Tommy Morris posted a double-double with a game-high 22 points
on six three-pointers and Bradford High won by 24 points, 65-41
over struggling Corry in non-league hoops play at the Owls’ Nest
Tuesday night.

Owls fans shouldn’t chalk that correlation up to mere
coincidence.

When No. 12 has a handle on his jumper, Morris can shoot the
lights out although he has struggled with some scoring scourges
this season.

But in Bradford’s final regular season game, the senior shooter
complemented his 22 points with 10 creative assists and six steals
as his success directly paralelled that of the Owls.

“He had the kind of game tonight that we’ve been waiting for him
to have all year,” Fuhrman conceded. “It was good to see him play
so well.

“He’d be the first one to tell you that he hasn’t shot the ball
like he knows he can shoot it, but he’s practiced hard all year and
he’s been our vocal leader. I’ve been real happy with the kinds of
things that he’s done aside from scoring.

“Tommy, Dan Vecellio and Tom Taylor hustled their butts off
tonight,” the winning coach praised.

“Overall, though, I don’t think we played particularly well. We
got away with it tonight because we were playing against a team
that’s been struggling.

“We don’t have the kind of a team where a couple of guys can
think that they can take the night off. We’re trying to get ready
for the playoffs and we need everybody giving maximum effort all
the time.”

All five starters – Morris, Taylor, Vecellio, Ben Lanich and
Ryan LaBrozzi – had at least contributed to the scoring column for
the Owls by the midway mark of the first quarter.

Drew Kelly cashed in from deep and Randy Confer converted at the
block to close out the first half with Corry down 20, 36-16.

The hosts enjoyed their largest lead at 31 points when Tyler
Grandy splashed the stop-and-pop jumper in the key with 3:42 to
go.

For Corry (9-15), Robert Cummings then scored nine of his
team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to help trim the final
margin to 65-41.

“Cummings is a key to their team,” Fuhrman observed. “He can get
in the lane and he’s fairly athletic – he can get off of his
feet.”

In marked contrast to most of the rest of the current campaign,
BHS was able to convert 50 percent of its shots from behind the
three-point line, canning 9 of 18 attempts.

“We did shoot the three ball pretty well tonight. That was maybe
the best thing we did,” Fuhrman noted.

Defensively, the Owls compelled 30 Corry turnovers.

“We did force a lot of turnovers – we had 21 steals,” the Owls’
coach pointed out.

“But I still don’t think we’ve put it all together with
everybody firing on all cylinders in the same game. I don’t think
we’ve done that in any game this year.”

The Owls finish the regular season at 11-11. The Owls will host
a District 9 Class AAA semifinal next Tuesday against Clearfield at
a time to be determined.

“If we lose Tuesday the season’s over,” Fuhrman stated. “Our
guys have to approach it that way and understand that. I hope
that’s the attitude of everybody on this team.”

The winner of Tuesday’s game will move on to face St. Marys for
the District 9 championship March 3 at Clarion University.

“If our guys play to their potential there’s no doubt in my mind
that we can win the league,” Fuhrman maintained.

“We have a lot of tradition here and you’d think guys would want
to uphold that tradition by winning another District 9
championship.

“But, this team has to carve their own niche, too. They have to
make their own memories.”