Under normal circumstances, when taking to Coach Dave Marshall about his Bridgeport High School team’s 7-5 record he would be looking at what to do for the remainder of the regular season slate. Of course, under normal circumstances conversations about Marshall right now would be about postseason honors.

 

Instead, discussion has been equal parts basketball and COVID-19 for much of the 2021 campaign. The regular season was supposed to end this week with a game yesterday against University and a game Thursday vs. Robert C. Byrd.

 

Neither will take place. Instead, Marshall and his team will now play the waiting game to see the sectional alignments in the new Class AAAA division the Indians find themselves part of. That action will begin next week.

 

“(Those schools) are doing what several schools are doing and canceling games before tournament to try to do the best you can to protect your kids (from COVID). In the process, we’ve kind of been quarantined involuntarily,” said Marshall. “As for make-up games, myself, and the administration spoke and determined it wasn’t a good idea to get out on the road and travel this late.

 

“It’s still a little bit of an odd situation, but also one not unexpected,” Marshall continued. “We did want to play, but at the same time I completely understand the decision by those teams.”

 

In the interim, there will be a minimum of 10 days between what is now the Tribe’s final regular season game. As it turns out, the Indians closed the regular season slate Friday with a 48-43 come-from-behind win against Lincoln.

 

Bridgeport jumped out to an early 13-5 advantage after one quarter before the wheels fell off offensively. The Tribe managed just 13 points total in the second and third quarter as Lincoln took a 29-26 advantage into the final period of play.

 

The final quarter would be a back-and-forth affair that saw the game tied with roughly three minutes to play. The Indians would take the lead for good – but not control – when Mitchell Duez buried a 3-point field goal off a feed from Jaden Haywood. The basket made it 39-36 and Lincoln could never get back in front.

 

A big reason for the Tribe’s 22-point fourth quarter was Jack Bifano. Bifano scored 10 of his 17 points in the decisive frame as the home team’s defense also came through.

 

“The biggest part of that game is that we didn’t’ shoot our best, but we gutted it out in what is always a big county rivalry. I thought our guys battled defensively and did something we haven’t been able to do and that’s to win a game based on our defense,” said Marshall. “That was good to see it, particularly in the fourth quarter, because that was what you often see in the tournament where you have to make it happen defensively.”

 

Bifano’s main help on the offensive floor came from Duez. The point guard finished with 16 points as no other player on the BHS roster had more than three points in the contest.

 

“We count on Jack, and part of that is counting on him to com through late. At the same time, both of those two will tell you they got things partially as a result of the team effort on defense,” Marshall said. “In that game we needed players to put points in the basket and they were the two that came through. I hope that continues into the postseason and even see two or more others join them.”

 

Bridgeport opens sectional play at Buckhannon-Upsur Tuesday. The game begins at 7 p.m. More details on the sectional will be released when available on Connect-Bridgeport.