As the clock wound down on Cleveland 70, visiting Nicollet 49 on Monday, the Clippers worked to get the ball to Brady Bostic, one of four seniors recognized on Senior Night.
Bostic tossed up several outside shots, but, with the Clipper fans on the edge of the bleachers and a collective “awwww” after each miss, all his attempts caromed off the rim.
The last of the seniors to leave the stage, Bostic got a chorus of cheers, but chanting “Braay-dee, Braay-dee, Braay-dee,” the student section wouldn’t let it go.
Bostic’s fans got their way. A few seconds later, he was at the scorer’s table ready to check back in.
“I wanted to get him off the court so I could get him a round of applause,” explained head coach Mike Meyer. “I tried to do that with each of the seniors: pull them off one by one. But they wanted him.”
“He walked over and asked me if I wanted to go back in, and I was like ‘why not,’” Bostic said.
The encore paid off. With 40 seconds to go, Bostic crossed into the lane, took a sharp left turn to the hoop and put the ball up for the last two Clipper points (above).
“It was really fun. I couldn’t make any of my shots, but then I finally did.”
Although he started on senior night, Bostic doesn’t get a ton of game time, but the team camaraderie keeps him in an orange and black uniform.
“I like playing with all my friends, hanging out with all of them. It’s fun.”
“That’s the kind of culture we are trying to build: a bunch of guys like Brady,” Meyer said. “In three years as a coach, there’s not a day that goes by that I haven’t seen him smiling. He always has a good attitude. He always shows up ready for work. He takes whatever role I give him and exceeds it to all my expectations. He shows up and works as hard as he can in practice to try to make his teammates better.
But the effort paid off for Bostic himself, Meyer said.
“You saw tonight that he’s not just a scrub. He knows what he’s doing. He played most of this game. It’s not a fluke thing. He plays good, hard defense. He's athletic. He’s a strong kid. He’s smart, so we were glad to see that he got that bucket at the end.”
It was Bostic’s first points of this season but not his first as a varsity player. Nevertheless, they were special for everyone, Meyer said.
“You could see the excitement not only with Brady but with all his teammates. That’s why I coach; that’s what makes this job fun. I hope that Cleveland will continue to have a ton of kids like Brady.”
After the Clippers got called for traveling, Nicollet fired up the scoreboard with a three. With a pair of free baskets, Alex Kortuem was the first to score for the Clippers. Senior Jorden Rossow drove the baseline for a bucket, and the Clippers never trailed from there.
After Kortuem swished another pair of free shots, senior Carter Barto, who led all scorers with 20 points, spun from the paint for a bucket and dropped in the ensuing free throw to put the Clippers in front 8-5.
Barto’s three-point play was the start of a 13-point Clipper streak that also featured a pair of Kortuem drives for baskets, another Barto basket inside, a Kyle Connor basket inside and a Blake Lyons steal and layup.
Barto scored eight more points in the half, Carson Lyons added three baskets, Kortuem and Rossow each put in a three, and the Clippers were way out front, 47-23 at the break.
Just missing a double-double, Barto hauled in nine rebounds. Kortuem totaled 13 points and put in one three. Rossow had nine points including one three, and had five assists, four rebounds and one steal. Connor had eight points and six rebounds. Carson Lyons scored eight points and reeled in nine rebounds.
Blake Lyons contributed six points and had four steals. Bode Bartell made a bucket from behind the arc in the second half for three total points. Bostic had two points, clutched six rebounds and made one steal. Kale Kelley chipped in a free throw and grabbed four rebounds. Senior Gabe Sullivan had six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Clippers made 17 of 22 foul shots. Nicollet made four threes and was nine of 21 in free throw shooting.
After, the team and parents celebrated the four seniors with a pizza party in the commons.
“They do a really good job setting the standards and the culture they are all good leaders in their own way.”
Tonight, the 5-7 Clippers travel to Truman to take on GHEC/T/ML. The 3-5 Jaguars have losses in the Valley to St. Clair, Madelia, and Alden-Conger, but they beat Nicollet.
Seniors and their parents: Derek, Brandi and Jorden Rossow; Colleen Davis and Brady Bostic; Carrie and Carter Barto and Mike Guillemette; and Jon, Gabe and Patty Sullivan.
Senior Carter Barto looks for an open teammate from the floor.
Senior Jorden Rossow battles with a Nicollet defender.
Senior Gabe Sullivan collides with a Raider defender. Kale Kelley swings inside.
The pep band added to the atmosphere.
Referees for the game, Kent Bass, Gary Mielke and Jeff Brudwick have a combined 65 years of basketball officiating experience.