Bernie gets past Bloomfield in SCAA opener

DEXTER — The story is going to be the same for every opponent that faces the Bloomfield Wildcats boys basketball squad this winter.

They’ll have to work.

That is because the Wildcats, who may lack size and scoring ability, are simply going to defend well enough to, if not win, at least make their opponents uncomfortable.

Such was the case on Tuesday, as Bernie got past Bloomfield 60-42 in the opening round of the Stoddard County Activities Association Tournament at the Bearcat Event Center, but it was a close enough game that Mule coach Jason Long was voraciously instructing his team until the end of the game, and he was using timeouts when Bloomfield (7-8) would grab a touch of momentum.

“We had some good runs,” Long said. “We started off the game well defensively.”

Bernie (11-3) jumped out to an 11-4 lead early in the second quarter, but the Wildcats were able to keep the game close throughout that period and trailed just 31-23 at halftime.

“We had too many turnovers,” Long said. “Those turnovers really kind of stymied our offense in the first half for a while.”

Mule sophomores Blayne Morgan (point guard) and Jon Aycock (center) began to find their rhythm in the second period, which boosted Bernie.

After combining for just two points (Aycock) in the first quarter, the two had a combined 20 points by the break.

“We kind of got going a little bit by the end of the first half,” Long said.

In the third period, Bloomfield limited Bernie to just 11 total points, but as it has been all season, the Wildcats had trouble producing offensively.

Bloomfield scored just four points in each of the first and third quarters, and that makes it very difficult to stay in games, let alone win.

Wildcat senior guard Caleb Upchurch tallied 22 points to pace his team, but 18 of those came in the second and final periods. Bernie sophomore defender Hunter Massey clamped Upchurch down in the opening and third periods.

“Hunter has a motor,” Long said. “He works hard. We felt like he was our most likely candidate (to guard Upchurch).”

The Mules, who have won six consecutive games, played an inordinate amount of man-to-man defense because of Upchurch’s ability to drive into the heart of a zone defense and create issues.

“We wanted to try and keep (the ball) out of Upchurch’s hands,” Long explained.

Bloomfield got six points apiece from sophomore guard Wyatt Golden and senior guard Lawles Graser.

Aycock had 16 points in the win, as did sophomore guard Braxton Arnold, who hit four 3-pointers in notching his career-high.

“The most important thing that (Arnold) does really well is that he listens,” Long said. “He’s smart and he listens.”

Morgan had 10 points while sophomore guard Cane Hobgood chipped in nine.

The Mules have the tremendously difficult task of now playing Class 3 No. 6-ranked Woodland (15-1) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The Cardinals beat the Mules in Marble Hill last month 56-41.