By Jim Fenton, The Enterprise (Brockton)

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- He was part of a special basketball team during the 2008-09 season as a senior at Brockton High School. Shawn Yard was a key contributor to a squad that went 20-0 during the regular season before losing in overtime to Lynn English, 90-83, at the TD Garden.

Two years later, Yard is a sophomore starting on a Bridgewater State University team that has done something special this winter.

The Bears won their third straight Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship to earn a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Div. 3 tourney.

Yard will be making his 22nd straight start on Friday night at 7:30 when the Bears take on host Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the opening round of the national tourney.

“Being undefeated and No. 1 in the state meant a lot,” said Yard of his days at Brockton High. “Now we’re talking about the (national tournament), so hopefully we can keep it going.”

Yard has played a role for the Bears, filling a spot in the lineup created by the graduation of reliable two-year starter Matt McLaughlin. He sprained an ankle in the days leading up to the season opener and came off the bench for the first seven games, but has been the starter since the Dec. 29 game against Wesley College. Yard is averaging 6.6 points and 3.5 assists in 22 minutes and is second on the team with 53 steals after appearing in only six games as a freshman.

“Quite honestly, his development was very crucial to our team in terms of playing the point,” said Bears coach Joe Farroba. “The last two years, I had the John Stockton of Div. 3 basketball in Matt McLaughlin, the most valuable player of last year’s (MASCAC) championship game. He was a great decision maker, a good motivator at practice, a real good leader.

“Shawn has really come on. He’s a solid defender. His assists- to-turnover ratio is very good (first in the conference).

He’s made some good plays.”

Yard spent the summer hitting the gym every day and working out with his father, knowing the chance to be a starter was there.

“I wanted to be the starting point guard,” said Yard. “That was my aspiration. I worked hard in the offseason to make it happen. I tried to get better every day.

“I think I’ve grown to be a little bit smarter. I take care of the ball more. I make good decisions for my teammates. I have a lot of weapons on this team. As long as I can get them the ball where they can do really well with it, that’s all I really need to do.”

Yard will get his first taste of playing in the postseason this week since being on that special Brockton High team two years ago, and the Bears have confidence in what he can do.

“He really stepped up,” said forward Nicholas Motta, BSU’s top scorer. “Coach gave him the keys and it took him a little while to get used to it, but he came around and had a lot of big games for us.”