FREEPORT — Unable to cope with Freeport’s pressure defense, the Curwensville Area High School boys basketball team was tagged with an 85-54 loss in its Freeport Holiday Tournament debut Thursday evening.
“They pressed the whole game, and we knew that was coming, but we didn’t handle it as well as we should have,” Golden Tide coach Matt Wassil said.
The Yellowjackets, who owned a deceiving 2-6 record, including a 53-51 loss to an undefeated Indiana team ranked No. 3 in WPIAL Class AAAA by the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, outscored the Golden Tide in every quarter.
Curwensville (3-2) hung around in the first half, trailing by 31-23 at the break.
“We had a slow start, but we battled back,” Wassil said. “They just had too many scoring opportunities off our turnovers, and they shot the ball better than we did.”
Freeport kept the full court press on to rack up 27 points in each of the last two periods.
Christian Bakaysa was the big gun for the Golden Tide with 22 points, including three 3-pointers.
For the Yellowjackets, 6-2 senior forward Ben Beale poured in 28 points, with a dozen coming from behind the arc, while point guard Jalen Brown and Damon Shiring added 14 and 12, respectively.
Curwensville will play Mercyhurst Prep (4-4) in the consolation game Friday at 5 p.m. and Freeport will test unbeaten Eden Christian Academy (7-0) of Pittsburgh for the tourney championship.
CURWENSVILLE — 54
Devan Barrett 4 0-0 8, Josh Terry 4 1-2 9, Avery Francisco 1 0-1 2, Christian Bakaysa 8 3-6 22, Noah VonGunden 0 0-0 0, Nick Stewart 1-4 1, Nate McKenrick 1 0-0 3, Dakota Bloom 3 1-2 9, Jeremy Irwin 0 0-0 0, Jordan Demko 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21 6-15 54.
FREEPORT — 85
Brody Cowan 3 1-2 7, Jalen Brown 5 3-9 14, Isiah Bauman 1 1-2 3, Gavin Skradski 2 5-6 9, Garret Shaffhauser 2 0-0 5, Aidan Skradski 1 0-0 3, Damon Shiring 5 1-2 12, Ben Beale 9 6-8 28, Plocki 1 0-0 2, Anthony Aulicino 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 30 17-29 85.
Three-Point Field Goals — Curwensville 6 (Bakaysa 3, McKenrick 1, Bloom 2); Freeport 8 (Brown 1, Schaffhauser 1, A. Skradski 1, Shiring 1, Beale 4).
Score by Quarters
Curwensville 15 8 12 19 – 54
Freeport 21 10 27 27 – 85
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/08 | @ Clearfield | 52 – 54 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/11 | WEST BRANCH | 57 – 54 ot | 1 – 1 |
| 12/15 | @ Mo Valley | 61 – 49 | 2 – 1 |
| 12/20 | GLENDALE | 82 – 47 | 3 – 1 |
| 12/28 | @ Freeport Tourney | ||
| 12/28 | vs. Freeport | 54 – 85 | 3 – 2 |
| 12/29 | @ Freeport Tourney | ||
| 12/29 | vs. Mercyhurst Prep | ||
| 01/03 | @ Ridgway | ||
| 01/05 | BROCKWAY | ||
| 01/09 | DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH | ||
| 01/11 | HARMONY | ||
| 01/16 | @ Elk County Catholic | ||
| 01/19 | KANE | ||
| 01/22 | MO VALLEY | ||
| 01/23 | RIDGWAY | ||
| 01/26 | @ Brockway | ||
| 01/31 | @ Glendale | ||
| 02/02 | JOHNSONBURG | ||
| 02/06 | @ DuBois Central Catholic | ||
| 02/07 | @ West Branch | ||
| 02/09 | @ Sheffield | ||
| 02/12 | CLEARFIELD | ||
| 02/14 | @ Harmony |