Bombers freshman Keegan Kiser and Maplewood’s Tyson Webster dive on the floor to try to secure a loose ball.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

If the Windham boys basketball team was paying close attention on Friday, they learned that they are capable of finding a way to win even on nights when they are not at their peak.

Windham senior Nick Hopper hits an “and-one” layup during Friday’s win over Maplewood.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

As the season approaches its final weeks and the postseason awaits, it is an art form and an invaluable characteristic to have.

On Friday, the Bombers defeated Maplewood, 64-51, on Marty Hill Court, despite playing the entire first half without two starters and a below-average shooting performance.

After the Bombers and Rockets both had their moments in the first half, the turning point came in the third quarter.

An uninspired start to the third prompted Windham coach Cody Apthorpe to rip a timeout to regroup his team and try to provide a spark of energy that would translate onto the court.

It worked.

The Bombers came out of the timeout and fueled a 13-2 run that opened up a 29-24 lead to a comfortable 42-26 advantage to seize control over Maplewood.

The Rockets (3-9, 3-6 Northeastern Athletic Conference) used a run of 3-pointers cut their deficit to single-digits, 59-51, with 1:47 to play, but the Bombers responded and sealed the victory.

The decisive third-quarter run for the Bombers was generated by a disruptive 1-2-2 zone press that forced the Rockets into a slew of consecutive turnovers and easy points for the Bombers.

The Bombers’ Carlos Bruton completes a layup in transition in front of Maplewood’s Tyson Webster.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

“The press did some good things for us,” Apthorpe said. “It didn’t look as good as it did last Friday against Fairport, but it still worked good enough.”

 Windham (5-5, 4-4 Northeastern Athletic Conference) placed four players in double figures.

Nick Hopper and Carlos Bruton led the way with 14 points each, while Brandon Petrich scored 13 and Jayquon Smith added 10 for the Bombers. Bruton added five rebounds, four assists and five steals, and Smith led the team with seven rebounds. Hopper and Petrich scored all 27 of their combined points in the second half.

Overall, the Bombers shot 25-of-63 (40 percent) from the field and were 5-of-16 (31 percent) from 3-point territory.

Three Windham players — sophomore Dejuan Ramsey, junior Jordan Ridenbaugh and freshman Keegan Kiser — combined to score only seven points, but provided valuable minutes throughout the game, especially in the first half.

“The minutes and effort they gave us tonight were huge,” Apthorpe said. “I don’t think that they would have been ready to play like that early in the season, but they have been improving, gaining confidence, and we trusted them to play consistently for us. I think a night like tonight will help them with their self-confidence on the court, too. We can tell them all day long how much we believe in them, because we do, but getting on the court and getting that experience is the biggest part in starting to believe it for themselves.”

Maplewood was led offensively by Kenyan Clover, who scored a game-high 15 points, including three 3-pointers and two in the fourth quarter. Trevor Shipman scored 13 and Ethan Nevinski added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Rockets.

Maplewood shot only 36 percent from the field (22-of-62).

Windham’s Dejuan Ramsey picks up a steal.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports