Bridgeport - Before the game, many fans and experts alike just didn't know what to make of this game.  You had Class A Carman-Ainsworth coming into town to take on Class B Bridgeport.  One thing was for certain, both of these teams were chalked full of youth and talent.  What separates the two is tempo.  Carman-Ainsworth with their defensive prowess and precision offense against Bridgeport and their high tempo, we're going to outscore you offense.    If would have told me the final score was going to be 54-52, 9 out of 10 times I would say that outcome of the game would come out in favor of the Cavaliers.  That folks, is why they play the game.  Bridgeport got sucked into CA's game and still came out victorious.  The Bearcats played some terrific defense of their own and overcame an ice-cold shooting night and a forgettable night at the line.  Carman's problem was giving up 2nd and 3rd chance points along with sloppy ball handling.  It was not a pretty night for either teams, but it sure was exciting to watch, especially the final moments.

The Cavaliers' Demondre Chapman got things going with two makes from the charity stripe.  Ellester Brooks came right back for the Bearcats with a three ball to take a one point lead.  After a Da'Marko Johnson free throw, Jeremy Sewell added two unanswered baskets to put the Bearcats up 8-2.  Reggie Stallings for Carman-Ainsworth and Josh Barnes for Bridgeport added two baskets for their teams a piece before the 1st period ended.  After one, the Bearcats were up by 4 at 12-8.  Bridgeport had trouble with the Cavalier zone early on but as the quarter progressed they were able to get the ball to the open man after patient ball handling.

The 2nd quarter was even tighter than the first.  Bridgeport was not doing itself any favors with its poor shooting performance.  This quarter belonged to Cav, Reggie Stallings.  Mr. Stallings had 9 points on Carman-Ainsworth's impressive 12-4 run to give the Cavs a 2 point lead at 20-18.  The lead was short lived however as Bridgeport closed the half on a 7-zip run to go into the lockers up by 5.  The Bearcats not only had regained the lead but captured momentum, which was such an important factor in a game as tight as this one.  After Josh Barnes had tied it on a free throw, Rahumus Wingard grabbed the lead back for the Cats on a three point bomb.  Josh Barnes capped the strong surge with a bucket, just three seconds before the 1st half ended. 

Bridgeport stormed out of the gates extending their lead to as much as 12 at 39-27.  With Jeremy Sewell on the bench for most of the third, Bridgeport's leading scorer stepped up to the plate and put home 6 points on the Bearcats' 14-7 run.  The 12 point lead was cut in half by the time the quarter ended, thanks to some tremendous and un-selfish teamwork by the Cavs.  Carman-Ainsworth ended the quarter on a 7-3 run, backed by some tough defense and a collective scoring effort by Jon Lee, Jarel Floyd and Josh Barnes, no the other Josh Barnes wearing the black and blue. 

If the faithful Bearcats in attendance were a little uneasy about how things ended in the third, the fourth quarter suspense could be cut with a knife.  Reggie Stallings was the big man in the scoring column for the Cavs once again while it was Jeremy Sewell for the Cats that took his team on his shoulders in the scoring column.  The teams slugged it out back and forth but Bridgeport was able to claw out an 8 point lead, midway through the fourth.  The lead was short lived as the Cavs went on an 8-0 run, tying things up on Stalling's 16th and 17th point of the game with 1:55 remaining.  Carman-Ainsworth's pressure defense had made the difference during the run.  Bridgeport almost succumbed the pressure again but managed to call a timeout before the Cats turned it over.  It was a crucial breather because after the break, the Bearcats were able to draw a foul, putting the Cavs into the penalty and the Bearcats into the single bonus.  As evident by bad luck that Bridgeport had at the line all evening, free throws weren't exactly going to come easy and certainly weren't three.  Da'Marko Johnson bucked the trend however and nailed two pressure packed shots from the charity stripe.  The Cavaliers answered right back with 50 seconds remaining on a Jon Lee basket. 

Sewell put the Cats back up by 2 on a basket with just 37 seconds to go.  Following suit, the Cavs tied things up at 52 and under 20 seconds to go.  The tying basket came on an offensive rebound that Ondra Stocker managed to rip away from the Bearcats and put it back into the cylinder.  Just 11 seconds remained for Bridgeport to pull out the win or miss and send the contest into OT.  Sewell got the call from the wing.  Sewell drove to the rack with just seconds remaining, almost lost control of the ball, regained possession and put the ball in the hoop over a contesting Demondre Chapman.  Just as Bearcat bench and stands were about to empty, the officials immediately signaled for 2 seconds to be put back on the clock.  The Cavaliers had one last desperation attempt.  The Cavs inbounded the ball and almost got the half court shot to fall as it sailed inches left of the basket.  Now it was time to celebrate for the Bearcats and their fans.  It was a huge win for Bridgeport over one of Flint's best and of course a bigger school, a class A school. 

The game could have gone either way, which was helped out in large portion to mistakes on both sides, more notably, the Bearcats missed free throws and woeful shooting throughout the game.  Carman-Ainsworth actually shot better than the Bearcats but had much fewer 2nd chance attempts and couldn't keep guys like Barnes off of the offensive glass.  With the win, the Bearcats throw their hats into the ring of legitimate contenders to the Class B crown.  Bridgeport had put together an impressive resume with wins over conference and other Class B powers but it was tonight's victory that gave them that notch over a much bigger school.  It remains to be seen if the Bearcats have what it takes to top the likes of Flint S.W.A. and Powers.  The talent has been there all year, the thing that impressed me the most in today's victory was Bridgeport's ability to be patient and wait for the opportunities to open up.  From what I saw earlier this year from the Bearcats, they forced the issue and came out successful because of their athleticism.  Tonight they showed me that when things aren't going well, they can adapt and they can overcome.  

The Cavaliers stay on the road this Thursday when they travel to Grand Blanc.  Bridgeport also hits the road to take on Tri-Valley East foe, Garber this Friday.  Most of Mid-Michigan's basketball action will take place on Thursday due to President's Day while there is still plenty of action slated for Friday as well.