Tied for first in CW2B

BREWSTER – For the first two quarters of their game against the Bears in Champion gym last Saturday, Jan. 5, it looked like the Bridgeport Mustangs might hand their hosts a course in one-upmanship, but a second half rally by Brewster changed the lesson plan.

The Mustangs opened the game with two baskets and a four-point lead that, combined with a strong zone defense, forced the Bears to try a barrage of three-point perimeter shots that were not going in. With the score knotted at 11-all, Bridgeport hit a jumper at the first quarter buzzer to take a 13-11 lead into the second quarter.

While the Bears struggled to get their shots to drop, the Mustangs led by senior guard Ronaldo Ubaldo and junior Edwin Bucio managed to break another 23-23 tie with less than two minutes remaining in the first half to take a 27-25 lead into the locker room.

What emerged when both teams returned to the floor was a focused and formidable Bears team that took control of the third quarter and left little doubt as to the outcome of the game. Led by the double-digit scoring of Cade Gebbers, Conner Ashworth, and Corey Jarrell, Brewster went on a 54-point tear through the second half, leading 66-34 at the end of the third period and 79-39 at the final.

Gebbers knocked down five of Brewster’s seven three-point baskets to lead all scorers with 25 points. Junior post man, 6’6” Conner Ashworth scored 15, and Bears teammate Corey Jarrell had 11.

Senior guard Ronaldo Ubaldo led Bridgeport with 17 points and junior Edwin Bucio added 10.

The home win moved 7-1 Brewster into a first-place tie with Oroville in the Central Washington 2B standings. Bridgeport with a 4-5 record is in fifth place behind Tonasket.

The Bears were scheduled to meet 0-7 Waterville-Mansfield on the road, Tuesday, Jan. 8. Brewster will host 5-2 Tonasket at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 11.

Bridgeport travels to Soap Lake on Wednesday, Jan. 9, and to Lake Roosevelt, Friday, Jan. 11. The Mustangs will not meet Brewster again until their final regular season game, Feb. 5.