Bears look to build on last year's NCAA success

It's déj… vu all over again for Bridgewater State as the Men's basketball squad took the MASCAC tournament title for the second time in as many years. The Bears clinched an NCAA tournament berth with the win Saturday over Framingham State 74-70 in an overtime thriller that will be remembered for years to come. BSC had key performances from the bench late as players like Nathan Miller and Samuel Johnson came through with big plays in the clutch while point guard Matt Mclaughlin had arguably his best game of the year for the Bears.

Coach Joe Farroba, in his 18th year at BSC, has this team playing at a higher level than ever as the Bears have made the NCAA tournament for the for the third time under Farroba and only the fifth time in school history. Last year the Bears, much to the surprise of many, made it to the Sweet 16 defeating Saint Joeseph's of Maine in the first round at BSC in what, at the time, was the biggest home victory in the history of Bridgewater State basketball.

The conference title success equals some of the gratification that the Bears have been working for all year long.

"We have worked so hard all season long and all offseason." said guard Corey Connor "After the game we talked about how we were all thinking that Framingham does not work as hard as us and that there was no way we could lose that game."

The Bears may not have the size down low and offensive fire power after losing Roland Millien and Stace Garrick from last year's squad but their extra effort on the defensive end has them back in the NCAA tournament again.

"The key to our success is our defense because we get a lot of easy baskets like layups and transition threes out of our defense." Said Connor "If we come out and play defense and rebound we can beat any team in the country."

While the Bears have lost of some key contributors from last year, Bridgewater state is returning a majority of the players from last year's Sweet 16 team.

For Miller, not winning a MASCAC Championship would be strange. A Freshman last year he experienced a very successful run with the team.

"This is my second year, so I know nothing but winning championships here at BSC. We have started off strong and I am hoping to continue winning for the next two years," said the Bear's guard.

Others such as senior Chris Dijak have been here since before the success and know how rewarding it is to see the work pay off .

"It was great to reach another one of our goals with my teammates. It's really not until you win something that you realize that the journey getting there was the most important part," said Dijak.

First up for the Bears in the NCAA tournament is a hot UMaine Farmington team that has won five straight games entering Thursday's matchup.

As always, Bridgewater's focus for this matchup is on the defensive end and transition scoring.

"We need to play our fast pace game and not take on their slow style. If we play solid team defense and communicate well then the rest of the pieces should fall in place for a victory," said Miller.

One thing the bears will have going for them in the first game is the home court advantage which according to several of the bears players should not be underestimated.

"It is a huge advantage having our game at home." Said Miller "We play better in front of any kind of crowd in general because you get more into the game, you feed off of the energy of the fans. But when the crowd is cheering for you and you are playing for a bunch of people you know, it is like a 6th man on the court because it boost's your teams moral and can even cause the other team to use time outs because of how loud they get after a big play."

Millers teammates Connor and Dijak understand this advantage as well.

"Playing at home is a huge advantage for us because we really feed off the crowd. Say Judah [Jackson]gets a dunk and the crowd starts going crazy, that gets the rest of our team excited and we play way better on defense." Explained Corey Connor "The crowd has won us a few games this year without a doubt in my mind."

"Luckily for us, every game at BSC is a big game. We are extremely fortunate to be able to play in front of some of the best fans in Division 3." Dijak agreed.

This home game can also be viewed as a sign of respect for the job this team has done all year as senior guard Anthony Goss explains

"This is a blessing and an acknowledgment by the country and region that we deserve a home game and we are a great team."

With the great turnout from last year's NCAA home game for the Bears there's no reason to expect anything less from BSC fans this Thursday.

Earning a tournament bid for the second straight year is definitely satisfying for the team but for the Bears full satisfaction won't be achieved until they surpass the success of last season.

"Last year was a blast and we know what it felt like to lose in the Sweet 16." said a senior Mclaughlin "Once you get so close and fall short you want nothing more to have another crack at it.