getting touches. When he gets the ball eight feet from the basket he’s tough to stop because he’s a special player.”

 

After Williamson and Anochili-Killen, Chapmanville had two other players in double figures.  Browning finished with 14 points and Devin Collins added 12. Dylan Smith finished with nine points and Browning’s total included 11 rebounds.

 

The game started exactly the opposite of how Bridgeport needed it to start. The Indians not only had a handful of miscues, but their shots weren’t falling.

 

Chapmanville scored the game’s first seven points before Lesher connected on a 3-pointer from the left baseline to make it 7-3 with 5:04 showing in the first period. Unfortunately, the Tigers had another run left to extend their advantage.

 

CHS went on a second 7-0 run to go up 14-3 with 1:35 to play following two free throws by Browning. It appeared that would be the score after one period as the Indians’ final possession look scattered. That would change as the clock neared zero and John Ross Mazza found Bifano along the baseline who drained an 8-footer that made it 14-5 after one.

 

While it appeared the game could get away at that point, Bridgeport would keep it interesting through the early part of the second frame. The Tribe used an 8-2 run that started on a 3-pointer by Mazza on a feed from Jacob Perine and ended on a Bifano offensive rebound and basket to make it 17-13 with 6:13 to go.

 

After that, the half belonged to Chapmanville. And they had Williamson, their regular season leading scorer, to thank for it.

 

Williamson, who started the scoring for Chapmanville in the frame with a 3-point field goal, demoralized the Bridgeport team and following after the Indians cut the advantage by their foe to four points. Over a 30-second span, Williamson took feeds about three feet behind the college 3-point line at the top of the key and both times he found nothing but net.

 

“When you’re out and you’re in good defensive position, your hands are up and they’re letting it fly from 25 feet deep with a hand in their face and they hit it, I tell my kids that they did their job by doing what they’re supposed to do,” said Robey. “When they hit shots like that, they’re hard to defend.”

 

The baskets helped highlight a quarter ending 18-5 run that put Bridgeport into a 35-18 deficit at the intermission. The run was even more disheartening as most of it occurred after Anochili-Killen picked up his second foul with just under two minutes to go.

 

While Anochili-Killen only had one point prior to heading to the bench, he still had four blocked shots and altered just as many or more. Once he departed, BHS attacked. The advantage, however, never materialized

 

Instead, Chapmanville closed on a 10-2 run with its center sitting down.

 

Bifano and Lesher led BHS in the first 16 minutes with six points each. The Tigers had three players in double figures with Browning and Williamson both at 11 points and Collins adding 10.

 

Bridgeport was just 6-of-21 from the floor for 28.6 percent. The Tigers weren’t much better at 12-of-31 for 38.7 percent

 

The Tribe’s inability to take care of the ball and block out on the offensive boards in the first half was also costly. Chapmanville had 11 second chance points and scored seven points off of 10 Bridgeport turnovers. BHS would finish the game with 17 turnovers to the Tigers’ eight.

 

It was the final contest for seniors Lesher, Adam Bentz, Jacob Perine and Mitchell. Robey sang their praises for their contributions to the program. In particular, he talked about the senior stepping up to lead the way when coaches weren’t allowed to practice and be with the team for a nine-day period that included two sectional contests.

 

“Our four seniors, I love them because they’re leaders and they’re such unselfish leaders. We went through some adversity,” said Robey talking about the time Harrison County coaches couldn’t participate. “ … Our two co-captains Brayden and Adam organized and got the kids together and we would talk and they would go through things and they were amazing. I’ve never seen such great leadership.

 

Robey also heaped compliments on Perine and Mitchell, his two seniors that provided quality minutes this season off the bench.

 

“If you’ve watched us play this year at all, all Jacob Perine and Jack Mitchell does is come in and plays their heart out,” said Robey. “Nothing Jacob Perine ever does surprises me because he plays his heart out. Our seniors are a special group of kids.”

 

Chapmanville will face Winfield Friday. The Generals won by a 68-65 score against Westside. Winfield was the six seed in the game and pulled off the mild upset.

 

Editor's Note: Photos by Ben Queen of Joey Signorelli of www.benqueenphotography.com.