BRIMLEY — Newberry didn't want to give up without a fight, and they gave the Bays basketball team a run for their money in the Brimley High School gymnasium on Jan. 13. Despite the tough opposition, Brimley was able to pull off a come-from-behind 67-64 victory that wasn't certain until the closing seconds of the game.
The Indians came out strong in the first period, scoring early against Brimley and maintaining the lead throughout the quarter, ending the first eight minutes of play 13-6. However, the Newberry squad only numbered eight players, whereas the Brimley roster holds 12, giving Bays' Coach Reg Robbins the opportunity to rotate his players more so they could rest.
Brimley was able to take advantage of their numeric superiority in the second period, narrowing their point deficit with back-to-back three-point shots and taking the lead for the first time on a free throw by Jake Parish. His two shots put the score at 19-18 with four minutes remaining in the half.
Those four minutes, though, were even more intense than the start of the quarter, as the lead switched back and forth between the two sides twice. The Bays secured their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Indians 25 points to 14 points, ending the half ahead 31-27.
The Bays maintained the intensity throughout the second half, but Newberry mustered their strength to keep the pressure on the Brimley players. The Bays were able to stay ahead of Newberry, ending the third period 48-44, but the teams stayed evenly matched, scoring 17 points each.
Brimley started to run away with the game at the opening of the fourth quarter, pulling ahead by as much as eight points. Newberry threw everything they had at the Bays, withering away at the Brimley lead.
With a minute left in the game, the Bays held a five-point advantage, but Newberry managed to score two points on free throws with about 30 seconds left in the game, bringing the score to 65-62 and raising the specter of a last-ditch effort by the Indians to sink a three-point shot and tie the game.
With the closing seconds marked by multiple time-outs, both teams scored two points on free throws, giving Brimley the 67-64 win. Even though they lost, Newberry outscored the Bays 20 points to 19 points in the fourth period.
Kellen Perron led Brimley in scoring with 20 points, and he also chalked up 11 rebounds. Kyle Dillon followed with 12 point and Albert Bertram scored 10 points. The Bays managed seven three-point shots, four by Perron, two by Dillon and one by Cody Robbins.
“We played strong,” said Coach Robbins, “and we kept up our intensity through the game. Kellon played well tonight, not only because of his scoring but also his rebounds.”
Robbins was also impressed by the Newberry team, saying that “they had four players with double-digit scoring.”
Chad Rahilly led Newberry scoring with 18 points, Matthew Payment scored 12, Dan Schummer had 11 and Douglas Nicholson sank 10.
Brimley's non-conference win over Newberry was a welcome change for the 3-3 team after losses to Newberry on Jan. 6 and Bay De Noc on Jan. 10. The Bays travel to Rudyard to play the Bulldogs on Friday, Jan. 16 and face the Eagles in Engadine on Saturday, Jan. 17.
