The weekend consisted of many close games that came down to the end. The average margin of victory was 10 points. Five of the eleven games were decided by 5 points or less, all coming down to the last minute, including one buzzer beater winner. Here are the results for the whole weekend.
2014 Results
Cathedral - 62 St. Peter Marian - 42
Cathedral’s pressing defense and intensity proved to be too much for the sharp shooting St. Peter Marian team. St. Peter Marian got off to a good start with TJ Darton hitting two quick threes, which contributed to his 8 first half points. However, Cathedral led by guards Tyshan Fearing and Freshman Richard Foster as well as big man Anthony Reynolds proved too much to handle. Fearing, Foster, and guard Brian Collamore were very active in a tough zone press. A 16 point lead by Cathedral at half was too much to overcome as they went on to win 62-42 over St. Peter. Darton led St. Peter Marian with 20 points, while Fearing and Foster combined to score 33 points. Anthony Reynolds scored 18 points, with great post moves, along with 9 boards.
Putnam - 63 Fitchburg - 44
Fitchburg gave two time defending Division one champion Putnam a good game and really solid early season test. Fitchburg settled into a zone which slowed down the very active Putnam offense which led to an early Fitchburg lead 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. Putnam’s strong defense, athleticism, and ability to attack the rim proved to be too much to handle later in the game. Putnam showed its late game experience as they were able to close out the game and dominate the final minutes expanding their lead to 19 as they were able to win 63-44. Anthony Salome had a strong performance for Fitchburg scoring 17 points including three 3 pointers. Ty Nichols led Putnam with 18 points as well as four rebounds. Ki-Shawn Monroe was a great facilitator dealing eight assists.
South hadley - 64 Granby - 61
Cam Earle did it all for South Hadley as they are able to come from behind and defeat Granby for a 64-61 victory. Earle scored 28 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to help lead his team to the win. Granby was up 10 at halftime behind strong efforts from Zach Gorham who scored 16 points and had 9 rebounds along with his teammate Jesse Molin who scored 23 points on a perfect day at the free throw line shooting 10-10 and a huge 3 point buzzer beater to end the third quarter, putting Granby up 45-38. However, South Hadley was able to rally behind its enthusiastic fan section and big plays from Griffin Fitzell and Nate Zayas down the stretch to come from behind and win 64-61. The fan support and crowd emotion were definitely a huge factor in this one.
- Hopkins - 55 Smith - 50
Hopkins was able to edge out Smith in a close game that ended in clutch free throw shooting down the line from Hopkins who won 55-50. This game was constantly going back and forth due to sharpshooting from Smith, and a tough interior game with good passing from Hopkins. Smith was led by the shooting of Christian Smiarowski who finished with 17 points and David Lonstreeth who contributed 16 points and five rebounds. The teammates combined for six three pointers. However, it was the strong post and midrange game of Zach Kelley, who finished with 14 points and nine boards, and Sami Roe who scored 17 points through a variety of crafty moves to the hoop. Brett Morrison also shot well from the line for Hopkins down the stretch to help seal the victory.
Amherst-Pelham - 42 Frontier - 24
Amherst jumped out to an early 10-2 lead at the end of the first quarter led behind scoring from Antriese Suarez. Frontier was getting open looks but the ball simply would not go in the hoop. Camilla Baronas began to heat up and contributed six of Frontier’s 11 points in the first half. Hannah Richardson played strong defense to help Amherst keep the lead. Consecutive three pointers by Amherst players Jamie Staples and Jada Glasgow to open the half provided momentum and a 22-11 lead. Frontier was never able to recover as Amherst’s offense reached full capacity in the second half. Amherst won 42-24 behind strong performances behind Staples who ended with 13 points, Glasgow who had 23 points, and Antriese Suarez who dominated the glass with 10 rebounds. Frontier was led by Baronas and Sarah Meunier who had a solid game.
Amherst-Pelham - 68 Northampton - 52
Both crowds for Northampton and Amherst were very large and supportive which created an electric atmosphere. Amherst’s crowd elected to do a “white out” where all members of the fan section wore all white clothing, and Northampton’s crowd sported an “Army out” as each fan member wore camo. Amherst jumped out to an early lead behind a fierce two hand slam by Devonte McCall in the second quarter to go into halftime beating Northampton 28-21. Northampton’s offense was paced by point guard Aidan Hirsch who was knocking down three pointers from NBA range. Patrick Grygorewicz was able to hit a key and-1 to help the Northampton squad come back in the third quarter which ended with a score of 44-41 with Amherst still on top. However, Amherst’s high octane offense proved to be too much in the end as they won 68-52. Amherst was led by McCall who ended with 12 points and 11 boards as well as Meikkle Murray who had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Northampton had strong performances from Hirsch who had a game high 30 points and Michael Castillo who had 4 three pointers.
Renaissance - 69 Hampshire - 67
Heroics from Juan Rivera Jr. led Renaissance to a come from behind 69-67 victory over Hampshire. Rivera tossed up a prayer three pointer as time expired and the ball banked off the glass for a game winner. He did it all towards the end, hitting clutch free throws and getting three key steals down the stretch, as he ended with 21 points. Tawana Caldwell also had a strong game for Renaissance contributing 13 points and five steals through tough hard-nosed defense. Hampshire looked destined to win leading 49-38 at the end of the third quarter. However, Renaissance entered into a tough man to man press that allowed them to stage a comeback. Hampshire had strong performances from Brendan Bzdel who had 27 points and Conor Cronin who had a dominant 19 points and 18 rebounds as a big man.
Pittsfield - 52 SPringfield Central - 43
Pittsfield’s tough defense proved too much to handle for the athleticism and sharp shooting of Central. Pittsfield took an early lead in the first quarter going up 12-6 and did not look back. Central fought tough which led to many lead changes behinds the efforts of Mulon Harrison who scored 13 points including three 3 pointers and Aaron Williams who had 7 points and 10 boards. Pittsfield’s aggressive defense led to 14 total steals and jump balls. The leaders for Pittsfield included Chad Shade with 10 points, six rebounds, and a vicious block he pinned against the backboard. Jerry McDonough also contributed 11 points in a very balanced offense for Pittsfield.
Quabbin - 50 Taconic - 46
Quabbin and Taconic battled close all game with Quabbin holding a slight lead throughout. Quabbin iced the game with two free throws after Taconic committed a crucial turnover with five seconds left. Junior forward Marco Gabrielli led the way for Quabbin with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Senior leader Reilly Balcom scored 16 points to keep Taconic in the game. Unfortunately, both teams were in foul trouble for most of the game with two Taconic players fouling out. The game went down to the wire with Quabbin edging out Taconic for its first win of the season.
Minnechaug - 48 West Springfield - 44
The Minnechaug Falcons defeated the West Springfield Terriers 48-44. Minnechaug led for almost the entire game. They let West Springfield comeback in the final two minutes to make it a two point game, but in the end Minnechaug held on for the victory. Senior forward Shaun Crowe led the way for the Falcons scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 boards. Temitope Bailey was key for West Springfield as he scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. Missed shots from point-blank range were a problem for West Springfield in their loss.
Mahar - 43 Belchertown - 35
Belchertown started the game with a very balanced attack and good passing, with six of their first eight field goals coming off of assists. Mahar hit two three pointers off of very friendly bounces high off the rim and in during the first quarter which helped contribute to their 22-18 lead at the half. Mahar was able to keep the lead and come away with a 43-35 victory. Belchertown was led by Corey Henson who had ten points, four assists, and four rebounds. Nick Slattery had a great game for Mahar as he scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds just missing a double-double. Gabe O’Lari provided hustle and toughness for Mahar with three steals.