No. 4 Broncos hope to finish the job against top-seeded Wheeler
BURRILLVILLE — The Burrillville boys basketball team was so close to handing Wheeler its first loss of the Division III campaign Jan. 26.
The Broncos are happy they get another shot in the Division III semifinals tonight at 5:30 at East Providence High.
When the Warriors came to the Broncodome during the regular season, Dom Esposito and Sam Clifford helped the Broncos take a 14-point lead early in the second half. The Warriors battled back and secured a 70-67 victory on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Elijah Ramos, who scored 18 points in the victory.
“We know we have to do the little things and just keep communicating on defense and offense,” Esposito said after Thursday afternoon's practice. “The last time we played them we were up in their face defensively and offensively we were just making back-breaking plays that built our confidence. We get a lot of confidence from that game because we're the only team that was close to beating them.”
“I don't think we played our best game when they were here, we had a big lead and gave it up,” senior captain Jason Cabral said. “We made a few mental mistakes at the end and they took it. We can definitely win this game if we stay within ourselves.” “We know they're the best team in the division; they're 17-0 for a reason,” Burrillville coach Kevin Randall said. “We've watched the film of that game many times and especially in the last two days, but the big thing for us is we're a much-improved team from that game. That game was a wake-up call in multiple ways. It showed we can hang with anyone, but also if we don't execute we're not going to beat anyone.” Burrillville's biggest challenge is slowing down all of the Warriors' offensive weapons. Unlike their quarterfinal clash with a guard-heavy North Smithfield team, the Broncos face threats all over the court from Wheeler. Randall said D.J. Smith, who scored game-high 27 points in the first meeting, is one of the top post players in the division along with Burrillville senior Quentin Dearden. Talented freshman Miles Fiore, Ramos and Timmy Holt can only make 3-pointers. The Broncos held Holt without a point in the first meeting, but the other two guards combined for 45 points. “They're talented across the board, but I do think we match up decent with them,” said Randall, who has good defensive guards in Cabral, Clifford and Esposito. “I really don't know if they're going to make any adjustments to us because they're so talented. We play one brand of basketball, so I'm not changing anything defensively – there are no secrets. We're playing tough, man-to-man defense.” The Broncos weren't an offensive juggernaut during the season, but they score more points against the Warriors than any other D-III opponent. For 28 of the 32 minutes in the first game the Broncos brilliantly dealt with Wheeler's full-court pressure. Four Broncos scored in double figures that day, led by Esposito's 19 points. Clifford scored 14 and Dearden had 11. Junior Jake Gelinas didn't score in that game, but he's coming off a 17-point performance in the quarterfinal win over the Northmen. “Experience matters at this time of the season,” said Esposito, who is starting his third straight semifinal. “If you make a mistake, you're going to pay for it more than you would in a regular game. Coach has told us to play our brand of basketball and good things will come.” While the Warriors know tonight's game won't be their last because they've already qualified for the Open tournament, the Broncos need to win their first Division III title since 1989 to play in their first Open tournament. The Broncos are currently in 21st place with 8.88 points, but two more victories would give them 10.08 points and the No. 16 seed. The Broncos would play either Bishop Hendricken or Mt. Pleasant in the opening round.