Trojans Edge Pioneers In A(nother) Thriller

Gabe Galbraith was on fire for the Trojans

Nooksack Valley and Meridian have had some great battles in the last few years, and you can add Monday night’s match up in Laurel to the list. 

Junior guard Pierce Brzozowski sank a free throw with “point-four” seconds left to give the Trojans a 64-63 win over the Pioneers. 

After an inside score by Pioneer junior forward Dane Ackerman that tied the game at 63-63 with 12 seconds left, Brzozowski ran the dribble into front court where he got double-teamed by the Pioneers and fouled as he tried get off the last shot.

With 0.4 left on the clock, Brzozowski’s first free throw hit the back of the rim, bounced high to the top of the backboard, and fell straight through the net, in a dramatic game-winner.  His second shot missed, but the Pioneers could do nothing more than heave the ball from back court.

This game was certainly a tale of two halves.

The first 16 minutes belonged to the Trojans, as they were off and running, consistently beating the Pioneers down the floor for easy transition scores.  Trojan junior guard Josiah Harris scored on three lay ins early in the first quarter, as the Trojans sprinted to an 18-5 lead.

The undersized Trojans rebounded well and got to several loose balls which triggered easy scores at the other end. 

The Trojans also got another surprise.

In the middle of the first quarter, junior guard Gabe Galbraith entered the game off the Trojans bench.  Just seconds on the floor, Galbraith nailed a 3-point shot from the right wing.  Before the quarter ended, Galbraith had nailed a second 3-pointer and scored ten points and that was just the beginning.  The Trojans led 25-15.

While the Pioneers struggled to hit shots against the quick Trojans zone defense, Galbraith continued to hit everything he put up, adding 12 more points in the second quarter, totaling 22 at halftime.  The Pioneers scored nine points in the second quarter, and only two field goals.  Both were 3-pointers, the second of which came on a buzzer-beater by senior guard Westin Silves.  After a 21-point lead late in the second quarter, the Trojans led 42-24 at halftime.

Sometimes, the best adjustments a team can make is just getting off the floor for ten minutes.  That certainly helped the Pioneers.

The Pioneers chipped a few points off the Trojans lead, but still trailed by 14 after three quarters.  The Trojans struggled at the offensive end in the fourth quarter, but with nearly four minutes gone by, the Pioneers had outscored the just Trojans 3-2.

The Pioneers still trailed by ten points with 2:10 left, but finally got that spark they were waiting for.

Senior guard Cole Coppinger converted a 3-point play.  Then seconds later after a Trojan turnover, senior guard Owen Wichers hit a 3-pointer from the right wing, and the Pioneers started their run, now down 61-56.

Brzozowski split a pair of free throws with 1:34 left, but Coppinger retaliated with a 3-pointer to cut the Trojans lead to three with 1:20 left.

Brzozowski split two more free throws for a four-point Trojan lead, but Coppinger scored again on an offensive rebound, and with 55 seconds left, the Pioneers trailed only 63-61.

The Trojans ran the clock down as the Pioneers played straight up man-to-man defense until Trojans junior guard Trey Alexander drove the lane.  His behind-the-back pass ricocheted off of a Pioneer, out of bounds on the baseline, with three seconds left on the shot clock. 

The Pioneers defended the Trojans inbounds pass perfectly, and the pass in was deflected deep on the left wing.  Trojans sophomore Emmett Ashmore grabbed the loose ball and could only toss up a desperation shot from inches in front of the Trojans bench.  The ball did catch rim, but the Pioneers rebounded and called timeout with 20 seconds left.

Needing two for a tie and three for the lead, the Pioneers worked the ball up against the Trojans token pressure, and the ball found Coppinger on the right wing.  Closely guarded, Coppinger fed the ball to Ackerman in the right low post, who went to work for an inside score to tie the game at 63-63 with 12 second to go. 

The Trojans played on, and Brzozowski drew a foul just an eyelash before the clock would hit zero. 

The Trojans improved their NWC record to 3-4.  While the final conference record will seed the 1A teams into their district tournament, they have the inside track to the second seed, now having beaten Blaine, Mount Baker, and Nooksack Valley. 

The Pioneers are 0-8 in the conference, but that by no means reflects their talent.  They play 1A foes Blaine and Mount Baker in their next two games, so they have a chance to gain ground on that field.  There are really no high-pressure games as all five 1A teams will be in the tournament.  That’s when it really matters. 

Coppinger led the Pioneers with 16 points, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter.  Wichers finished with 15, and senior guard Jayden Anderson added 10.

Galbraith scored just a free throw in the second half and finished with 23 points for the Trojans.  Senior post Daniel Larsen finished with 10.

~ Ted House