Brisco’s big night one for Brentwood ages

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, February 2, 2018 | 11:00 PM

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It was a career-high point and rebound total and the best all-around game by a Brentwood basketball player in recent memory.

Senior forward DeAngelo Brisco poured in 36 points and grabbed 27 rebounds to lead the Spartans to a 87-71 section win Friday at home against Freedom.

It is believed to be the highest point total at Brentwood since Josh Taylor netted 38 points during the 2005-06 season.

Brisco hit on 15 of 23 field-goal attempts, pulled down 14 offensive and 13 defensive rebounds, dished out two assists and had one steal against the Bulldogs.

“DeAngelo had a great game,” Brentwood coach Dan Thayer said. “DeAngelo is a great finisher inside. He is very active on the glass, which allows him to grab so many rebounds. He is undersized for the position that he plays, but he is a good jumper and positions himself well under the basket.

“DeAngelo is a very determined young man and a lot of times just wills himself to get rebounds and score points.”

A 6-foot senior guard/forward, Brisco apparently enjoys competing against Freedom. Last year, he turned in a then-career-best 28-point performance in a 77-67 win over the Bulldogs. He also had 15 rebounds.

The 87 points against Freedom was Brentwood's highest offensive production this season and the most points scored by the Spartans in more than 15 years.

Brentwood, which avenged a 73-64 loss to the Bulldogs from earlier in the season, averages 50.1 points while allowing 58.9.

After a three-year playoff run from 2011-12 to 2013-14, the Spartans sat out the postseason each of the next three years. But thanks to a recent four-game winning streak, Brisco & Co. are hoping for a possible return trip to the playoffs this winter.

Brentwood, a member of Section 2-3A again this season, strung together section victories at home against Avonworth, Carlynton and Freedom with a nonsection win at South Allegheny to improve to 3-4 in section play and 7-9 overall.

Along with Brisco, the Spartans starting lineup consists of 5-3 sophomore guard C.J. Ziegler, 5-6 sophomore guard Zach Keib, 6-2 senior guard/forward Michael Trent and 6-4 senior forward Steph Mavroides.

Brisco averages 11.4 points, Ziegler 10.9.

Top reserves for Brentwood included senior forward Tanner Wells, senior guards Evan Vickless and Austin Veatch and sophomore forward John Milcic.

“The key to our recent success has been the players doing their job and doing it well,” Thayer said. “We are no longer trying to make super plays or plays that we just can't make. We have been under control on both offense and defense and are making the basic fundamental plays. This has caused our number of turnovers to decrease.

“We have also improved defensively. We have made some adjustments to take away the opponent's strengths and hide our weaknesses. And we have rebounded much better, taking away a lot of second-chance opportunities. We have been stressing throughout the season for the players to just do what they are capable of doing and success will follow, and we have started to do that.”

Brisco averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds in the modest win streak, connecting of 31 of 50 shots (62 percent) from the floor.

Ziegler reached double figures in all four contests and averaged 12.5 points. Wells chipped in with 8 points and hit double digits three times.

“What we have been doing lately has been a total team effort,” Thayer said. “We have also had a number of players give us key contributions with points, rebounds, defensive stops, steals and deflections.”

Brentwood dropped a 61-31 section decision last week to Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic.

Keib and Ziegler paced the Spartans with 16 and 10 points, respectively.

Ray Fisher is a freelance writer.

Tags: Brentwood