"GIVE ME YOUR PLAYER CAAAARDS!" the scorekeeper yelled at Coach Sargent less than five minutes before last night's tip-off. "They are right there on the scorer's table," Sargent shot back, irritated that he was the ire of a man who hadn't showered in some time.
After the game, Sargent reflected on the scene from the get-go of the 7th Place game. "So, we're getting yelled at. Next, the referees have us shooting on the wrong basket ... you know, we did a SURVIVOR on them in the 2nd frame; outwit, outlast, outplayed. To be down 22 at half, wow! I had a feeling something was a little off when Carter got a ball stuck between the rim and backboard during pre-game. We followed our best-shooting game (last week) with our worst half of the season. And that's saying a lot."
The score at the midway point stood at 37-15. Then, the refs wanted the teams to shoot at the same goal for the second half. Sargent was adamant in his displeasure. "The lighting is bad on that end. Both teams should suffer equally," he quipped.
Bremerton took charge early in the second half, hitting a multitude of long-range jumpers, fueled by three quick treys from Sargent. Brad Hill and Tyler Whetstine got going as well. Nick Reddell's defense and interior passing on the offensive end kept the heat on. With under 7 minutes to play, Bremerton West had cut the deficit to 61-52. During a timeout, the team decided to switch from their patented zone defense to a swarming man-to-man affront. Two quick steals netted a Hill layup and Sargent three, cutting the lead to 4. That, however, would be as close as the Westies would get, as the long-range shooting that had caught fire for Bremerton so quickly faded in the same fashion late in the ballgame. While not the outcome that was hoped for by Westie fans across the globe, the players and coaches couldn't find fault with their performance on a night when the odds seemed stacked mightily against them.
"To be down 22 at half, and then to make that comeback, with only five roster players? Pretty strong," B. Hill commented. "Guess we'll get 'em next time."
When next time will be is anyone's guess. As last week's press release stated here, there are no imminent plans to disband Bremerton West. Rather, the entity is looking to strengthen itself through diversification.
When pressed about the future, Sargent brushed any rumors aside with ease. "That's like, your opinion, man. It's not like any of us pulled a piece out during league play."
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