In the season opener for these EACS foes, Woodlan rallied from a ten-point fourth quarter deficit to snatch victory late on the road in New Haven. Senior forward Joe Reidy was the catalyst with a monster performance, going for 37 points and 17 rebounds in the win.

 

 

The visitors took a strong attack from New Haven's frontcourt duo of Jakar Williams and Darrion Brooks, who combined for all 14 of the Bulldogs points in the first quarter, and remained in the lead after the first period. Woodlan often found finishing inside to be a chore against the larger, more athletic lineup New Haven put on the floor. A couple of midrange pullups and a three ball from sophomore guard Braden Smith helped stem the tide for Woodlan.

 

The second quarter would be a precursor for the rest of the game, as Joe Reidy, Woodlan's 6'6 senior wing, would repeatedly attack the paint and find avenues to finish inside. He took advantage of a Bulldog defense that was late to help on drives, and his ability to finish over and around defenders was on full display.

 

The lead for Woodlan at the break was just two, however, as turnovers for Woodlan often led to easy buckets by the home side, particularly Williams and Brooks, as those two combined for 27 of their team's 31 first-half points. Reidy's 12 second-quarter points were enough to maintain the advantage for the Warriors.

 

In the third period, a steady stream of pressure and a very physical and active defense continued to force turnovers for New Haven. Brooks and Williams got a nice boost from 6'3 sophomore Jeremiah Cottrell, who added six points off the bench for Bruce Stephens' side. The Bulldogs also used their athleticism advantage on the glass, finding second-chance opportunities and corralling any long rebounds on the defensive end.

 

Joe Reidy continued to work one on one with success, but a rushed three-pointer from Woodlan led to a Darrion Brooks score right before the buzzer, giving the hosts a four-point lead heading into the final stanza.

 

The Bulldogs would open a 12 points advantage early in the fourth at 59-47 before Woodlan began their push. The margin was still eight at the 2:51 mark, but Joe Reidy simply willed his way to the foul line, as the senior would convert 13/14 from the stripe in the fourth quarter alone, as he isolated defenders and drew contact anyone who tried to stop him. An 8-0 run tied the game with a minute to go, but each team would turn it over on their chance to take the lead.

 

A string of six straight missed free throws was stopped by Tylor Harding, who made the second of his pair to give New Haven a one-point lead with 40 seconds left. Woodlan would again turn to their captain, and Reidy would deliver, getting fouled and sinking both free throws with 22 seconds on the clock to regain the lead. On the subsequent possession, Jakar Williams would drive and try to shuffle a pass to Tylor Harding, but Dawson Lichty would step in front of Harding and intercept the pass. Lichty was fouled and split his pair from the line.

 

Jakar Williams launched a desperation 30 footer that fell by the wayside, but the rebound would go out of bounds off a Woodlan defender after a scramble, setting up the final inbounds play with 1.9 on the clock. Senior guard Jackson Turnwald would squirt free on the wing, but his three-pointer would find the back of the iron, giving Woodlan a hard-fought victory.

 

 

Woodlan    16  17  14  20  -  67

New Haven  14  17  20  14  -  65

 

Woodlan: Joe Reidy 37 points (10/22 FGs, 1/4 3Ps, 16/17 FTs), 17 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls, 4 blks; Braden Smith 9 points (4/9 FGs, 1/4 3Ps), 2 rebs; Alex Miller 8 points (3/6 FGs, 2/5 3Ps), 2 rebs, 2 asts; DeJay Gerig 6 points (2/5 FGs, 2/2 FTs), 2 stls; Dawson Lichty 5 points (2/4 FGs, 1/2 FTs), 4 rebs; Trey Yoder 2 points (1/2 FGs)

 

New Haven: Jakar Williams 28 points (10/21 FGs, 4/7 3Ps, 4/6 FTs), 11 rebs, 3 stls, 2 blks; Darrion Brooks 22 points (8/18 FGs, 1/5 3Ps, 5/8 FTs), 2 rebs, 2 stls; Jeremiah Cottrell 6 points (3/4 FGs), 5 rebs; Tylor Harding 5 points (1/8 FGs, 3/4 FTs), 4 rebs, 2 asts; Myles Harris 2 points (1/2 FGs), 3 rebs; JoJo Robertson 2 points (1/5 FGs), 2 asts