Week 5: Comeback falls short in Waterford

Putting a full game together, offensively, was a problem for the Woodstock Academy boys basketball team over the course of the week.

On Friday, the basket had a lid on it for the first three quarters and a fourth quarter rally fell just short in Waterford as the Centaurs fell to the Lancers, 51-46.

Against Cheney Tech on Wednesday, the Centaurs had troubles finding the basket in the fourth quarter and overtime and the Beavers left the Alumni Fieldhouse with a 37-34 victory.

The two losses dropped the Centaurs to 2-8 overall and 1-3 in Division II of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

Woodstock Academy made a strong showing in the fourth quarter against Waterford.

The Centaurs mustered just 22 points in the first three and trailed the Lancers by 12 going into the final quarter.

But sophomore Garrett Bushey got hot and hit a couple of 3-pointers to ignite the Centaurs who outdid their performance in the first three quarters with a 24-point fourth.

Unfortunately for the Centaurs, the Lancers (3-7, 2-2 ECC Division II) were able to stay ahead as they made 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

Logan Peabody had four of his team-high 13 points from the charity stripe and added a 3-pointer in the fourth while C.J. Landry scored six of his 12 points in the quarter to keep Waterford in front.

Bushey finished with a game-high 16 points, 11 coming in the fourth. Hunter Larson and Brandon Nagle added 11 points each.

Overtime has certainly not been kind to the Centaurs boys basketball team this season.

Unfortunately, playing 4 1/2 quarters has also become something commonplace for Woodstock Academy.

The Centaurs did so for a third time in their 10 games this season and for a third time, came out on the short end.

Cheney Tech was the latest to do the honors as it held off the Centaurs.

Bushey put Woodstock Academy in a good spot at the end of the third quarter.

The sophomore scored four of his team-high 12 points in the final 37 seconds of the third to put the Centaurs up, 31-23.

That lead quickly disappeared in the fourth.

Ayden Brookins hit a 3-pointer and Da'mnic Gittens, who led the Beavers (5-2) with 17 points, added a pair of buckets to quickly reduce the Woodstock Academy lead to a single point, 31-30.

Larson scored the only basket for the Centaurs in the fourth quarter to bring the lead back up to three.

But Cheney Tech forced the extra period when J'Roose Orbe hit a free throw with 1 minute, 7 seconds to play and Brookins tied the game with a bucket from the baseline with 35 seconds to play.

It was another big bucket for Brookins who scored the last six points of the second quarter that gave Cheney Tech a 19-17 halftime lead.

But Brookins and the Beavers weren't done yet.

Dazhaun Copeland gave Cheney Tech the 2-point lead with a pair of free throws just 21 seconds into overtime.

Carter Morissette, who finished with 10 points, brought the Centaurs back within one with a free throw. It was a lonely point as it was the only one for Woodstock Academy in the OT.

Brookins finished off his 12-point night with another key hoop, a basket with 32 seconds to play, that accounted for the final score.