The 2026 Panini Hoophall Boys Invitational third-place game in Bracket F featured a back-and-forth battle that saw momentum swing repeatedly, as the Brattleboro Bears put together a well rounded effort in a game that came down to the final moments.

Springfield showed pressure early, but Brattleboro handled it well from the opening tip. Dawson Wheeler attacked the heart of the Bulldog zone for an early pull-up jumper, while Hudson Smith ignited the Bears with a coast-to-coast finish off a defensive rebound and later buried an open three to give Brattleboro its first lead at 6–4.

While the Bears moved the ball well and consistently broke the press, converting quality looks proved difficult early. The Springfield Bulldogs capitalized with strong outside shooting and closed the first quarter on a run, taking a 25–13 lead into the break.

Brattleboro’s response in the second quarter set the tone for the rest of the night.

Logan Waite began to will the Bears back into the game, relentlessly attacking the rim for back-to-back trips to the free-throw line before Brattleboro turned up the defensive pressure. That effort quickly became contagious. Noah Moore attacked the basket, drew contact, grabbed his own miss, and found a cutting Waite for a layup as the Bears dug their heels in on the defensive end.

The Bears generated turnover after turnover, fueled by effort plays on both ends. Wheeler anchored the surge with a block and finish in the lane, then followed a Waite steal by tipping in a missed shot to cap a dominant stretch where Brattleboro firmly controlled the game despite still trailing on the scoreboard.

Springfield briefly regrouped late in the half, but Wheeler came up with another key block as the Bears headed into halftime down 38–27 — a margin that felt far smaller given the momentum shift.

That momentum carried straight into the third.

Smith opened the half with a tough pull-up jumper from the short corner, and Wheeler followed with a 12-footer as the Bears quickly cut the deficit to single digits. Brattleboro strung together stops and began finding a rhythm on both ends.

Brattleboro’s surge truly took shape in the third quarter, where the Bears held Springfield scoreless for long stretches of the period. It was a stretch that felt like a turning point — Brattleboro wasn’t just chipping away, they were in firm control. Stops piled up, the offense flowed, and for the first time all night the Bears were dictating the pace on both ends of the floor.

Midway through the quarter, the game produced a sequence that perfectly captured the night — a fumbled Bears inbound led to a scramble with five different players diving on the floor before Brattleboro finally secured possession. Waite converted on the ensuing trip, trimming the deficit to just three.

Out of a Springfield timeout, Kaden Cole knocked down a three to tie the game, and after the Bulldogs briefly regained the lead, Smith delivered late-quarter heroics — scoring four points in the closing seconds to knot the game at 46–46 heading into the fourth.

Despite trailing by as many as 14 early, the Bears had erased the deficit with eight minutes left in regulation.

The fourth quarter was a grind.

Smith sprinted back to disrupt a Bulldog fast break after a turnover, setting the tone defensively. Cole continued his incredible shooting, drilling a pull-up three for another lead change and later burying a deep triple off a cross-court pass from Waite to give Brattleboro a 54–53 edge with under four minutes remaining.

After a series of traded baskets, the Bears trailed by three in the closing seconds, Brattleboro again went to Cole — and he delivered, knocking down a deep three from well beyond the arc to tie the game at 59. Springfield’s final look at the buzzer missed, and the game headed to overtime.

As the game tightened late, the atmosphere inside the gym shifted with it. Every possession carried weight. The crowd reacted to each basket, each stop, each loose ball, turning the final minutes of regulation and overtime into a tense, electric back-and-forth where no lead felt safe.

The extra period featured offense on both ends.

Springfield struck first, but Smith answered with a strong drive to the basket. Cole continued his unbelievable night, burying yet another three as the Bears grabbed a 70–65 lead following a Bulldog timeout.

Late free throws loomed large.

Springfield missed a critical pair at the line, then Moore split his own free throws after the getting fouled on the rebound, and the Bulldogs answered quickly to cut the lead to one. Waite was sent to the line as Springfield fouled to extend the game, and after another Bulldog trip to the stripe tied things up, Wheeler was fouled on the inbound with 14 seconds remaining but was unable to convert.

Springfield connected on a three in the closing seconds to take a three-point lead, and Brattleboro’s final inbound attempt was disrupted as time expired, sealing a 75–72 overtime decision.

The quartet of Kaden Cole, Hudson Smith, Dawson Wheeler, and Logan Waite led the way for the Bears, scoring 22, 18, 13, and 13 points respectively. Waite flirted with a triple-double, chipping in seven rebounds and seven assists to go along with his scoring output.

In the end, the result may feel like a missed opportunity, but it also proved to be a statement game for the Bears. After a slow start and falling behind by as many as 14 in the opening quarter, Brattleboro didn’t just fight back — they erased the deficit, took the lead multiple times, and proved they have the resilience and composure to win games like this. While the final shot didn’t fall their way, the performance spoke volumes about a team that refuses to quit and is learning how to close in high-pressure moments.

The Bears return to action on Monday, January 26, traveling to Bennington for a road matchup with the Mount Anthony Patriots.

Featured photo courtesy of Winston Sailsman