Up to the challenge
Bristol overcomes physical Andrews Osborne, 61-54, in district semifinal
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol senior Gage Elza (2) celebrates with his teammates following the Panthers’ 61-54 win over Andrews Osborne Academy Tuesday night in a Division IV district semifinal at Grand Valley High School.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol's Nick Church, left, looks to throw to teammate Mike Wiebe, second from right, during Tuesday's Division IV Orwell District semifinal at Grand Valley. Andrew's Osborne Richie Thompson guards Church, while T.J. Chapman is on Wiebe.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol’s Mike Wiebe, left, tries to get past Andrews Osborne defender Oscar Alcobendas.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol’s Matt Stephens, left, dribbles around Andrews Osborne’s Richie Thompson during this Division IV Orwell District semifinal Tuesday at Grand Valley High School. Bristol won, 61-54.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol senior Gage Elza (2) celebrates with his teammates following the Panthers’ 61-54 win over Andrews Osborne Academy Tuesday night in a Division IV district semifinal at Grand Valley High School.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol's Nick Church, left, looks to throw to teammate Mike Wiebe, second from right, during Tuesday's Division IV Orwell District semifinal at Grand Valley. Andrew's Osborne Richie Thompson guards Church, while T.J. Chapman is on Wiebe.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol’s Mike Wiebe, left, tries to get past Andrews Osborne defender Oscar Alcobendas.
Tribune Chronicle / John Vargo Bristol’s Matt Stephens, left, dribbles around Andrews Osborne’s Richie Thompson during this Division IV Orwell District semifinal Tuesday at Grand Valley High School. Bristol won, 61-54.
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ORWELL -- Matt Church stood there as he always does, feet planted and moving when necessary.
The challenge in front of him Tuesday night was a bigger player (Brandon Charles), two inches taller than Church, and a cast of characters around the 6-foot-6 Andrews Osborne Academy post player determined to control the Division IV district semifinal.
With no more Cornerstone Christian and its stranglehold on the tournament inside the confines of Grand Valley High School, someone else will hoist the district title trophy on Friday.
Second-seeded Bristol thought, why not us? The Panthers are a step closer to that goal after a 61-54 win over third-seeded Andrews Osborne.
These Panthers have faced their share of physical teams like Andrews Osborne the past couple of seasons. After the 2016 district final Bristol walked away knowing the hard play had to be overcome to beat teams like these.
That's when the Panthers upgraded their regular-season schedule to face teams like Western Reserve Academy and Cardinal Mooney, teams that would constantly bump and irritate the Bristol shooters at every turn.
"A couple years ago we lost here and I thought it was because it was too physical," said Bristol coach Craig Giesy, whose team is 20-4. "It was just like tonight, a lot of non-calls in the backcourt. They really let people play with their hands.
"I thought tonight we were a little more adjusted."
The Panthers faced that kind of physicality in a Phoenix team determined to be a smothering force in th district tournament. Bristol wasn't deterred.
Gage Elza, who had 16 points, was limited to four points before the fourth quarter. He averaged more than 26 points per game, but Charles and plenty of other Phoenix players wouldn't let the Bristol senior scorer get free as he's done so many times this season.
Elza then scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and was 6-of-8 from the foul line. Andrews Osborne (16-7) took a short-lived 41-39 lead on a T.J. Chapman shot early in the fourth. Chapman led all scorers with 21 points.
Church was open at the end of the Bristol bench behind the 3-point line, draining a triple to cap a 12-0 run with 5:31 remaining for a 51-41 lead.
Elza then made his foul shots as Andrews Osborne started to chip away at the lead, trailing 57-51 with 1:09 left.
Chapman's putback with about 30 seconds left cut Bristol's lead to 57-54. Then, Elza had breakaway bucketss on two Phoenix turnovers to clinch the game and send Bristol back to a district final. The Panthers haven't been to a regional since 2003, Giesy's senior year.
"I felt like we did a great job down the stretch tonight," Giesy said. "We were never rattled, never nervous, just kind of played our game."
Bristol plays top-seeded Badger on Friday in a district final, starting at 7 p.m. Badger edged Bristol, 60-59, in Bristolville a couple of weeks ago. Badger hasn't been to a regional since 2002, that time in Division III.
He had his own issues trying to block out Charles. Church had 14 rebounds, while Charles had 11. The only solace the Andrews Osborne post could get is a two-handed slam to tie the game at 22 heading into intermission. It was his only two points of the half and he was held to six total.
Church faked out Charles midway through the third quarter for an easy two points.
"My main goal was to stay behind him, keep my composure and have my teammates help me the whole time, tell me where he was," Church said. "I knew what I had to do.
"I knew I had a quickness advantage over him. He had size. I used my quickness to my advantage."
Bristol's Damion Durst had seven of his 13 points in the third quarter as he drove the lane for a 31-30 lead with 3:37 left in that quarter. The two teams were trading baskets for most of that 8-minute period until Matt Stephens canned a 3 with 2:14 left for a 38-32 lead.
No obstacle was too big for Bristol in Tuesday's game. The Panthers' past preparation helped them overcome.
"Our athletic department and coaches set up a great schedule," Church said. "That kind of prepared us. We were used to these kind of games. When we got into it, we were relaxed, ready to go."