12/13/2016

Boys Basketball: 2016-17 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

Mansfield boys basketball — (Tom Madigan/Photo).

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2016-2017 Kelley-Rex Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2015-2016 Record: 7-15
2015-2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Houle

After missing out on the playoffs a year ago, Attleboro will be relying on its senior leadership to try and earn a trip to the state tournament.

Captains Jake Dunkley and Andrew Milliken will help anchor the team along with classmates Lucas Boucicaut, Berlyns Abraham and Robby Peirce. Dunkley was the second leading scorer in the league last year with 18 points per game while Milliken is another top scoring option for the Bombardiers.

Boucicaut and junior Nate Douglas will pair up in the backcourt while freshman Bryant Ciccio will likely see plenty of minutes after his performance on opening night on Friday. Abraham provides length and athleticism down low and can make life difficult in the post for opponents.

“We need to defend and rebound to create transition opportunities and execute with a focus on details,” Attleboro head coach Mark Houle said. “Our strength will be our senior leadership.”

Franklin

2015-2016 Record: 19-5
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D1 Central Final
Coach: CJ Neely

There is no rebuilding when it comes to Franklin, just reloading. Despite graduating a handful of talent, including the Hockomock League MVP Tim Prunier and a couple other strong players, the Panthers are still in a spot to challenge for the Kelley-Rex title.

Two big reasons for that are juniors Paul Mahon and Connor Peterson. Both players started last year and were important pieces as the Panthers claimed a division title. With at least year of experience for both, look for both to be key players this season. Mahon has developed as a shooter to compliment his strong defensive game while Peterson continues to be one of the top big men in the league,.

The Panthers will look to move the ball as much as possible on offense and hope to have a balanced scoring attack so defenses can’t focus in on just a player or two. Franklin has been on the better teams defensively in recent history and will look to continue that trend for the 2016-2017 season.

“We are very excited about this group of guys,” Franklin head coach CJ Neely said. “Having a good balance of talent has made our practice games very competitive, everyone has really been pushing each other hard. Each year our goal remains the same, we will focus on day to day improvement and let the results take care of themselves.

“We want to be defined as a hardworking group that plays aggressively and shares the ball offensively. I think if we can stay committed to trusting each other and consistently competing on both ends of the floor we can have a good year.”

King Philip

2015-2016 Record: 5-15
2015-2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Champagne

The Warriors are returning a strong group of players from last year’s squad with one noticeable addition — new head coach Mark Champagne.

Champagne will have a group of experienced players to work with this season. Tom Madden, Noah Goodwin, Kyle Layman, Will Weir, Seth Sullivan, Pharaoh Davis and Justin Vine all saw either starting minutes or valuable time off the bench a season ago. Matt Lehoullier and Noah Bradley will also factor int this season to provide the Warriors with depth.

Goodwin and Weir have the most experience and will captain the team along with Sullivan. Madden impressed last year as did Layman during his rookie campaign. Between Goodwin, Weir, Madden and Layman, King Philip will have plenty of size to use down low. Davis and Sullivan are both strong with the ball while Vine provides KP with a shooting threat.

“We are very excited as a coaching staff to compete in the Hockomock League,” Champagne said. “We are fortunate to have a hard working group of players who are hungry for success.”

Mansfield

2015-2016 Record: 20-5
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Semifinal
Coach: Mike Vaughan

Even though Mansfield won the Kelley-Rex division a year ago, the Hornets still might be bringing back the most talent in the league this year. After only graduating three seniors, Mike Vaughan has nearly all of his weapons at his disposal again this year.

HockomockSports.com First Team selection Sam Goldberg (11.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG) leads a strong group back that includes Christian Weber, Matt Ehrlich, Max Boen, Phil Vigeant, Tyler Boulter and Evan Christo. Expect the likes of John McCoy, Sam Hyland and Kristian Conner to also factor in for the Hornets.

It doesn’t matter who it is listed above, almost all of them are capable of being “the guy” on any given night, which makes Mansfield incredibly hard to defend. Weber, Ehrlich, Vigeant, Boen and Boulter are all strong from beyond the arc but also have no problem making the extra pass to find a better shot.

“We’re looking forward to a fun season with seven seniors and a great group of underclassmen, we should have plenty of depth to stay competitive,” Vaughan said. “The league looks loaded again with talent so we shouldn’t have any nights off.”

Oliver Ames

2015-2016 Record: 11-11
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D2 South First Round
Coach: Don Byron

The Tigers will face a steep challenge because of the switch to the Kelley-Rex division but bringing back a strong core of players will be a big help.

Seniors Carter Evin, Dylan Mahoney, Nick Welch and Mike Graziano are all back as are juniors Matt Muir and Jack Spillane. All six players saw time last year, including some who started all season long.

Between the returning players, the Tigers will be able to score from multiple positions. Evin, a HockomockSports.com Second Team selection, led the Tigers in scoring with 13.4 points per game – and did so in a variety of ways. Mahoney is able to shoot or attack the hoop while both Welchn and Graziano showed the ability to get hot from deep.

“We have a number of players back who played quite a bit last year and showed marked improvement during the course of the season,” Oliver Ames head coach Don Byron said. “We’ll be leaning on them as we develop depth from a number of kids who played jv last year. Our schedule will be a challenge as we make the move to the Kelly-Rex division of the league and our non-league schedule won’t provide any breaks either.”

taunton

2015-2016 Record: 16-7
2015-2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Charlie Dacey

While there will be some changes for Taunton this year, there will also be some similarities to last year. The Tigers will aim to use their speed and athleticism to their advantage and try to make up for their lack of size and experience.

The youthful Tigers will by led by the very experienced Tommy MacLean, who has played varsity minutes since his freshman year. Junior Tyler Medeiros is back after suffering an injury early last year while junior Lens Esquil also got some minutes a year ago.

Junior Malik Charles, sophomores John Martin and Luis Vendrell and freshmen Dante Law and Naz Kenan are all likely to factor in for Taunton this season. Another positive early on for Taunton is shooting, boasting a handful of players that can consistently knock down shots from deep.

“Our immediate strengths are speed and shooting,” Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey said. “Hopefully, our speed can counter our youth and allow us to play an uptempo game.”

03/30/2016

HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Awards – 2016

Click here for the 2016 HockomockSports.com Boys Basketball Awards.

03/25/2016

The 2016 Hockomock Boys Basketball All Stars & HMs

Below are the official Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.

Hockomock League MVP

Tim Prunier, Franklin

Honorable Mentions

Kyle Murphy, Attleboro
Devin Foster, Canton
Jonathan Carnino, Foxboro
Kevin Gill, Franklin
Will Weir, King Philip
Max Boen, Mansfield
Dwight Anderson, Milford
Jonny Friberg, North Attleboro
Tim Kelley, Oliver Ames
Ricardo Ripley, Sharon
Cameron Andrews, Stoughton
Quan Roberson, Taunton

03/04/2016

Strong Second Half Helps Mansfield Knock Out Boxers

MANSFIELD, Mass. – One by one, each Mansfield starter made a contribution to keep the Hornets in the game offensively.
And together as a unit, the Hornets locked down on the defensive side in the second half.
In the end was a 64-60 win for the 4th seeded Hornets over the #5 seed Brockton Boxers.
“We came out of the locker room and said we were going to win it on defense,” Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan said. “I knew our offense would kind of take care of itself, we’d find a way to get some junk baskets or get a layup here or there or someone would knock down a three but it really came down to us getting defensive stops. I thought in the first half we didn’t get and I was happy to go into the locker room down four. I told them we could have been down 15 and if we gave up 72 or more points in that game we were going to lose. I think the guys heard the message loud and clear.”
Trailing 36-32 to start the second, Mansfield’s focus on getting stops paid off, allowing the Boxers to score just six points in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the offense roared to life with 16 points to take a lead into the final quarter.
Mansfield shot just 23% from three point range on 13 attempts in the first half but opened the second half with a set play that resulted in a three from Christian Weber (13 points) from straightaway. The Hornets got stops on four the next five trips up the floor from Brockton and took the lead with 5:34 to play on a layup from Weber. With the game tied 40-40, the Hornets ventured on an 8-2 run over the next 4:40 to secure the lead for good.
Weber drained another three off a pass from Max Boen (team-high 14 points) and then Boen drained a three of his own – while getting fouled – to put the Hornets up 46-40. Phil Vigeant added a bucket in the paint before Brockton was finally able to break the run with a bucket from Jonathan Duvivier (34 points) in the final seconds of the third quarter.
The Boxers pulled within three to start the final frame but another trey from Boen and an up and under take from Weber – plus the harm – pushed the lead back to eight with 6:28 to play. Boen then drove down the lane for a layup to give the Hornets a 57-46 lead with 4:10 to play. In the first 12 minutes of the second half, Mansfield limited Brockton to just 10 points.
“Christian did a great job on Jonathan [Duvivier] in the second half,” Vaughan said. “In the first half we got everything comfortably, in the second half he really had to work and grind to get that. I think the third quarter was ultimately what put us in the driver’s seat.
“He’s kind of been a silent assassin [on offense],” Vaughan added about Weber, who scored all of his 13 points in the second half. “He’s stepping up and doing a lot of good things. He’s really quiet but he’s doing a lot of good things. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t think he was one of our top defenders but now I’ve given him the assignment of the other team’s best players every night. He’s deceptively quick and he’s got a good IQ for the game. He’s done a great job in the second half of the year.”
Brockton made a final push over the next two minutes – aided by an extended press – getting within five points at 57-52 with three minutes to play. But off an inbounds from the baseline, Boen found Weber in the corner for a three to make it 60-52 with just over two minutes to go.
The Boxers had two chances in a six point game but both Boen and Evan Christo stepped in and took charges on consecutive series to force turnovers. Sam Goldberg and Phil Vigeant combined for four free throws down the stretch to seal the game.
“I don’t think [Brockton] did much different than we expected,” Vaughan said. Brockton beat the Hornets in overtime during the regular season. “I thought we played really flat [early], everything was a step slow. At times they were pressing rebounds with three guys and we weren’t outletting in transition. Our staple is kind of lets get the ball and get over half court as quickly as possible and take what the defense gives us. If there are three guys in the backcourt then the defense is giving us layups and we didn’t take that. I think in the third quarter when we made that adjustment – first we had to rebound – and we did that and got out in transition a couple of times. Once we got that I thought it made a big difference.”
Brockton’s best offensive quarter was the opening frame, dropping 22 points while shooting 50% from the floor. Senior Nick Baskin poured in nine of his 11 points in the first quarter to help the Hornets stay within striking distance, trailing 22-14 after one.
The Boxers scored 14 points in the second quarter but junior Matt Ehrlich stepped up offensively to once again keep Mansfield in the game. Ehrlich was 4/7 in the quarter, including a three midway through and scored all nine of his points in the quarter.
Goldberg, who had 11 points and 10 rebounds, scored in every quarter. Mansfield’s starters combined for 58 of the team’s 64 points.
“That’s great balance,” Vaughan said. “I think that’s what makes us dangerous, the ability in any given quarter. Nick kept us in the game early then Matt kind of got doing in the second. Then Christian had the big third, Sam kind of chipped away in each quarter. That’s really the type of team I think we are. And Max hit the big three when we needed a big basket when they cut it close.”
Mansfield (20-4) advances to the D1 South Semifinals for the fourth straight year. For the third year in a row, the Hornets will face off against Catholic Memorial. In 2014, the Knights beat Mansfield in triple overtime in the sectional semifinal while in 2015 beat the Hornets in the sectional final.
Mansfield boys basketball and Catholic Memorial are set to face off the D1 South Semifinals at Newton South with a date and time still to be determined.
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

03/02/2016

Second Quarter Run Advances Hornets to Quarterfinals

By Josh Schafer, HockomockSports.com Student Reporter
MANSFIELD, Mass — New Bedford dominated play early and had the 4th seeded Hornets on upset alert with a seven-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Luckily for the Hornets, the next 24 minutes proved to tell the true story of the game.
Mansfield turned a double-digit first half deficit into a 20 point win, taking a 75-51 decision over New Bedford.
The first quarter started rough for Mansfield as New Bedford’s Dejay Burgo (23 points) started on a hot streak. Burgo shot a perfect 4-4 from the field to start the game, compiling 11 points in the game’s first eight minutes. The Hornets scrambled to keep pace with the impressive shooting from New Bedford but found themselves trailing at the end of the first quarter.
With their deficit reaching as many as 11 points, Mansfield battled back to enter halftime with a 10 point lead. The Hornets 26-5 run began with back to back three pointers from Matt Ehrlich, who went on to score 12 points in the second frame. Following his big shots, Ehrlich continued to capitalize on opportunities finishing two three-point plays to give Mansfield their first lead of the night.
“I thought defensively, even though we gave up the big quarter point wise, the shots they were hitting were tough shots,” Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan said.
Following a first quarter in which New Bedford seemed to dictate the game with their superb offensive play, Mansfield’s defense took a stand. Led by Sam Goldberg (10 points, 10 rebounds) the Hornets managed to gain control of the boards and in turn gain control of the game. Goldberg and company turned defense into offense as rebounds quickly turned to odd man opportunities. A fast break layup from Goldberg and a Tyler Boulter three-pointer to beat the buzzer carried the Hornets momentum into the halftime break.
“He’s a warrior right now,” Vaughan said of Goldberg and his ability to lead the Hornets with aggressive play in the paint. “You can’t say enough good things about what he’s doing right now and what he’s bringing to the table. I challenged him heading into the second quarter and he definitely answered the calling.”
New Bedford brought the game within seven points to start the second half but the Mansfield offense proved to be too much for the Whalers to handle. The Hornets consistently drove down the lane finding many high percentage shot opportunities as the game carried on.
Led by Christian Weber (12 points, five assists) and Phil Vigeant (eight points, five assists), the Hornets finished the third quarter on a 15-3 run and never looked back. Swift passing and sharpshooting carried the Hornets down the stretch as they cruised to a 75-51 win in their first round matchup.
Next up for the Hornets is a rematch with the 12th seeded Brockton Boxers on Friday night at 6:30. Mansfield will look to avenge an overtime loss to the Boxers from earlier in the season.
“I thought the first time we played them we played well,” Vaughan said. “We are gonna have to be great on Friday night and do a lot of good things. We will make it a game for sure.”

03/02/2016

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 03/02/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
D1 South
#4 Mansfield, 75 vs. #13 New Bedford, 51 – Final – Sam Goldberg scored a game-high 16 points and hauled in 11 rebounds as Mansfield battled back from a first quarter deficit. Matt Ehrlich added 13 points, including 12 in the vital second quarter rally. Christian Weber added 12 points and Nick Baskin chipped in with 10 points.

#7 Taunton, 83 vs. #10 Plymouth South, 54 – Final – Jose Mercado scored 28 points in just three quarters of play because of foul trouble to lead the Tigers. Along with Mercado’s 28 points, junior Quan Roberson had a double-double with 16 points and was a big factor on the boards with 10 rebounds. Carlos Borrero and Tommy MacLean each had 10 points while they combined for 13 assists. Brevan Walker and Lens Esquil combined for 15 points off the bench.
D2 South
#3 Foxboro, 68 vs. #14 Nauset, 53 – Final – Foxboro grabbed a lead after the first quarter, grew it by halftime and stretched it to as much as 20 points in the second half. Senior Jason Procaccini scored a team-high 15 points while classmates Rob Lowey added 15 points and Jonathan Carnino had 11 points.

#15 Sharon, 52 @ #2 Whitman-Hanson, 54 – Final – Sharon used a full court press to come back from a double-digit first half deficit and take its first lead, 50-49, with 2:25 to play. The Eagles were unable to take the lead in a tie game and the Panthers sank two free throws with 0.2 seconds left to get the win. Mitchell Sirota led Sharon with career-high 17 points and Tyler Smith added 11 points.

#16 Oliver Ames, 63 @ #1 Bishop Feehan, 68 – Final
Hockey
D1 South
#4 Franklin, 2 vs. #13 Wellesley, 1 – Final
#9 King Philip, 1 vs. #8 Newton North, 3 – Final
D2 South
#3 Canton, 10 vs. #14 Sandwich, 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Division 2
#24 Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 3 @ #9 Notre Dame, 11 – Final
#26 King Philip, 0 @ #7 Plymouth, 4 – Final

02/23/2016

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/24/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 75 vs. Durfee, 67 – Final – Junior Jake Dunkley scored a game-high 19 points and pulled in nine rebounds, junior Andrew Milliken added 16 points, sophomore Nate Douglas chipped in with 12 points, senior Brent Cook had 10 points and six rebounds, junior Berlyns Abraham scored 10 points and finished with seven rebounds and senior Kyle Murphy had five points and 12 rebounds.
Franklin, 70 @ South High, 41 – Final

Mansfield, 58 vs. BC High, 44 – Final – Mansfield raced out to a 15-4 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Matt Ehrlich had a team-high 16 points, Max Boen scored 13 points and Sam Goldberg had nine points and nine rebounds.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 55 @ Durfee, 38 – Final – Sarah Deyo led all scorers with 16 points for the Bombardiers, while Emily Houle added 13 and with a first quarter layup became the fifth Attleboro girls’ basketball player (and first since 1999) to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The Bombardiers closed with a 22-7 run after Durfee cut the lead to just two at 33-31 in the third quarter.

Foxboro, 53 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 41 – Final – Ashley Sampson led the way with 12 points while Kristen Bortolotti added 11 points for the Warriors.

King Philip @ Lowell, 7:00
Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ Winthrop, 4 – Final
North Attleboro, 4 @ Wayland, 0 – Final
King Philip, 3 @ Bridgwater-Raynham, 5 – Final
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 3 vs. Norwell, 2 – Final

02/18/2016

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Mansfield, 75 vs. Cohasset, 52 – Final – Junior Matt Ehrlich connected on six three pointers en route to a career-high 30 points. The Hornets tied a program record with 15 three point field goals. Sophomore Tyler Boulter added 15 points and Max Boen had 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 69 vs. Brockton, 42 – Final – Kaitlyn McCarthy led all scorers with 21 points and was named MVP of the Norwell Invitational tournament. Junior Niyera Mitchell had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Francesca Calabraro scored 12 points and was named to the all-tournament team.
Mansfield, 50 vs. Dartmouth, 32 – Final – Mansfield held a 20 point lead at halftime and cruised to win the Roundball Classic. Julianna Newell was named the tournament’s MVP while Caroline Maher – who broke the program record with her 134 career three pointers – was named a tournament all star.
Milford, 52 @ Taconic, 33 – Final – Kate Irwin led the Scarlet Hawks with 13 points and Nicole Dahlgren added 12 points in the win.
Stoughton, 54 vs. Whitman-Hanson, 56 – Final
Hockey
Taunton, 4 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final – Taunton scored three goals in the second period to take the lead in the game that was restarted with Attleboro ahead 2-1. The Bombardiers scored four times in the third to pull out the win. P.J. Elliott and Sam Larkin each scored two goals and had two assists for Attleboro, which also got goals from Jake Parker and Mitchell Caruso. Taunton goals were scored by Kyle Smith, Nick Terry, Tyler Pietrzyk, and Dylan Nichols.
Canton, 2 vs. Medfield, 3 – Final (SO) – The game counts as a tie for MIAA purposes. Jim Jenkins opened the scoring in the first period and Jackson Maffeo made it 2-0 in the second, both assisted by Shaun Kirby. Medfield scored two goals in the second to tie it and the game stayed tied through the third period and two overtimes. The Warriors won 2-1 in the shootout to claim the Joe Quinn Tournament title. Justin Slocum made 30 saves in the loss.
Franklin, 2 vs. Marshfield, 3 – Final (OT) – The game counts as a tie for MIAA purposes.
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 4 vs. Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 2 – Final – Franklin scored four goals in the third period to rally for a win.

02/16/2016

Hornets Celebrate Senior Night With Pair of Wins

MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Mansfield boys’ and girls’ basketball teams both celebrated senior nights with victories on Monday night in the Albertini Gym and both advanced to the finals of the 2016 Round Ball Classic. The boys pulled away in the second half to roll past Weymouth 69-42, while the girls used a strong finish to get past Walpole 51-39.

Although Weymouth came into the game with just one win on the season, Mansfield could expect to be challenged, as the Wildcats are led by former Franklin coach Dean O’Connor and even just one year in have already taken on some of his trademark intensity.

“You can already see Dean’s effect in terms of his kids’ knowledge of where they need be and the challenges they presented on their defensive end,” said Mansfield coach Mike Vaughan. “There were a lot of possessions we didn’t look real comfortable.”

He added, “The biggest difference is that we have guys who can score they don’t.”

The Hornets mixed and matched the lineup with junior Sam Goldberg sidelined with injury and with Vaughan making sure that his seniors got plenty of time on the court. Kyle Swansburg scored five of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter and junior Christian Weber scored six, all on drives to the basket.

“When he’s going to the hoop and Matt [Ehrlich] complements him going to the hoop and we can score inside out then I think it makes a big difference,” said Vaughan about Weber’s contributions.

Weymouth shocked the Hornets by hanging around through the first quarter. The Wildcats scored 15 points, led by Adrian Quinn’s five. The problem for Weymouth was trying to keep that output going over four quarters.

Mansfield scored another 16 points in the second with Phil Vigeant scoring five points including a put back on a missed free throw that extended the lead to 22-17. Matt Ehrlich added five in the quarter as well, three on a layup plus the foul and another bucket that pushed the Hornets lead to its largest of the first half, 11.

Weymouth scored the final four points of the half to stay within single digits at the break, but Mansfield broke the game wide open in the third. Leading 37-31, the Hornets went on a 13-2 run to close out the quarter and build a comfortable edge heading to the fourth.

Ehrlich (eight points) started the run with a layup and a free throw then Swansburg scored over Weymouth’s 6-foot-9 center Julian Mincey and hit a pair from the line. Evan Christo scored to make it 46-31 and Tyler Boulter scored on an offensive rebound. After a Weymouth hoop, Vigeant (seven points) scored again to close the quarter.

Vaughan said, “Overall I was happy with the ball movement and sharing the basketball and trying to work to get the best available shot as a team and not just necessarily an individual.”

If there was any thought that the Wildcats may be able to make it a game in the fourth quarter, Mansfield ended those fears early. Boulter buried a three-pointer, followed by another shot from deep by Max Boen and then Boulter took the ball strong to the rim. After Swansburg hit a pair of free throws to make it 61-41, Mansfield emptied its bench to give debuts to younger players.

Mansfield will face Cohasset in the Round Ball Classic final on Thursday and Vaughan said that the team still has plenty to work on as it looks ahead to the tournament.

“We just keep talking about continuing to get better, to be solid as a group, and just get better each day and each game,” said Vaughan. “We want to be playing our best starting next week and we’re playing really good basketball right now, so I like where we’re at.”

Mansfield 51, Walpole 39

The final score made it seem a comfortable win, but with just fewer than three minutes remaining in the game, Kelly Fogarty’s fifth three-pointer of the game had brought Walpole back within two at 41-39.

Momentum was with the visitors but the Hornets regrouped and closed the game with 10-0 run that started with Meg Hill being left open on an inbound play under the basket for her first points of the night. Then in transition Jen Peel added her sixth assist of the night to Juliana Newell (10 points) for an easy layup and the lead was quickly back to six points.

Hill had been quiet for most of the game but she pulled down a big defensive rebound and scored in the paint to build the lead to 47-39. Peel and Anna Chiarolanza each made two from the line to seal the victory.

“We showed a little character,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “We kind of held off the charge, kind of took back control, had a few good possessions to get some separation to put the game away.”

Despite starting with an unusual lineup thanks to senior night, the Hornets jumped in front early. Mansfield outscored the Rebels 16-6 in the first quarter, led by Caroline Maher’s five points. The lead grew to 11 by halftime with Peel (six points) adding four in the second and Jackie Carchedi and Jen Kemp each knocking down jumpers.

But Walpole dominated the third quarter and came all the way back to tie the game. Newell scored four of her 10 in the quarter but Fogarty nailed two threes, Melanie Weber collected an offensive rebound and scored, Emma Flynn banked home a three and Courtney Brigham scored in the paint to even things up at 31-31.

“You know, up 11 at the half and we played a lot of people and then we just fell asleep at halftime and they definitely came to play,” said Redding. “They came in needing to win two out of three to get into the tournament and they definitely played like it in the second half and Fogarty heated up.”

Mansfield scored the final four of the third to get the lead back and in the fourth quarter turned to Maher to hold off the Walpole charge. The senior guard scored six in the fourth, including a banked floater on an offensive rebound and a layup on the break.

“She wants to make shots in the end,” said Redding of Maher. She’s played for four years, Jackie has played for three, Jen is in her third year, the guard position is loaded with experience and in close games you need people who are going to put it on the floor, get it to our bigs, get to the free throw line and make free throws.”

In the end, Mansfield had enough to get the win and stay within touching distance of one of the high seeds in the upcoming Div. 1 South tournament. The Hornets will face Dartmouth on Thursday in the Round Ball Classic before taking on Attleboro on Monday to decide the winner of the Kelley-Rex division.

Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.

02/15/2016

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/15/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 45 @ Dartmouth, 58 – Final – Berlyns Abraham led the Bombardiers with 12 points and five boards while Lucas Boucicaut added 11 points and Jake Dunkley chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds.
Foxboro, 53 vs. Marlborough, 54 – Final – Marlboro converted two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play to take the lead and the win. Senior Alex DuBrow finished with a team-high 18 points while classmate Jason Procaccini added 15 points for the Warriors.
Franklin, 74 vs. Brighton, 83 – Final – Tim Prunier scored a team-high 22 points and was named to the Comcast/Arbella All Tournament team. Paul Mahon added 15 points, Connor Goldstein scored 13 points and Kevin Gill finished with 11 points.
Mansfield, 69 vs. Weymouth, 42 – Final – Mansfield was led by senior Kyle Swansburg, who scored 14 points. Tyler Boulter added 12 points and Matt Ehrlich had eight for the Hornets, who broke the game open with a 13-2 run to close out the third quarter. The Hornets, who had 13 players score on Monday, will face Cohasset in the Round Ball Classic final on Thursday.
Milford, 54 vs. Lexington, 40 – Final – A strong second half helped Milford turn a one point lead at halftime into a double-digit win. Dwight Anderson notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore Kayden Kelley scored 10 points and hauled in 16 rebounds for a double-double as well. Zach Tamagni chipped in with 13 points. Milford advances to the finals of the 1st Annual Scarlet Hawks Classic to play Tantasqua at 7:00 on Tuesday.
North Attleboro, 62 @ Bishop Feehan, 60 – Final – With just over two minutes to play, Ridge Olsen drained a three as the shot clock expired to give the Rocketeers a 58-57 lead. With a minute to play, Mario Bresko got to the rim to go up 60-57. North Attleboro hit a pair of three throws down the stretch to close the game and hand Feehan its first loss of the season. Olsen finished with 17 points and Bresko had 15 points while junior Brent Doherty scored a team-high 19 points.
Oliver Ames, 60 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 64 – Final – Junior Dylan Mahoney netted a team-high 15 points while classmate Carter Evin added 14 points and Nick Welch finished with 13 points.
Sharon, 62 vs. Belmont, 63 – Final
Taunton, 80 vs. New Bedford, 69 – Final
Girls Basketball
Canton, 53 vs. Norton, 37 – Final – Emma Murphy led the Bulldogs with a team-high 14 points, Meg Hunter added 11 points and Hannah Jerrier chipped in with 10 points.
Foxboro, 69 vs. Ursuline Academy, 36 – Final – Ashley Sampson led the way with 12 points and Shannon Smally chipped in with nine points for the Warriors. Foxboro will play Hanover on Tuesday night at 6:30 in the tournament finals.
Mansfield, 51 vs. Walpole, 39 – Final – The Hornets finished the game on a 10-0 run to pull out the win. Caroline Maher led Mansfield with 11 points, including six in the fourth. Juliana Newell added 10 for the Hornets while Jen Peel had six points and six assists. Mansfield will play Dartmouth in the final on Thursday.
North Attleboro, 40 vs. Bishop Feehan, 50 – Final – The Rocketeers led Feehan 20-18 at the half. Emily Peters was the top scorer for North with 10 points and Samantha Taggart added nine.
Sharon @ Fontbonne, 4:00
Taunton, 38 @ New Bedford, 28 – Final – Senior Alyssa Gibson led Taunton with 14 points, sophomore Hanna Moniz chipped in with eight points and senior Jordan Wade added six points for the Tigers.
Hockey
Foxboro, 3 vs. Norton, 1 – Final

King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 3 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 3 – Final – Mansfield lost in a shootout for the tournament’s purpose but the game finishes as a tie in the MIAA standings.
Milford, 0 vs. Hopkinton, 8 – Final

Oliver Ames, 0 vs. North Reading, 7 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 0 – Final
King Philip, 6 @ Quincy/North Quincy, 1 – Final

Tag: Matt Ehrlich