Roller-Coaster Ends In OA Boys Hoop Win

Nick Bruha's basket with seconds left ended a roller-coaster ride on hardwood, as the Oliver Ames boys basketball team beat , 58-56, in Sharon Tuesday night.

Bruha scored moments after Sharon tied the score at 56 on two free throws from Caleb Piltch-Loeb and a basket by Sam D'Arcy, both senior tri-captains. Piltch-Loeb's free throws came with 52.7 seconds left.

Oliver Ames led for most of the game. However, the biggest lead for either team was six points, by the Tigers, in the first half.

"I feel very fortunate to get out of here with a win," OA head coach Don Byron said.

"As I told the kids, Sharon's going to be in the thick of the race here it looks like, and beating them on the road is an accomplishment. Any Hockomock League team on the road is a difficult task. These guys are absolutely on the upturn."

OA led Sharon, 24-23, at halftime.

The Tigers led by five, 43-38, with more than five minutes left in the game. But a 6-0 Sharon run put the Eagles ahead by one.

The teams traded baskets the rest of the way. The biggest lead was four, which OA held with about a minute left -- and briefly, as Sharon tied the score at 56.

"We played well. I'm very happy with the way we played," Sharon head coach Bruce Jackman said.

"I wish the outcome was different. We did a lot of good things."

Bruha, a senior tri-captain and guard, led OA with 25 points, finishing with his game-winning shot.

"It was an adventure to get to that last minute," said Byron, whose Tigers also had junior guard St. Clair Ryan score 15.

"We finally got a lead. A couple of good opportunistic things happened at the end. (Junior tri-captain and guard Andrew) Reardon hit a big layup. I think the biggest play of the game may have been a loose ball that (senior center Jeff) Babbitt got. He missed two foul shots, (and on) a ball that was loose, he got us an extra possession, and actually got us the possession, I think, that won the game for us."

For Sharon, sophomore guard James Fritzson had 19 points. D'Arcy had 14 -- including 12 in the second half. Sophomore guard Brian Mukasa added 12.

"The kids might be young, but they're experienced," Jackman said.

"Mukasa, D'Arcy and Caleb, they've been through it. They know what it takes to play well. D'Arcy and Caleb are real good leaders. And so is (senior tri-captain and center) Mitchell (Goldenberg). Mitchell got some good time tonight and he did a lot of good things. He didn't score a lot of points, but he did a lot of good things for us."

The Eagles (1-1) next play Falmouth at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, in the Bridgewater-Raynham Tournament. The tourney runs Dec. 27 and Dec. 29.

The Tigers (2-0) host Southeastern at 6:30 p.m. Friday.