Unlike most teams, the Bruins didn’t spend a lot of time talking about winning a championship this season, instead they focused on trying to play perfect basketball.

But when all was said and done Feb. 20 at the East Lawrence Center, the Bruins had achieved both – capping an undefeated league winning season with a 51-42 victory over the Horned Frogs in the sixth and seventh-grade Hoopster championship game.

“We kind of downplayed the chance at the championship all year long, but we talked to the kids about being perfect,” said Bruins coach Steve Walter. “Still, I couldn’t be happier with their efforts and we had such a great time.”

The Horned Frogs were able to play side-by-side with the Bruins for a while, but a lack of rebounding and missed shots started to hurt the Frogs in the second quarter.

“We needed to work on crashing the boards and playing a better defense,” said Horned Frogs point guard Austin Hoag of his squad, which lost just three games this year.

The Horned Frogs took the lead off the tip when Matt Wade took advantage drove for a score. Pint-sized Jake Vinoverski hit a jumper to disrupt the Bruins’ early press.

Troy Willoughby, center, leads the Bruin battle for the rebound against the Horned Frogs. Willoughby was all over the court for his team, which won 51-42.

But the Bruins quickly came back with a bucket each from Aaron Groene, Troy Willoughby and Anthony Buffalomeat.

By the end of the quarter the Bruins had grabbed a 9-7 lead.

“They tried to put a press on us but the kids did a good job,” Walter said. “We had a lot of fast breaks.”

The Horned Frogs continued to pressure the Bruins into the second. Vinoverski broke through for another basket, and Wade and Brett Frantz hit in a free-throw shot apiece.

But the Bruins stormed back with eight baskets to take a big advantage into the break. Buffalomeat, along with his teammates Groene, Willoughby and Austin Flory, scored all 16 points in the quarter.

The Horned Frogs came out after halftime with a renewed intensity.

Horned Frog Jake Vinoverski works around two Bruin defenders Feb. 20 in the championship game of the Hoopster sixth- and seventh-grade league.

“I was a little worried at the beginning of the second half that the Horned Frogs would come back and beat us, but they didn’t,” said Bruins shooting guard Nicole Humphrey.

Walter also said he was concerned with his team’s energy at the start of the third quarter.

“Throughout the third quarter our team seemed pretty ragged, but every time I would look up at the scoreboard we still had the lead,” he said.

Part of the reason was that Willoughby and Buffalomeat were able to convert a couple of layups, while Humphrey sunk a free throw.

Though refocused after halftime, the Horned Frogs failed to capture many rebounds that might have made the difference in their comeback. Wade did hit his mark with three baskets and a free throw, while Hoag sunk another jumper. But their efforts could not make up for the early deficit as the Horned Frogs trailed 38-26 after three quarters.

The Horned Frogs tried to utilize every second of the last quarter to try and steal the title. Wade scored a couple of times to go with two three-pointers that cut the deficit to six with less than a minute left.

But baskets from Humphrey, Flory and Willoughby locked up the title for the Bruins.