The Bears defeated the Burlingame Panthers in an overwhelming 65-44 victory on Tuesday night.
The Bears won the tip-off but quickly turned the ball over. Senior point guard Dominic Auer stopped Burlingame’s drive with a steal and got the ball past halfcourt. The Bears scored their first points after two consecutive free throws from senior center Bobby Redmond.
Numerous missed three-point shot attempts and jumpers filled the following minutes. Burlingame finally swished a three-pointer with four minutes remaining in the quarter, setting the game back into motion. Successful drives and finishes from Redmond and junior shooting guard Luca Auer helped the Bears regain their rhythm and build a lead of 12-7 by the end of the first quarter.
The Bears’ momentum continued strong into the second quarter. Early on, junior power forward Aiden Atkins collected and tipped in a rebound from junior point guard Jacob Sutton mid-air. Neither team could keep the possession until Sutton stole the ball, assisting Dominic for a quick layup with five minutes remaining in the half.
The Panthers grew frustrated as the Bears’ lead continued to climb. Burlingame threw out a flurry of verbal arguments and accusations and was issued a technical foul. Cadigan made both responding free throws, extending M-A’s lead to 17-7.
After a few more drives, the Bears kept extending their lead. With the score at 28-12, the Panthers called a timeout. Burlingame managed to make a three-pointer right out of the timeout in an attempt to close in on M-A’s lead, ending the half at 28-15.
The second half started slow for the Bears with multiple misses and turnovers. The Panthers were making everything, from three-pointers to floaters, and the Bears struggled to maintain their lead. Burlingame closed their deficit to just 32-27 with four minutes remaining. The Bears called a timeout to regroup and strategize to regrow their lead.
Other than one Panthers layup right after the timeout, the Bears took over at the end of the third quarter. Junior small forward Jerry Williams cut through the key, leaving defenders in the dust, and laid the ball up and in. Shortly after, Sutton banked in a quick two-pointer and Cadigan followed suit with a three-pointer. The Bears kept this intensity for the rest of the quarter and ended it with a 45-32 lead.
The Bears continued to dominate in the last quarter. They scored their first points of the fourth quarter with a deep three-pointer from junior shooting guard Bryce Winters. The Panthers’ offense quickly responded with a jumper of their own. Cadigan and Atkins each made a layup in the following two possessions, further increasing M-A’s lead to 52-35. Williams banked in a three-pointer, forcing the Panthers to call a timeout with four minutes remaining.
With the clock winding down, the Panthers started to lose hope and air-balled a three-pointer. Growing frustrated, Burlingame resumed their taunting and nearly started a fight, resulting in another technical foul. Sutton made both free throws. After a few shots by Sutton and junior shooting guard Axel Pilette, the Bears dribbled out the clock and ended the game with a dominant 65-44 win.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, especially throughout the end of the first half, but we picked it up in the second,” Atkins said.
“We came out with a lot of energy in the second half, we rebounded the ball well and played well together,” Sutton said.
The Bears will return to the court away against the Carlmont Scots this Friday at 7:45 p.m.
