Pittsfield Escapes Drury with Two-Point Win
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Briawn Thompson’s 19 points inched Pittsfield past Drury with a 58-56 win on the road.
It was a packed house in the Bucket Bullett Gymnasium as both teams put on a show that came right down to the wire. Pittsfield (1-0) took its first lead with 40.1 seconds left, when Cam Mochon hit a floater in the lane to give the Generals a 57-56 advantage.
It was a back-and-forth game all night, as both teams looked to push the tempo after every possession. Drury (1-1) started as the better of the two teams, jumping out to an early lead, but just like all game long, Pittsfield was primed for a comeback. Pittsfield got its offense going with transition scoring, putting up six of its opening eight points on the break.
Drury’s Jorge Bond had a hot start, scoring eight of his 20 points in the first quarter, including two 3-pointers. The Blue Devils were able to take an 18-14 lead at the end of the quarter.
Drury continued that momentum into the second quarter, stretching the lead again, but Pittsfield’s never-give-up mentality kept the Generals within striking distance. This time it was Pittsfield’s Thompson who had the hot hand, knocking down two 3-pointers and finishing strong at the rim to erase an eight-point Drury lead. Thompson also found teammate Noah Smalls for a 3-pointer to keep things rolling. Smalls finished with 15 points.
“I know Drury has one of the best players in the county, but I think we have the best player in the county,” Pittsfield head coach Jerome Edgerton said. “Briawn Thompson is tough and has been in the program on varsity the last four years. It’s his time, and he’s the leader of these boys. Whether it’s shot-making or playmaking, he takes it on.”
Pittsfield went into the break trailing by four, 36-32, a scoreline that felt like it could have been much wider.
Both teams continued more of the same in the second half, relying on their best scorers to take control. Bond and Thompson each looked to take over in the third quarter, and just like in the first half, Thompson had an answer to keep things close.
After trailing by six entering the fourth quarter, two missed free throws by Drury sparked a mini run for Pittsfield. The Generals scored six straight points to pull within one, 51-50. Both teams traded unorthodox banked-in 3-pointers, keeping the game on a knife’s edge.
Drury missed two more free throws late, setting the stage for the game-winning basket with 40.1 seconds left.
“It’s the heart of the team,” Edgerton said. “These boys have been battle-tested. We had a tough end to last season, and we’re working to get ourselves back. Since tryouts, our intensity, leadership, and hunger have been there, and that’s what you saw tonight. It wasn’t perfect, and we have a lot to work on, but with our foundation, we’re going to be good.”
Pittsfield added one free throw to make it a two-point game, giving Drury one last chance to tie or win, but the final shot fell short as Pittsfield secured the road victory.
This marked Pittsfield’s first game of the season, and the Generals will look to keep things rolling when they face Monument on Friday.
Drury (1-1) will look to bounce back from the tough finish when they travel to Taconic on Thursday.