BSU Men’s Basketball: Team battles in close calls to start the season

12/03/2014

By Brendan Coughlin

Staff Writer

The 2014-15 BSU Men’s Basketball team looks forward to having a strong season led by 5 seniors.

Bridgewater’s men’s basketball season is under way. The team started its 2014-2015 campaign a disappointing 2-3. The three losses by the team are only by a combined five points.

The team showed flashes of greatness in a blowout win against Washington & Jefferson in the Lancaster Rotary Tip-off Tournament. The rout ended with BSU on top, 105-64.

Head Coach Joe Farroba said, “I’m a little disappointed that we’ve been in some close games and haven’t been able to finish them off when we have, what I consider, to be experienced people.”

Coach Farroba means it when he says experienced people. He enters his 23rd season as BSU’s head basketball coach. Five seniors return to the team this season including its three captains; Michael “Flip” Lofton, Kyle Gibson and Justin Clark. With good leadership, the Bears are destined for a quick turnaround.

Lofton has already won a MASCAC Player of the Week award early in the season. The award marked the sixth time Lofton earned the title. Lofton’s career has amounted to none other than greatness. He looks to become an elite player in Division III history as a 1,500 point – 800 rebound player.

Right now he has already scored 1,067 points along with 669 rebounds, 133 assists, 130 blocks, and 149 steals. More impressively, Lofton currently owns the all-time record for field goal percentage (.632) at BSU.

“Lofton can never do enough, because you always expect more from him. He’ll tell you ‘I’m never satisfied,’” said Farroba on his leader and one of three senior captains.

Farroba also said, “We have a tremendous amount of potential. Whether or not we live up to that remains to be seen.”

So much potential can be a burden to a team, but the high expectations should mean big things out of BSU in conference play this year.

MASCAC competition does not begin until Jan. 8th @ MCLA. A year ago, the Bears won the MASCAC championship after taking down Salem State University in the conference title game. The Bears earned a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament but fell in the first round to Cabrini (Penn.)

BSU’s men’s basketball team will be playing in the Tinsley Center Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. against UMass Dartmouth. Come support the team in their first home night game as they look to even their record to 3-3.

Brendan Coughlin is a Comment staff writer.

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