Here’s David Walkers game winning layup with 2.3 seconds remaining to give Brookfield a 47-45 win over immaculate in the Championship Game of the Candlewood Classic #ctbb @GameTimeCT pic.twitter.com/r7Nf8RY58T
— SWC Basketball (@_swcbasketball) December 29, 2018
BROOKFIELD — History found a way of repeating itself in a positive manner for the Brookfield boys basketball team.
About 11 months after sinking a last-second shot to beat SWC rival Immaculate, Brookfield repeated the feat Friday to claim the Candlewood Classic crown. David Walker converted a layup with 2.3 seconds left to send Brookfield to a 47-45 win over Immaculate.
The Bobcats improved to 4-0 this winter behind a third-quarter surge that turned the game on its head. Immaculate led 22-15 at the break before the Bobcats surged ahead 36-29 after three.
The Mustangs rallied and tied the game after trailing by seven points with less than four minutes left. Walker drove from behind the 3-point line and finished at the basket to send the home crowd into celebration.
“David is the type of kid who wants the ball when the game is on the line,” Fleming said. “I decided not to call timeout and he made a great move; I’m proud of him.”
Immaculate was held to 2-of-20 shooting from beyond the arc on a rare off night from distance.
“We knew Quinn Guth and Jack Woods are seasoned veterans but we knew the other players were new to this experience,” Fleming said. “We told our guys to make them work for everything and I think that forced other guys to take shots.”
Guth scored 15 points for the Mustangs while Woods had 13. The loss was the first for Immaculate (3-1), which will have played just twice in a 24-day span before resuming play against New Milford on Jan. 9.
“Games between Immaculate and Brookfield the last few years are always tough battles that are decided by a few points,” said Mustangs coach Nelson Mingachos. “Credit to Brookfield, they played hard and they deserved it.”
The win will provide the Bobcats with confidence that they can make noise in the SWC.
“The SWC is always tough,” Fleming said. “I think we just take it one game at a time and hope to improve as we go.”
