ARCANUM – The Arcanum Trojans used relentless defensive pressure, unselfish ball movement, and impressive depth to earn a 68-31 WOAC varsity boys basketball victory Friday night at Bradford.
“The way we played tonight, we were trying something new with this next stretch of our schedule,” said veteran Arcanum coach Kevin Brackman. “We told our guys if we play nine guys, it’s because we’re gassed and we want to keep reloading and playing. We shared the ball and were very unselfish, and that really showed.”
Bradford grabbed the game’s first points on a Bronson Schnurpel 3-pointer, taking a brief 3-0 lead. It would prove to be the Railroaders’ lone lead — and lone 3-pointer — of the night as Arcanum’s smothering defense and fast-paced offense quickly took control.
“Obviously that is a really good team,” said first-year Bradford coach Dillon McCollough. “Their overall record and WOAC record speak for themselves. You would think losing that big kid (6-foot-7 Matt Hamilton) would dent the program — it really doesn’t. They are really polished overall, a well-rounded team.”
Arcanum built a 17-8 first-quarter advantage behind 10 Cameron Ball points, four from Jace Mote, and a 3-pointer by Aiden Carlisle.
“Cameron was a difference-maker for us tonight,” Brackman said. “We were able to pick up full court and let Cameron do what he does best — he can do it all. He came into the game with a little bit of motivation and proved why he’s one of the best two-handed rebounders in the conference. He cleaned the glass really well and was able to score around the rim early against their zone.”
The Trojans’ full-court pressure limited Bradford to just four second-quarter points, while seven different Arcanum players combined for 17 points on the offensive end. Carlisle knocked down his second triple of the night, and Ball punctuated the half with a two-handed dunk, sending Arcanum into the locker room with a commanding 34-12 halftime lead.
“Cameron got a dunk, and I’m telling you, the Cameron Ball we knew as a sophomore couldn’t do that — but we could see it as a junior,” Brackman said of his 6-foot-2 senior. “He’s been close this year, and he finally got one.”
With the game well in hand, Brackman continued to rotate his lineup in the second half, using his entire bench after playing nine players in the opening half.
Arcanum extended its lead in the third quarter, paced by seven Charlie Weiss points, including a 3-pointer. Bradford had its most productive quarter of the night with five Railroaders scoring, led by four Zander Lingo points, but the Trojans still carried a 52-25 advantage into the final period.
“Aiden Carlisle was able to get some balls and throw some things through the hoop tonight,” Brackman noted. “Gideon Garno played really well, Bishop Cartwright had a really good defensive night, and all those guys who came in gave us high-quality minutes.”
Arcanum closed the game with a 16-6 fourth quarter, triggering a running clock. Ball led the Trojans in the final period with four points, while four different players connected from beyond the arc — Mote, Matthew McCans, Garno, and Carson Hamilton.
“We’ve made really good strides from the beginning of the season,” McCollough said. “We’re starting to show consistent effort. You see how hard those guys play, how hard FM plays, how hard Newton plays — that’s the baseline we have to match.”
“Those guys are local kids like us,” he added. “We just have to focus on playing as hard as they do consistently, and we’re getting there.”
With the win, Arcanum improves to 10-4 overall and 5-2 in WOAC play while Bradford falls to 4-9 and 1-6.
Cameron Ball led Arcanum and all scorers with a game-high 22 points as Arcanum cruised to the WOAC victory.
BOX SCORE:
ARCANUM 68, BRADFORD 31
ARCANUM – C. Ball 22, J. Mote 11, C. Weiss 9, M. McCans 7, G. Garno 6, A. Carlisle 6, C. Hamilton 3, B. Cartwright 2, C. Kessler 2 – TOTALS 22, 3-8 7 68
BRADFORD – R. Wirrig 8, G. Chowning 6, R. Wombold 4, Z. Lingo 4, A. Felver 3, B. Schnurpel 3, C. Gambill 3 – TOTALS 9 10-21 1 31
3-POINTERS
Arcanum 7 (A. Carlisle 2, J. Mote 1, M. McCans 1, G. Garno 1, C. Weiss 1, C. Hamilton 1)
Bradford 1 (Schnurpl 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
17-17-18-16 68 Arcanum
08-04-13-06 31 Bradford
