Tag: Wesner Charles

Mansfield Edges Taunton In D1 South Semifinal Clash

Mansfield boys basketball
Mansfield sophomore TJ Guy goes up for a layup in the second half against Taunton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
TAUNTON, Mass. – The Taunton Tigers were on the verge of a big upset.

With just over two minutes to go in a tied game, Taunton senior Wesner Charles found an open lane for an easy layup to give the 14th-seeded Tigers a 58-56 lead. And on Mansfield’s ensuing trip up, Charles came up with a block that gave the Tigers the ball back and all of the momentum in front of a packed crowd inside the Rabouin Field House.

But the Tigers couldn’t slam the door shut on the second-seeded Hornets, as a potential dagger three rimmed out. And there aren’t many teams better at making you pay than the Hornets.

Senior Tommy Dooling (19 points) launched a corner three that bounced twice off the rim before falling, putting the Hornets up by one with 1:34 to go. Taunton couldn’t answer as a three-point shot was off the mark, and Mansfield sophomore TJ Guy (career-high 19 points, eight rebounds) concerted off his own miss with 44.5 seconds left to put Mansfield up 61-58.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We started the second half pretty well but [Taunton] came back and the crowd got pretty loud,” Dooling said. “We kept telling each other it was going to be okay, we stuck with what we do well. Sam Stevens had a nice screen and Damani [Scott] had a nice pass and I shot the three, it hit every part of the rim then finally went in, that felt great.”

The Hornets got the stop they needed, Guy broke free for another layup and Mansfield came out with a hard-fought 65-59 win over a gritty Tigers team.

With the win, the Hornets advance to their third straight Division 1 South Sectional Final, and seventh appearance in the last 10 years in the game.

“When the wheels started falling off, with this atmosphere, I was a little nervous with how some of our young guys, guys that haven’t been here before, were going to respond,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan. “We looked panicked there for a little bit. But I reminded them ‘Don’t get too high, don’t get too low, come out and do what we do’ and we needed a couple of possessions of basket, stop, basket, stop, and we were able to do that.

“Taunton is playing really good right now, they were not going to go down easy. They were ready for the big moment, and a couple of bounces things might go the other way. Taunton did some good things in that second half.”

It was a close game throughout as the Hornets had a brief eight-point advantage in the first half, and led by only seven at one point early in the second half. Taunton had an early 11-8 advantage but didn’t take another lead until midway through the fourth quarter.

A three-pointer from Sam Stevens that came off an offensive rebound had the Hornets up 51-48 entering the fourth quarter. Free throws from Taunton senior John Martins (14 points) got the Tigers within two but Damani Scott answered with a strong take for the Hornets. A free throw from Lou Vendrell followed by a steal and bucket from Naz Kenion (career-high 20 points) knotted the score at 53-53.

Kenion continued his stellar play with a nice move baseline to give the Tigers a 55-54 lead, their first advantage of the second half. Kenion came up with a steal to get Taunton the ball back, but the Tigers missed a three. A free throw from Kenion extended the lead to 56-54, and Charles knocked away a pass to get the Tigers another chance to extend the lead, but Taunton’s layup was off the mark. Mansfield tied the game on the other end as sophomore Matt Boen had a layup off a feed from Drew Rooney.

“I thought we played great defense. It felt like we took them off the three-point line for the most part, which is a lot of their offense, But as usual, they adjust and they didn’t panic. If you’re not composed for 32 minutes, you make a mistake, they take advantage of it, that’s Mansfield.

“A game of inches, I think it came down to three plays in the end. Two offensive possessions on our end that we didn’t do well with, and one blown defensive possession. All of a sudden, it’s six points, and that feels like an insurmountable lead against them.”

The two teams battled back-and-forth in the opening quarter with Taunton jumping ahead 11-8 behind a three-pointer from Dante Law (nine point, seven rebounds) but Dooling had a pair of triples and Guy added six points to help the Hornets take a 17-14 lead after one.

Mansfield extended its lead to 22-14 — the largest lead of the game by either side — but Taunton clawed back into it. Sophomore Tyler Stewart came off the bench and scored four points, Law added four more, and Kenion scored his first seven points of the game, including a late three-point play to bring the Tigers within two, down 31-29 at half.

Martins sank two free throws to open the second half to tie the game but the Hornets grabbed momentum back with a 10-3 spurt. Stevens converted a putback, Boen and Dooling hit consecutive threes, and Guy scored down low for a 41-34 advantage.

Taunton ramped up its defensive pressure to get back into the game. Martins scored off a steal, and minutes later, Kenion and sophomore Danny MacDougall had back-to-back takeaways that led to layups to tie it at 46-46 with 2:34 left in the third quarter.

“They were a lot more disciplined. Sometimes you can get them on back cuts or dribble handoff action, and we didn’t get any of those,” Vaughan said of Taunton’s defense. “We really had to score the old fashion way and gut through some possessions. Even on offense too, this was probably the most disciplined Taunton team I’ve seen on both ends of the floor, they really bought in to what [Coach Dacey] was selling. It made it brutal. When guys do that, you can’t go on runs, you can’t create separation, it makes it tough.

“All the threes we got were either contested, or we got them off half broken plays.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

For Taunton (15-9), it was an end to a playoff run that saw upsets over league rival Attleboro and former league rival Bridgewater-Raynham.

“We discovered something, I don’t know exactly what it was,” Dacey said. “We work, work, work a lot on defense in practice. It clicked against Attleboro, then again against B-R, it’s something we’ve been looking for all year long.

“It hurts, it should hurt, and hopefully it’s a lesson for the underclassman. We have to get kids to want to be in the gym in the offseason. This was fun, so I hope the guys coming back realize it and say we can be here [again], but you have to put the work in.”

Mansfield boys basketball returns to Taunton High on Friday to take on #5 Newton North (20-5). Newton North defeated the Hornets in the regular season on February 10th. The D1 South Final is set to tipoff at 7:30.

Taunton Takes Down Rival B-R In Overtime

Taunton boys basketball Mike Quinn
Taunton senior Mike Quinn goes up for a layup in . the first half against Bridgewater-Raynham. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
TAUNTON, Mass. – When Taunton senior guard John Martins needed his teammates to pick him up, they were there. And in the most crucial time of the game, when his teammates needed him, Martin delivered.

The senior scored five of his nine points, and five of the Tigers’ nine points in overtime, including three clutch free throws inside the 30 seconds to help 14th-seeded Taunton earn a 62-57 win over rival and 11th-seed Bridgewater-Raynham.

“I had a rough night, I couldn’t really find a rhythm,” Martins said. “But the guys stuck with me, they kept fighting, and they kept pushing and motivating me. I couldn’t find a better group of guys to go out here with.

“I like those situations. I like shooting free throws, in practice and in games. It helps get me in a rhythm, And when I’m not in one, just get to the line.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The two rivals went head-to-head for the first time since 2012 when they were both apart of the Old Colony League. Taunton joined the Hockomock League in the fall of 2012, and the two schools had only played once — softball in 2013 — since then, but the rivalry picked up where it left off.

“It’s about survival at this time of year,” said longtime Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey, who went head-to-head with former player and assistant Doug Alves, the coach of the Trojans, for the first time. “It’s not going to be pretty at times but it’s about who comes out on top.

“It was like the old days, a little bit like a street fight. It’s not exactly classic basketball but its two teams going after it. They have their strengths, we have ours, and in the end, we made one or two more plays. In a game like this you just wait for the break and fortunately, we were the ones who got it.”

Taunton had a chance to pull away when it pushed the lead to nine, 44-35, early in the fourth quarter but the Trojans hung around. The lead was 47-40 with five minutes to play but an 8-2 burst from the Trojans made it a one-point game with just under three minutes left.

Junior Dante Law (14 points, four rebounds, four assists), who missed nearly the entire first half with an ankle injury suffered with five minutes left in the first half, converted a pull up to put Taunton ahead 51-48. A free throw and then a putback from B-R’s Ryan Rubenskas tied the game with a minute to go.

Martins hit two free throws to put Taunton up and the Tigers got the initial stop on defense, but an offensive rebound and score from Karl Aikiens knotted the score. Taunton was whistled for a carry on the ensuing trip up the court, giving B-R a chance to win it with 12 seconds to go.

But Law provided good defense and B-R’s Jack Armstrong slipped and had to force a contested three that was off the mark, and the putback from Connor Rubenskas was after the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Taunton scored on the opening possession of the extra period, and never trialed. Mike Quinn (13 points, five rebounds) found Naz Kenion (nine points) cutting to the basket for two. The Trojans tied it, but Kenion found Law in the post and his turnaround baseline jumper put the Tigers back up, 57-55 with under two minutes to play.

The Tigers forced a turnover and capitalized, as Martins sank a 10-foot pull up in the paint to make it 59-55, a lead that was as important mentally as on the scoreboard for Taunton.

“Going up can just physiologically deflate a team,” Dacey said. “Now they’re going against the clock and they’re behind so it was big for us to go up early. And then if I could hand pick one guy to go to the foul line, it’s John, and fortunately, that’s who ended up there.

“The kids are pulling together late in the year. We’ve had ups and downs but all of a sudden, we’re gelling. They’re respecting one another, they are playing together, they’re playing hard for each other. Defensively we’re getting better. It’s an odd time to gel at this point but its better late than never.”

B-R missed a three giving the Tigers a chance to extend the lead but a corner three rimmed out. The Trojans missed on three chances up the court next time, the last a blocked three by Quinn and Taunton took possession back. Taunton beat the press, but Jadyn Rosario (18 points) came from behind to steal the ball and then sank two free throws to make it 59-57.

Martins was fouled and went to the line and calmly sank both chances, making it a two possession game with 28 seconds left. B-R was off again on another three and Martins connected on another free throw in the final seconds to secure the win.

While it was a bright finish for the Tigers, it was quite the opposite to start the game. Not only was Taunton limited to just one field goal in the first quarter (1-for-11 shooting), Law went down with an ankle injury with five minutes left and did not return for the rest of the second half.

Trailing 9-3 to start the second quarter, the Tigers turned to Quinn, and the senior captain gave his team life. Quinn buried a three off an offensive rebound from Wesner Charles (nine points, 13 rebounds) and classmate Lou Vendrell followed with a steal and assist to Charles for two to get within one.

“We know Dante is huge for us, but we needed guys to step up,” Martins said. “All the guys out there, pushing each other, and knowing we all need to take of business ourselves.”

Quinn went on to add eight more points in the quarter, including two three-pointers, sophomore Josh Lopes came off the bench and hit a pair of shots, including a putback on an offensive rebound, and Charles scored off a feed from Martin to give Taunton a 22-21 lead at half.

“To their credit, they didn’t get deflated and kept fighting,” Dacey said.”They could have really got down but they fought their way out of it. I’m not surprised Mike had 11 points that quarter, he plays on emotion, he plays so hard. It’s so much hustle.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Law did return to begin the second half, making his presence known with a big block a minute in. Six Tigers scored in the third quarter, with Danny MacDougall, Quinn, and Martins each scoring two and Kenion dropping seven of his nine points. Kenion converted a three-point play and Law followed with a three-pointer to make it 38-32.

B-R got within three but once again Law drained a triple and Vendrell scored on a fast break to give Taunton a 43-35 lead heading into the fourth.

“It’s a nice competitive situation, two close communities, the kids respect one another,” Dacey said. “This one took place in the tournament, maybe regular season down the road. I like Doug, I like his players, a nice competitive game like that is good for the kids.”

Taunton boys basketball (15-8) will face off with another familiar foe in the D1 South Semifinal as they will host league rival #2 Mansfield (21-4) on Sunday at 4:00. Taunton was a predetermined site for the D1 South semifinal before the tournament started.

Taunton Upsets Attleboro With Second Half Surge

Wesner Charles Taunton boys basketball
Taunton senior Wesner Charles dunks the ball in the fourth quarter against Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Those who were in attendance for the clash between #3 Attleboro and #14 Taunton certainly got their money’s worth.

The Bombardiers and Tigers, playing for the third time this season, traded punches back-and-forth for the entirety of Tuesday night’s contest, one that felt at times more like a final than an opening round game. And just when it looked like Taunton was ready to land a knockout blow, the Bombardiers valiantly battled back.

But in the end, Taunton’s second-half run, punctuated with clutch free throws in the final minute, proved to be enough as the Tigers earned their first win over Attleboro this year, 61-56.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“They knew they could perform at a higher level,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey of his team. “It’s good that they got it going at this stage of the season. I think the key tonight was they we spread the points around. Our half court offense was a little unorganized but when situations broke down tonight, we had guys hit some shots in some key situations.

“It certainly helps we’ve seen them twice before. We pulled apart the game film from the first two games. We didn’t do much with it in the first half, but we knew what was coming in the second half so it’s nice when you can predict some of the offense.”

Besides Attleboro’s brief eight-point in the second quarter, the first 24 minutes of the contest was mostly a one or two possession game. It wasn’t until the late in the third quarter and early in the fourth that Taunton made its move.

Trailing 43-31, senior Lou Vendrell (10 points) hauled in an Attleboro miss and alertly pushed the ball up in transition, finding classmate John Martins (eight points) for an easy layup. Two minutes later, just a player after drawing an offensive foul, Vendrell took a handoff from Wesner Charles (10 points, nine rebounds) and drained a three, giving the Tigers just their second lead of the half.

With under a minute to go, Taunton’s defense got another stop, senior Mike Quinn grabbed the rebound and hit Dante Law (22 points, 12 rebounds) on an outlet pass and the junior used a two-handed slam to put Taunton up 48-43 heading into the fourth quarter.

Attleboro opened the fourth with a bucket from senior Mason Houle (12 points, five assists) but Taunton’s run continued as Charles hauled in an offensive board and found Law for a three. Houle answered with a free throw but Law came back down and hit another three to make it 54-46.

“It was timely shots, good stops, all of the above,” Law said. “We trust each other with the ball, so we’re able to spread it around. We talked about getting 10 points from everybody, and that’s what we what did tonight.

“We were excited to get another chance at them. Coach talked about how it’s hard to beat a team three times so we went out there and just gave everything we had.

After a scoreless two minute stretch from both sides, Charles put an exclamation point on Taunton’s run. The senior took a pass in the corner, found space on the baseline and drove to the basket, rising up and finishing with a two-handed slam while being fouled. His free throw gave Taunton a commanding 57-46 lead with 4:30 to play.

“Wesner is pretty athletic, he’s pretty strong, and he’s willing to fight,” Dacey said. “I felt like that was the key to the game was not letting [Qualeem] go off on us and Wesner made some plays for us.”

But the Bombardiers refused to go quietly, getting a spark from a pair of reserves. Lorenzo Wilson converted back-to-back offensive rebounds, and Nick McMahon finished a layup after a pull-up jumper from Bryant Ciccio (13 points, eight rebounds) to make it 57-54.

Taunton was called for an illegal screen, and the Bombardiers quickly got the ball into Qualeem Charles (14 points, six rebounds) for two, cutting the deficit to just one at 57-56 with a minute to go.

Junior Naz Kenion (11 points, five rebounds, three assists) was fouled as he drove to the basket, connecting on both ends of a 1-and-1 to make it 59-56. Attleboro had a look to tie it with 20 seconds to go, but it was off the mark and Law came down with the board. Kenion was fouled again, and he sank the first or two to extend the lead to 60-56 with 12.5 seconds to go. Law tacked on a free throw in the final seconds.

“The big thing playing Taunton is transition defense, getting stops, and rebounding,” said Attleboro coach Mark Houle. “They out-rebounded us, especially on the offensive glass and that translated into a lot of opportunities for them. In a big game like this, you can’t give good teams second and third chances. And their defensive pressure was good tonight, it was good all night long. That pressure, maybe in the second half, forced us into some quicker shots than maybe we wanted to.

“Defensively [Taunton] got after it tonight. It’s tough to simulate that in practice. They did a nice job of keeping the ball on one side of the court and got into the passing lanes. They really made us work. They got that lead and I think it was because of their ball pressure.”

Attleboro opened had four players connect on a three-pointer in the first quarter with Ciccio, Houle, Kevin Velazquez (six rebounds), and Tim Callahan all hit from deep. Taunton kept pace though as Martins had a triple and Law attacked the basket with success, scoring eight points as the Tigers trailed 17-13 after one.

Qualeem Charles and Callahan scored on back-to-back possessions to give Attleboro its largest lead of the game at 21-13. Taunton responded with an 11-1 run to take its first lead of the game. Kenion slashed to the basket, Vendrell hit a three and then a free throw and Martins connected on his second triple of the game. A free throw from Qualeem Charles tied it but Kenion was fouled and hit two free throws of his own to make it 24-22.

The teams went on a bit of a scoring spree, trading three-pointers on back-to-back possessions. First Houle drained one from deep only for Vendrell to answer seconds later. Ciccio stepped up to sink one for a 28-27 advantage but Law responded on the other end to put Taunton up 30-28.

Attleboro closed the half on a 7-2 run. Houle and Qualeem Charles converting at the rim while Ciccio broke a tie game with a triple to put the Bombardiers up 35-32 at half.

The Bombardiers shot 7-for-12 from three-point range in the first half.

“At halftime, we stated firmly to get them off of the three-point line, we don’t care what you do but get them off,” Dacey said. “We had some bad , but luckily we were able to force them further out into deeper threes.

Taunton’s pressure on the perimeter worked as the Bombardiers connected on just one three in the second half, having a couple of open looks rim out as well.

“I think we forced some shots in the second half from deep,” Houle said. “I don’t think we worked the ball around, we didn’t get as many passes per possession that we like to get. I think we settled for some outside shots and we weren’t getting offensive rebounds, and they were. They won the loose ball battle too. Those 50/50 balls and offensive rebounds, in a close game like this, that’s going to be the difference.”

Attleboro closes the season at 18-5, finishing second in the Kelley-Rex division. It was the first loss at home of the season for the Bombardiers.

“This team has been resilient all year, we’ve had a good attitude in every game,” Houle said. “I knew in my mind, if we could have gotten a little momentum we’d be right back in it, and we did. It came down to the last couple possessions, and we had some opportunities but we weren’t able to get it tied or take the lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“This was a really good group of young men that battled every night. We have a lot to be proud of. This strings, especially as a home game which is something we worked hard to get, but nothing is guaranteed in the state tournament and that’s a lesson we all learned.”

Taunton boys basketball (14-8) advances to the D1 South Quarterfinal to take on rival Bridgewater-Raynham (13-8), marking the first team the two teams have played since the Tigers left the OCL and joined the Hockomock League in 2012. The game is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 at Bridgewater-Raynham.

“I think this is huge for this team,” Dacey said. “It’s been a tough season, up and down year, a fight every day. Now they are believing and they are in a good place.”

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/20/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 68 vs. Durfee, 55 – Final – Attleboro senior Kevin Velazquez caught fire in the fourth quarter, hitting three three-pointers and scoring 13 of his career-high 24 points to help the Bombardiers pull away and end the regular season with a win. Attleboro led by one after eight minutes, and took a 31-28 advantage over the Hilltoppers into the locker room at half. Junior Qualeem Charles (14 rebounds) dominated the third quarter, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the frame as the Bombardiers created a double digit lead (49-38) going into the fourth. Junior Bryant Ciccio had another strong game for Attleboro with 18 points.

King Philip, 49 vs. Falmouth, 54 – Final – King Philip had a bright start but went cold in the final eight minutes, suffering a setback to Falmouth in its season finale. The Warriors led 26-21 at halftime but allowed 20 points in the third quarter and trailed by one (41-40) entering the final frame. KP was held to just nine points in the final quarter. Senior Bruce Saintilus had a team-high 20 points and junior Alex Fritz added 17 points, both players connecting on three three-pointers.

Mansfield, 64 vs. Brockton, 57 – Final – Mansfield had a successful day from three-point range, connecting on 14 triples – one shy of the program record – to pick up a win over visiting Brockton. Junior Sam Stevens hit four threes in the third quarter along, the Hornets totaling eight triples in that frame alone, to create the necessary separation. The game was tied at 26-26 at halftime but Mansfield’s red-hot shooting in the third helped the Hornets take a 49-39 lead into the final eight minutes. Stevens finished with five threes total and a team-high 17 points, Tommy Dooling connecting on five threes for 15 points, and sophomore TJ Guy finished with 11 points, including one three-pointer. Damani Scott (seven points) and Matt Boen (seven points, 11 rebounds) also hit threes for Mansfield.

Milford, 68 vs. Tantasqua, 59 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – Milford’s three seniors finished their careers in style, leading the Scarlet Hawks to an upset win over Tantasqua (15-5). Brendan White, Danny Corsini, and Brendon Sailer each scored 20 points, combining to score 60 of Milford’s 68 points in the win. White added 16 rebounds, five steals, and five assists, Corsini scored eight of his points in the opening quarter to give the Hawks an early lead, and Sailor shot 50% from the field along with six rebounds and four assists. The Scarlet Hawks built a 35-20 lead at halftime, and the advantage ballooned to 24 (50-26) late in the third before Tantasqua made a comeback bid in the fourth. The Warriors cut it to eight on two occasions, including with two minutes to go, but Corsini answered with a traditional three point play to thwart the comeback. “I just want thank Brendan, Brendon and Danny for all their hard work and commitment to this program,” Milford head coach Paul Seaver said. “I’m very proud that they were able to end their careers with a victory tonight and that they all found success in their final games of their careers.”

North Attleboro, 59 @ Framingham, 54 – Final – Framingham’s Victor Carrillo scored 17 points in the first quarter and had 22 by halftime but the Rocketeers clamped down defensively on the Flyers’ leading scorer, allowing him just four points in each the third and fourth quarters to get a comeback win. Behind Carillo, Framingham led 19-11 after one and took a 33-25 advantage into halftime. North scored 16 points in the third quarter, sparked by eight from senior Nate Gonsalves (14 points) to cut the deficit to 47-41 going into the fourth. In the final frame, senior Josh Montague scored nine of his team-high 19 points, Gonsalves went 4-for-4 from the line, and sophomore George Ladd (11 points) sank a key three to help North pull ahead for the win.

Oliver Ames, 70 @ Barnstable, 34 – Final – After an even start, Oliver Ames dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Raiders 32-9 to build a sizable halftime lead that it ever relinquished. The Tigers led by just one, 12-11, after eight minutes but then kicked it into gear, limiting Barnstable to single digits in each of the remaining three quarters. Harry DeChellis scored six of his team-high 13 points in the second quarter, Sean O’Brien (11 points) and Michael Greene (nine points) each hit a three in the second, while Amari Brown (eight points), Jay Spillane, Jake Erlich, and Evan Craig each scored as well.

Taunton, 68 @ New Bedford, 56 – Final – Taunton sophomore Danny MacDougall scored seven of his career-high 13 points in the second quarter, helping the Tigers outscore the Whalers 22-8 in the frame to create enough separation for the rest of the way. Tied 14-14 after eight minutes, Wesner Charles (12 points) added six points in the second, Mike Quinn scored five and sophomore Josh Lopes had four to help Taunton build a 36-22 lead by halftime. New Bedford was able to close the gap to nine (44-35) heading into the final quarter but Taunton closed the door with 24 points in the finale frame, including nine from Quinn.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Durfee, 40 – Final – Attleboro won for the third time in its last four games to end the season on a high. Nyah Thomas was the top scorer for the Bombardiers with 13 points, 11 in the second half, and Jordyn Lako added 11. Hailey Perry chipped in with eight points off the bench in the second half for Attleboro, igniting its comeback on the road.

Franklin, 33 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 43 – Final

King Philip, 46 vs. Dartmouth, 34 – Final – Emma Glaser led the Warriors with 16 points and Faye Veilleux scored 11 as KP closed out the regular season with back-to-back wins.

Mansfield, 43 vs. Bishop Feehan, 22 – Final – The Hornets won the Roundball Classic with a strong second half, earning head coach Mike Redding his 300th career victory. Maggie Danehy scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and was named the tournament MVP. Sydney Mulkern had a team-high 13 points and Mady Bendanillo scored five points, pulled in six assists, and had four steals. Mansfield led 13-10 at halftime and by eight after three quarters. The Hornets sealed the win by outscoring the Shamrocks 17-4 in the fourth quarter.

Milford, 51 vs. Burncoat, 29 – Final – Milford picked up a win in its season finale, knocking off visiting Burncoat. Katie Maietta had a team-high 17 points while Jill Michaelson added 11 points for the Scarlet Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 51 @ Norwell, 63 – Final – Oliver Ames and Norwell were tied at halftime (24-24), and the Tigers trailed by just two (42-40) entering the final frame, but the Clippers put together their best quarter in the final eight minutes to outscore OA 21-11. Freshman Caroline Peper had a team-high 15 points while sophomore Caroline Flynn added 12 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds.

Taunton, 62 vs. New Bedford, 54 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 10 @ Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk, 3 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – – Attleboro scored five goals in the second period to get a win in the regular season finale over Dighton-Rehoboth/Seekonk. Senior Sam Larkin scored a hat trick, Aidan Diggan and Cam Littig each scored twice, and Kyle McCabe finished with five points, including four assists. Freshman Nick Piazza earned the win in net for the Bombardiers.

Foxboro, 3 vs. Blue Hills, 0 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – – Foxboro scored once in each period and Espen Reager made 13 saves for the shutout as the Warriors claimed the Dan Jordan Invitational championship. Kirk Leach put the Warriors ahead less than four minutes into the contest, but Blue Hills goalie Brendan Todd (44 saves) made it tough for the Warriors to add to its lead. Sebastian Ricketts fired a wrist shot in with 5:11 left in the second period, and then Ronnie MacLellan (from Leach) iced the game with a power play goal late in the third.

Franklin, 2 vs. Marshfield, 1 – Final – Just over a minute after surrendering a shorthanded goal that tied the game, Franklin scored what turned out to be the game-winner with four minutes left in the second period. Just 1:18 after the Rams knotted the score at 1-1, Franklin’s Kyle Hedvig found Tom Tasker, and the junior defenseman buried his chance to put the Panthers ahead 2-1. Junior goalie Ray Ivers had a strong third period to help Franklin secure the win. Junior Shane McCaffrey put Franklin up midway through the first off an assist from Zac Falvey.

King Philip, 8 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 1 – Final

North Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final

Taunton, 2 vs. Middleboro/Hull, 4 – Final

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 2 vs. Norwood, 3 – Final – Cassi Ronan and Amanda Lewandowski each scored a goal and had an assist for the Panthers against a Norwood team that needed a point to make the playoffs. Libby Carter also had an assist while Gabby Colace made 18 saves in net.

King Philip, 2 vs. Dedham, 3 – Final

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 @ Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 0 – Final – Jessica Widdop made 26 saves to record the shutout and the Warriors wasted no time, scoring three goals in the first period to sweep the season series against WHSL and qualify for the state tournament. Three different players scored in the first for the Warriors, with Kenzi Fraser, Ella Waryas, and Skyler Sharfman lighting the lamp in the opening period. Lily O’Brien scored in the second on an assist from Emma Pereira.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/18/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 63 @ Taunton, 60 – Final – Tied at 53 apiece late in the game, Attleboro closed . the game with a 10-7 run to edge the Tigers. The Bombardiers jumped ahead 60-53 with a 7-0 run, bookended with free throws from Bryant Ciccio (18 points) along with a layup from Mason Houle. Taunton responded with a three from John Martins and a steal and layup from Mike Quinn (12 points) to get within two. With 10.8 seconds left, Taunton had the ball down 62-60 but Tim Callahan helped force a turnover, Ciccio hit one of two free throws and Qualeem Charles (21 points, 11 rebounds) grabbed the offensive board and Attleboro kept possession as time expired. Dante Law led Taunton with 20 points while Wesner Charles added 10 points.

North Attleboro, 54 @ Canton, 58 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Sharon, 49 @ Foxboro, 69 – Final – Foxboro built a nine-point advantage over three quarter and then turned it on during the fourth, pouring in 30 points in the final quarter to pull away from the visiting Eagles. The Warriors led by two (10-8) after one, and six (25-19) by halftime. Foxboro increased its lead to nine (39-30) entering the fourth. Junior Will Morrison scored 10 of his 12 points in the final quarter, one of four Warriors to score double-digits. Anthony Mollica had a team-high 17 points, sophomore Kevin Gallagher added 15 points and senior Ryan Hughes finished with 11 points, all in the first three quarters. Sharon’s Kiran Chandrasekaran led the Eagles with 10 points and Caleb Gayle added eight points and 10 rebounds.

Franklin, 61 @ Oliver Ames, 40 – Final – Franklin limited Oliver Ames to just 16 points in the second half, turning a six-point halftime advantage in a double-digit win. The Panthers led 16-12 after one and 30-24 at half but didn’t allow the Tigers to score double digits in either the third (14-9) or the fourth (17-7). Senior Jalen Samuels led the Panthers with 15 points, including eight in the fourth quarter while classmate Jake Macchi added a career-high 14 points (five in the fourth), connecting on four three pointers. Senior Ethan Eckstrom and sophomore Amari Brown each had eight points for the Tigers.

King Philip, 69 @ Mansfield, 65 – Final – King Philip hit five three-pointers and exploded for 28 points in the fourth quarter to earn a score a big come-from-behind upset on the road at Mansfield. It marks the Warriors’ first win against the Hornets since February 2012, snapping a 12-game skid. KP trailed by nine with just over five minutes to go before outscoring the Hornets 25-12 over that period. Junior Alex Fritz scored 10 of his career-high 20 points in the final quarter while Tim Nault poured in three triples in the final frame to finish with 17 points. Bruce Saintilus added 16 points and Sam Sesay added for KP. Mansfield senior Damani Scott had a team-high 15 points and sophomore TJ Guy added 13 points for the Hornets.

Milford, 74 @ Stoughton, 54 – Final – Milford senior Brendan White poured in a career-high 40 points and hauled in 18 rebounds to lead the Scarlet Hawks to a big win on the road. White scored 13 points in the opening quarter, helping the Hawks jump out ahead 18-9, and then added 10 in the second as Milford built a 37-21 lead by halftime. White had 15 made field goals, including three three-pointers, and connected on four free throws. Brendon Sailer added 11 points and Jordan Darling finished with 10 points for Milford. Sophomore Brett Pendenza had a team-high 10 points for the Black Knights.

Girls Basketball
Taunton, 46 @ Attleboro, 60 – Final – Attleboro used a balanced offensive attack to pull out the division win at home. Liv McCall paced the Bombardiers with 12, but she got a lot of help from Kenzie Roberts and Emma Reilly, who each scored 11. Ryan Johnson and Gabby Bosh also played well off the Attleboro bench, according to coach Marty Crowley. Sonya Fernandez led the Tigers with 14 and Tori DeRosa chipped in with 10.

Canton, 59 @ North Attleboro, 69 – Final – North Attleboro continued its surge up the standings with a strong performance against Canton. Amanda Kaiser scored 22 points and Julia Feid added 19 for the Rocketeers, who scored a season-high 69 points as a team. Olivia Forbes added eight in the win. Sydney Gallery scored 15 points and her sister Fay added 14 for the Bulldogs. North has won five of its last six games, with the only loss being at Franklin.

Foxboro, 54 @ Sharon, 44 – Final – The defending Div. 2 state champs have booked a place in the state tournament with their 10th straight win to start the season, but it was not easy. Foxboro needed a 14-4 run in the final four-plus minutes to keep the win streak alive. Lizzy Davis was the top scorer for Foxboro with 16, while Katelyn Mollica added 15 and Chelsea Gibbons had 14 in the win. Telishya Herbert matched Davis, scoring 16 points to lead the Eagles. Emma Eberhardt had 11 points and Kaitlyn Wallace had eight to help Sharon put a scare into the Davenport leaders.

Oliver Ames, 36 @ Franklin, 62 – Final – OA led by three after one quarter, but Franklin rallied to grab the lead by halftime. In the third quarter, the Panthers broke the game wide open, going on a 24-6 run that put them in front for good. Megan O’Connell had a big game for the hosts, scoring 18 points, to help Franklin stay unbeaten in the league and remain two games ahead of Mansfield in the title race. Bea Bondhus had 15 points, on five three-pointers, and Ali Brigham had 13 in the win. Hailey Bourne was the top scorer for OA with nine points.

Mansfield, 53 @ King Philip, 44 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 67 @ Milford, 32 – Final – Hailey Egan helped Stoughton get back on track, scoring 13 points to lead the Black Knights. Lindsay McDonald had 11 points and eight rebounds, while Sydnee Hyacinthe had 10 points, four assists, and five steals.

Wrestling
Silver Lake Quad (Oliver Ames) – Oliver Ames went 3-0 on the day, picking up wins over South Shore Tech (62-12), Quincy (63-12), and host Silver Lake (57-12).

Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 6:30
Foxboro @ Sharon, 4:00
Franklin, 86 @ Westwood, 57 – Final
Mansfield, 46 @ Taunton, 45 – Final

Girls Swimming
North Attleboro @ Canton, 6:30
Foxboro @ Sharon, 4:00
Franklin, 89.5 @ Westwood, 80.5 – Final
Mansfield, 44 @ Taunton, 60 – Final

Gymnastics
Attleboro @ King Philip, 8:00
Canton @ North Attleboro, 7:30

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/08/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 50 @ Attleboro, 68 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Foxboro, 45 @ Oliver Ames, 53 – Final – Oliver Ames used a 20-point third quarter to create a double-digit deficit and then held off Foxboro in the fourth to grind out a win at home over the Warriors. After combining for just 10 first quarter points (6-4, OA lead), the Tigers took a 19-12 lead into the locker room. OA then doubled its production from the first half with 20 points in the third with senior Sean O’Brien scoring seven of his team-high 15 points in the frame. Sophomore Amari Brown and senior Ethan Eckstrom each added nine points for Oliver Ames. Foxboro junior Brandon Borde scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the second half to help the Warriors stay within striking distance. Sophomore Kevin Gallagher added eight points for Foxboro.

Stoughton, 60 @ Franklin, 74 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a 22-8 lead after the first quarter and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way. The Panthers led 38-22 at half and 52-31 heading into the final quarter. Senior Jalen Samuels scored a team-high 16 points while junior Chris Edgehill added 13 points, all coming in the first quarters for both players. Will Harvey added eight points for the Panthers, who connected on eight three-pointers. Stoughton junior Myles Grigalunas-Powell had a team-high 14 points while senior Zak Paquette finished with nine points.

Canton, 64 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – Canton senior Ryan Lentol converted a traditional three-point play with eight seconds left to give the Bulldogs a one-point win on the road. Lentol converted his shot to tie the game and then hit the free-throw to put Canton ahead. Devin Foster scored a game-high 31 points and had 12 rebounds while Lentol finished with a career-high 16 points. Canton connected on 20 free throws. KP led by as much as 11 in the third quarter but Canton closed the game and trailed just 45-43 heading into the fourth. KP senior Sam Sesay had a career-high 17 points, Tim Nault added 13 points, and Alex Fritz finished with 11 points.

Milford, 53 @ Mansfield, 62 – Final – Milford had a three-point lead at halftime, and took a 38-36 advantage into the fourth quarter, but the Hornets poured in 26 points in the final frame to earn the win. Sophomore Matty Boen scored eight of his 11 points in the final frame, Tommy Dooling added six of his 12 points in the fourth, and Damani Scott scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half. Junior Sam Stevens had a team-high 14 points for Mansfield, who shot 27-for-36 from the free throw line. Brendan White had a team-high 17 points for the Scarlet Hawks while sophomore Danny Corsini added 10 points.

Sharon, 34 @ Taunton, 72 – Final – Taunton outscored the visiting Eagles 25-3 in the first quarter on its way to a big Hockomock League win. Junior Dante Law scored a team-high 21 points and a total of nine Tigers found their way onto the score sheet. Wesner Charles added 12 points and Naz Kenion finished with 11 points. Sharon’s Ben Kaplan had a team-high eight points.

Girls Basketball
King Philip, 41 @ Canton, 53 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames, 57 @ Foxboro, 70 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Franklin, 62 @ Stoughton, 36 – Final – Ali Brigham scored a game-high 29 points to lead the Panthers to a big win. Franklin broke the game open in the second half, after leading just 22-16 at the break. Megan O’Connell chipped in with 11 points in the win. Sydnee Hyacinthe was the top scorer for the Black Knights with 18 points.

Mansfield, 65 @ Milford, 22 – Final – Mansfield pulled out the big win against a hard-working Milford side thanks to balanced scoring. Ashley Santos scored 10 points for the Hornets, who also got six points apiece from four seniors: Erin Daniel, Emily Vigeant, Abby Sullivan and Alicia Hottleman.

Taunton, 43 @ Sharon, 54 – Final – Emma Eberhardt returned after missing the last game with an injury and scored 18 points to help the Eagles pick up an important win. Telishya Herbert added 10 points and Ally Brown chipped in with six to help Sharon hold off a late charge by the Tigers.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Amanda Lewandowski scored a pair of goals and Gianna Cameron added a goal and an assist for the unbeaten Panthers. Gabby Colace (16 saves) earned the shutout in goal.

Boys Swimming
King Philip, 96 @ Attleboro, 74 – Final – Attleboro’s Colton Parkinson was a double-winner, taking first in the 200 IM and the 500 free, and Connor Dunn took first in the 100 free but the Bombardiers lost to King Philip.

Mansfield, 79 @ Oliver Ames, 87 – Final

North Attleboro, 72 @ Milford, 88 – Final

Girls Swimming
King Philip, 82 @ Attleboro, 88 – Final – The Attleboro girls swim team set 12 personal bests on its way to a win over visiting King Philip. Liz Saltz won the 200 and 500 free with state qualifying times in both, Jackie Lynch-Bartek took first in the 100 breaststroke, Ella Lynch Bartek touched first in the 100 free, and Tiffany Chin earned first in the 100 backstroke. Those four swimmers teamed up to win the 200 medley relay for the Bombardiers. Brenna O’Connell joined Saltz and the Lynch-Bartek sisters to win the 200 free relay.

Mansfield, 71 @ Oliver Ames, 91 – Final

North Attleboro, 79 @ Milford, 83 – Final

Gymnastics
North Attleboro, 139.4 @ Oliver Ames, 138.2 – Final

Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro, 155.7 @ Braintree, 135.9 – Final

Wednesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/02/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 58 vs. Bishop Feehan, 37 – Final – North Attleboro limited Bishop Feehan to just 15 points in the opening half, building a 32-15 lead by the break and never looked back. The Rocketeers pounded the paint, using their size to their advantage, connecting on 26 two-point field goals. Jake Petersen had a team-high 14 points for North while Josh Montague added 10 points, sophomore George Ladd finished with nine points, and Nate Gonsalves chipped in seven points.

Taunton 72 vs. New Bedford, 66 – Final – New Bedford raced out to a 24-14 lead after the first quarter, and had the lead up to as much as 15 before Taunton closed the gap with a big second quarter. Senior Lou Vendrell scored nine of his 11 points in the second quarter on three triples to help the Tigers cut the deficit to just two, 31-29, at halftime. Senior Mike Quinn scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half, Wesner Charles added 14 points, and John Martins scored all 10 of his points in the second half to help the Tigers earn the win.

Girls Basketball
Canton, 57 @ Weymouth, 48 – Final – Canton got strong games from three of its freshmen to win on the road at Weymouth (where the Bulldogs clinched a playoff spot last season). Kiara Cerruti led the way for the Bulldogs with 19 points, including 6-of-8 at the line. Sydney Gallery scored 12 and her sister Fay chipped in with 11 points. Canton coach Jim Choquette credited the team’s defensive pressure and its transition game for the win, which moved the Bulldogs back to .500 on the season.

Foxboro, 54 vs. Walpole, 40 – Final – The Warriors won a second non-league game in a row to stay unbeaten on the season. Katelyn Mollica was the top scorer for Foxboro with 14 points and the Warriors also got strong games from Yara Fawaz and Chelsea Gibbons, who each scored 13 points.

Milford, 19 @ Norwood, 61 – Final

North Attleboro, 61 @ Weston, 42 – Final – North went on the road and earned its first win of the season. Julia Feid scored 20 points to pace the Rocketeers and Eliza Dion added 12 points in the victory.

Sharon, 43 vs. Holliston, 49 – Final – The Eagles stormed back into the game in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough to catch Holliston. Kaitlyn Wallace had 12 points, Evanjuline Elisma had 11, and Telishya Herbert had eight in the loss.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 9 – Final – Canton senior Ryan Nolte scored a hat trick and six other players found the back of the net as the Bulldogs opened league play with an impressive win over Attleboro.

King Philip, 2 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – King Philip dominated in shots but had to kill five penalties and needed a late third period goal to earn a win over Foxboro. The Warriors, who had a 36-9 advantage in shots, went ahead in the first period on a goal from Jack Coulter, assisted by Luke D’Amico. Foxboro tied the game on a tally from Brendan Tully (unassisted) with 2:23 to go in the second period. KP sophomore Rocco Bianculli scored the game-winner on a feed from senior Brendan Shandley and junior Chris Daniels. with 2:36 to play. Foxboro had a power play over the final 1:39 but the Warriors’ best chance hit the post in the final moments and stayed out.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 10 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final

Girls Hockey
Franklin, 3 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game. – Franklin senior Regan Paterson scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to pace the Panthers to a key road win. Paterson opened the scoring just 53 seconds into the game, using a self pass off the boards to beat the defense and then finished with a nice shot. Franklin made it 2-0 with a power play goal with 3:10 left in the first. Tina Pisano played the puck behind the net, Paterson collected it, and found Jordan Dwyer open in front for a goal. Canton got on the board with 1:10 left in the second period as Leah McClellan found Katie Trerice, and her shot from just inside the blue line found its way through traffic and into the net. Franklin responded with a power play goal early in the third. Pisano found Cassi Ronan streaking into the area and she connected with Paterson right in front. Lauren Fitzpatrick scored with 1:18 on the power play to bring the Bulldogs within one. Gabby Colace made 33 saves in the win for Franklin.

King Philip, 1 vs. Dennis-Yarmouth, 3 – Final

Stoughton, 2 @ Cambridge, 11 – Final

Wrestling
Sharon, 37 @ Canton, 26 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this dual meet. – Sharon’s Vinay Chinnam (126) and Tyler Cashton (152) earned pinfall victories and the Eagles got 18 points from forfeits to earn a win over Canton. Huguens Pierre (138) and Max Pozner (145) also had wins for the Eagles. Canton’s Zach Peters (106, dec.), Jack Turano (113, pin), Mark Carstairs (120, dec.), Harry Carter (152, pin), Jordan Neundorf (160, dec.), and Cole Murphy (170, dec.) had wins for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 55 @ Stoughton, 15 – Final

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this dual meet.

Taunton, 24 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Six Warriors won by pinfall and two more won by decision as King Philip picked up a win over Taunton. Conor Harrington (106), Michael Gorman (113), Sam DeBaggis (126), Jackson Kelley (138), Sean O’Brien (170), and Shawn Conniff (195) all won by pin for KP while Mohammad Lofti (145, 16-0) and Luke Fitch (182, 4-0) each won by decision without giving up a point. Taunton’s Tyler Lima (120, pin), Christian Balmain (152, dec.), Candido Santos (160, dec.), and Woudanly Danger (285, pin) picked up wins.

Mansfield, 33 @ Melrose, 39 – Final

Boys Swimming
Oliver Ames, 74 @ Franklin, 93 – Final – Junior Chris Carey took first in the 100 free and junior Pat Juszczyszyn won the 500 free to pace the Panthers to a win.

Girls Swimming
Oliver Ames, 93 @ Franklin, 74 – Final – Franklin senior Katie Cashin was a double winner, taking first in both the 100 free and 20 free.

Gymnastics
Oliver Ames, 130.4 @ Canton, 102.75 – Final – Oliver Ames picked up its third straight win to begin the season, with junior Lauren Picanzi capturing his third straight first place finish in the All Around. Picanzi scored a 33.7 while OA sophomore Ashlyn Latham was second with a 32.8. Latham had a meet-best 9.0 on the vault.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/28/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 54 @ Bishop Feehan, 57 – Final – Attleboro took a 45-40 late in the third quarter but a 6-0 burst from the hosts had the Shamrocks ahead entering the final quarter and Bishop Feehan held on for the win. Senior Mason Houle scored a career-high 20 points for the Bombardiers, Kevin Velazquez added 11 points, and both Bryant Ciccio and Qualeem Charles finished with 10 points.

Foxboro, 52 vs. LaSalle Academy (R.I.), 31 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Foxboro’s defense had a strong outing, limiting visiting La Salle Academy to just 11 points in the first half. The Warriors led 29-11 at the break, but La Salle outscored the hosts 15-9 in the third quarter to inch back into the game. Foxboro erased any idea of a comeback with a quick 7-0 run to begin the fourth quarter, expanding the advantage it 46-26. Sophomore Kevin Gallagher scored a career-high 19 points, hitting five three-pointers. Junior Brandon Borde added 12 points and seven rebounds while junior Will Morrison chipped in with nine points.

King Philip, 71 @ Auburn, 53 – Final – King Philip used a terrific start to build a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back with a win on the road at Auburn. Six players combined to score 25 points in the opening quarter for the Warriors, including seven from junior Alex Fritz (nine points) and six from Andrew McKinney (14 points). Senior Bruce Saintilus finished with a team-high 21 points, including 12 points in the third quarter.

North Attleboro, 48 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 36 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Lincoln-Sudbury closed the third quarter on a 13-2 run, erasing an eight-point deficit to take a 31-28 lead into the final period. North Attleboro responded with its best quarter on both ends of the floor, outscoring the Warriors 20-5 in the frame to earn the double-digit win. Josh Montague (nine points) got North within one before Ethan Friberg (12 points, seven rebounds) hit back-to-back triples and then a pair of free throws. L-S cut it to three with a triple but Friberg found Matt Seavey with a quick two and Nate Gonsalves (11 points, seven rebounds) scored four straight points to extend the advantage to 42-34. A late triple put North up by double-digits. North Attleboro had a terrific defensive performance, limiting L-S to single digits in three of the four quarters.

Sharon, 49 vs. Hingham, 73 – Final

Stoughton, 58 vs. Natick, 61 – Final – Stoughton junior Ajahn Rue scored a team-high 20 points but the Black Knights fell by three to Natick in the first round of the Blue Devil Holiday Classic at Randolph High.

Taunton, 57 @ Durfee, 73 – Final – Taunton trailed by just two at the end of one quarter but Durfee pushed the lead to eight by half (31-23) and then blew the game open with a 23-point third quarter. Junior Dante Law had a team-high 18 points while Wesner Charles added 10 points.

Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 37 @ Newtown (Conn.), 43 – Final – Playing under Conn. rules hurt the Hornets on Friday. With no shot clock, Newtown was able to sit on its lead for the entire fourth quarter and pull out the victory in the end. Mady Bendanillo led Mansfield with 13 points and Maggie Danehy had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.

Milford, 24 vs. Hopedale, 48 – Final

Oliver Ames, 54 vs. Brockton, 50 – Final – Oliver Ames overcame a 10-point deficit at halftime, putting up 38 points in the second half to earn a win over Brockton. Freshman Caroline Peper led the Tigers with 15 points, senior Alex Sheldon added 13 points and sophomore Caroline Flynn finished with eight points and 16 rebounds.

Sharon, 45 vs. Plymouth South, 37 – Final – Telishya Herbert paced the Eagles with 15 points and Evanjuline Elisma added 11 to help Sharon win the consolation game at the Cardinal Spellman tournament.

Stoughton, 35 vs. @ Newton South, 56 – Final – The Black Knights lost for the second in two days to a highly-ranked Div. 1 team. Sydnee Hyacinthe scored 15 points and Aliyah Wright added 12 for Stoughton. Wright was named to the all-tournament team.

Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 6 @ Cohasset, 1 – Final
Franklin, 3 vs. Bishop Guertin (NH), 2 – Final (OT)
Mansfield, 3 vs. Lowell Catholic, 2 – Final

Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Hanover, 6 – Final – Cullen Gallagher and Matt McCormack each scored a goal and assisted on another, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers, who out shot Hanover 40-30 in the loss. Owen Connor made 24 saves in goal, while Max Ward and Colin Bourne also scored for OA. Bryan Kearns had a pair of assists for the Tigers.

Wrestling
Lowell Tournament – Canton’s Eddie Marinilli became the first wrestling in program history to win an individual title at the George Bossi Lowell Holiday Tournament. Marinilli took first in the 145 bracket, which featured 60 wrestlers. Marinilli knocked off the fifth seeded wrestler in the quarterfinals to earn his 100th career win and then took down the top-seeded grappler Jacob Cardozo of Southington in the semifinals. In the finals, Marinilli used takedowns in the first and second periods, plus an escape in the third, to pick up a 5-3 win. Franklin had the top finish as a team, taking 17th overall with 89 points. Foxboro was 21st with 80 points, Canton totaled 72 points, Stoughton had 35 points and Taunton finished with 27 points. Franklin’s Jordan Carlucci (132) was the top Panther, taking third overall while Jake Carlucci (113) and Dominic Sackley (170) each took eighth. For Foxboro, William Ogebebor battled his way to a third place finish at 220 and Adam Lanctot (120) had a sixth place finish. Taunton’s Woudanly Danger (285) was seventh overall.

Framingham Tournament – King Philip and Milford both finished inside the top 10 at the 24-team Framingham Holiday Tournament. The Warriors were sixth overall with one individual champion and 133.5 points while the Hawks picked up 126 points with two champions. KP’s Shawn Conniff (195) won an individual title, earning a second round pin over Methuen’s Erick Lucas. Trailing 3-2 after a round, and 5-2 early in the second, Conniff used an escape, a takedown, and a near fall to go up 8-5 before getting the pin. Mohammad Lotfi (145) took second for the Warriors while Michael Gorman (113) and Jackson Kelley (138) each had fourth place finishes. Milford’s Carlos Terrinha (120) and Nick Marcolini (152) each won their brackets, with Marcolini picking up his 100th career win on the day. Ryan Hazard (170) added a third place finish for the Hawks.

Marshfield Tournament – Four Hockomock teams placed in the top 13 teams at the annual Marshfield Holiday Tournament, which featured 37 teams. Mansfield had the best finish among Hock teams, taking third with 181 points, including two individual champions. North Attleboro was right behind, taking fourth with 157 and one champion. Oliver Ames had its best finish in program history, taking 12th with 98 points and one champion while Sharon finished 13th with 97 points. Mansfield’s Jayden Curley won the 170 bracket and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award. George Glaropoulos won the 160 bracket while Antonios Sevastos (120), CJ Glaropoulos (152), and Ethan Nirenberg (182) each had third place finishes. North Attleboro senior Mateusz Kudra remained unbeaten on the year, winning the 285 bracket with an 8-0 major decision in the final. Liam Rizk (182) was second while Michael Burns (138) took third and John Kummer (220) was fourth overall. Oliver Ames senior Dean Pacini didn’t give up a single point all tournament on his way to being champion at 195, pinning all four of his opponents. Billy Tat (170) had a second place finish for the Tigers. Sharon had seven grapplers place in the top 10, highlighted by seventh place finishes from Alex Bolt (195) and Aaron Cashton (132).

Boys Swimming
Foxboro, 43 @ Stoughton, 27 – Final – Foxboro’s Spencer SanBento won a pair of individual races and was a member of two winning relay teams in the Warriors’ win over Stoughton. SanBento touched first in each the 50 free (30.97) and the 100 free (1:13). He joined Dimitri Davis, Thomas VanDell, and Ben Dorman to win the 200 relay (2:07), and then teamed up with Jared Roke, Kris Anderson, and Joseph St. Pierre to win the 400 relay (5:21).

Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:00 (@ Randolph)

Girls Swimming
Foxboro, 57 @ Stoughton, 33 – Final – Foxboro swept the three relay events to highlight a win over the Black Knights. In the 200 medley, Sarah Egan, Lindsey Nelson, Gina Ouellette, and Pam Nelson clocked in a 2:14 to get the win. That same group took first in the 200 relay (2:01) while Shannon Egan, Kendall Milender, Madison Feldman, and Ouellette touched first in the 400 relay (4:53).

Stoughton @ Sharon, 3:00 (@ Randolph)

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/27/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Franklin, 63 vs. Brighton, 35 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Franklin clamped down defensively, forcing Brighton into 32 turnovers on its way to a big win over the Bengals. The Panthers forced 12 turnovers in the first quarter alone and hit their first eight shots from the floor, taking a 25-6 lead after eight minutes of play. Junior Chris Edgehill had a team-high 15 points, senior Will Harvey added eight points, and Jack Rudolph finished with seven points and three assists. Franklin will play host Bridgewater-Raynham in the championship game of the Larry Fisher Holiday Tournament on Saturday at 4:45.

King Philip, 64 vs. New Mission, 72 – Final – King Philip cut the deficit to just three points late in the fourth quarter but New Mission finished strong to close down the Warriors. Bruce Sanitilus scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the final frame to help KP get back into the game. KP scored 38 points in the second half after being held to 26 in the opening 16 minutes. Alex Fritz added 14 points (11 in the second half) while both Andrew McKinney and Tim Nault finished with 11 points. King Philip will play host Auburn in the consolation game on Friday night at 5:00.

Milford, 60 vs. New Bedford, 51 – Final – Milford built an eight-point lead (19-11) after one quarter, led by 11 at half and after three quarters, and held on for a win over New Bedford. Senior Brendan White had a team-high 17 points and hauled in 14 boards while sophomore Jordan Darling also had a big night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Oliver Ames, 66 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 29 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery from this game – Oliver Ames turned a dominant performance on the glass into a big win over Dighton-Rehoboth in an opening round game of the Muscato Tournament. The Tigers had an 11-0 advantage on the boards in the first quarter, grabbing six offensive boards to jump out to a 23-7 lead. OA continued to control the boards with a 23-3 advantage at halftime, resulting in a 34-16 lead at the break. Junior Jay Spillane had a career-high 14 points to pace the Tigers while senior Ethan Eckstrom added 11 points. OA will play Cardinal Spellman in the championship game on Saturday.

Taunton, 77 vs. Charlestown, 53 – Final – Taunton outscored Charlestown 24-9 in the second quarter, and put up 48 points between the second and third to earn a double-digit win over Charlestown. Senior Wesner Charles scored a career-high 21 points while junior Dante Law also had a 21-point performance, including 13 in the first half. Senior Mike Quinn added 11 points and Naz Kenion chipped in with 10 points. Taunton will play host Durfee in the finals of the Skip Karam Holiday Classic on Friday at 6:30.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 42 @ North Attleboro, 34 – Final – Liv McCall scored 16 points to send Attleboro into Saturday’s final of the North Attleboro holiday tournament. Attleboro coach Marty Crowley credited the Bombardiers great team defense and added that Lillian Froio played really well off the bench.

Oliver Ames, 47 vs. Needham, 64 – Final – Oliver Ames trailed by just a point after three quarters but the Rockets dominated the final quarter, outscoring the Tigers 23-7 to earn the win. Freshman Caroline Peper had a career-high 19 points for Oliver Ames, who will host Brockton in the consolation game of the Sue Rivard Holiday Tournament on Friday at 6:00.

Sharon, 34 vs. Middleboro, 38 – Final – Emma Eberhardt led the way for the Eagles with 17 points.

Stoughton, 39 vs. Belmont, 70 – Final – Stoughton junior Aliyah Wright had a team-high 11 points for the Black Knights, who will play Newton South on Friday at 5:00.

Taunton, 65 vs. Durfee, 49 – Final – Taunton jumped out to a 13 point lead by halftime (31-18) and kept control in the second half. Sonya Fernandez had another strong all-around game for the Tigers with 20 points, eight rebounds, and nine blocks. Alexa White added 17 points and Lily Patneaude chipped in with 11 in the win.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 2 @ Mount St. Charles (R.I.), 3 – Final (OT) – Franklin senior Joe Lizotte and junior Shane McCaffrey each scored once but the Panthers fell in overtime to host Mount St. Charles. Ryan Cameron had an outstanding game in net for the Panthers. The game will go down as a tie for MIAA purposes.

King Philip, 0 vs. Quincy, 3 – Final

North Attleboro, 2 vs. Cumberland (R.I.), 0 – Final – Tyler Sarro and John Connolly scored for the Rocketeers, who earned their first win of the season.

Oliver Ames, 7 vs. Matignon, 0 – Final – Brett Williams scored two goals and assisted on another and Cullen Gallagher had one goal and a pair of assists to power OA to Friday’s tournament championship game against Hanover. Colin Bourne, Max Ward, Ross Carroll, and Brad Powers also scored for the Tigers, while Owen Connor made nine saves to record the shutout.

Stoughton, 5 vs. Tri-County, 3 – Final – Stoughton’s offense exploded for four goals in the second period, helping the Black Knights pick up the win. Senior Carter Gerome and freshman Colin Alessi each scored a pair of goals for the Knights while freshman Joe McNulty scored the other goal.

Taunton, 0 vs. Scituate, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Medfield/Norton, 2 – Final (2 OT) – After Medfield/Norton scored twice in the third period to grab the lead, Maggie Malloy scored with just 44 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 2-2, forcing overtime and keeping Canton unbeaten this season (both teams get a point for MIAA standings). During the 3-on-3 second OT period, Lauren Fitzpatrick went the length of the ice for her second goal of the game to send the Bulldogs into the Ice House tournament final to face Westwood. Fitzpatrick also opened the scoring for Canton with a second period goal assisted by Lizzie Tassinari and Payton McDonough.

Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Walpole, 5 – Final

Wrestling
Lowell Tournament (Canton, Foxboro, Franklin, Taunton), 9:00
Marshfield Tournament (Mansfield, North Attleboro, Sharon), 10:00

Gymnastics
Attleboro vs. Norton, 4:30
Franklin, 137.5 @ Mansfield, 147.5 – Final
King Philip @ Taunton, 11:00AM
Sharon @ Taunton, 11:00AM

Late Run Helps Foxboro Get Past Taunton

Foxboro boys basketball
Foxboro’s Brandon Borde (right) goes up for a shot against Taunton’s Wesner Charles (21) in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
FOXBORO, Mass. – Through three quarters of play, both Taunton and Foxboro boys basketball teams had spurts on the offensive end, but neither side was able to build a run to take control of the game.

The Tigers had one of those spurts to open the final quarter, putting up six straight points to go ahead by a point, 39-38. But Foxboro had a response, orchestrating a 14-5 run over the next three minutes to seize control and grab a 56-49 win over Taunton.

“Throughout the first three quarters, we got some good looks but didn’t make them,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “I don’t think we did anything different [in the fourth] but luckily we have some really talented players on this team that stepped up and knocked them down. Kevin [Gallagher] and Brandon [Borde] stepped up and hit some huge, huge threes when we really needed them.”

Foxboro held a 36-33 advantage going into the final quarter and extended it to 38-33, but Taunton rattled off a 6-0 run to take the lead. Senior Wesner Charles scored down low on a feed from senior Michael Quinn, and senior John Martins converted a fast break after Quinn caused a turnover. Senior Lou Vendrell (12 points) cashed in on a steal to put Taunton up 39-38.

But as quickly as its lead disappeared, sophomore Kevin Gallagher gave the hosts the lead back. Gallagher drained a three, and junior Will Morrison hauled in a defensive rebound on the other end while being fouled, sinking two free throws to make it 43-39 with 3:54 to play.

Taunton answered with a three from Quinn to get within one, but just seconds later, junior Brandon Borde (19 points) drilled a three on a feed from Morrison to keep the Warriors up. After getting a stop on the defensive end, Gallagher sank a deep triple to make it 49-42.

Junior Dante Law (13 points) scored in traffic to make it a five-point game, but Borde sank another three on the other end to make it 52-44 with 1:51 to go.

The Tigers didn’t go quietly as Law finished at the rim and drew an offensive foul on the inbounds. Taunton cashed in on a second chance three from Vendrell to make it a three-point game, 52-49, with 30 seconds left.

Foxboro was initially trapped in the backcourt but used a timeout, got the ball in successfully and senior Anthony Mollica eventually sank both ends of a one-and-one to extend the lead to 54-49. The Warriors got another stop and Borde hit two free throws to seal it.

“We have good shooters on this team,” Gibbs said. “We finally had a game at home where we’re shooting on the rims we shoot on every day at practice. These guys bury shots in practice, and we always tell them to shoot with confidence. It was nice to see some of them knock those shots down in the second half and hopefully, we can keep them going and get some guys in a rhythm.”

Taunton had leads in three of the four quarters, including the final frame, but couldn’t put together a run to turn a small lead into a large advantage.

“Ball movement and defense, the magic formula,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “There was a lot of it for them and a lack of it from us. We have guys that want to do it themselves too much. They kept moving the ball, moving the ball and we’d have a lousy close out, or we left a gap open, and they took advantage of it.”

After scoring the first two points of the game, Taunton watched as Foxboro went on a 12-2 run for the rest of the quarter. The Tigers didn’t help themselves with four missed layups. Borde had five points in the opening frame, and Mollica hit a triple to give Foxboro a big lead early.

The second quarter was a different story as Taunton had a run to get back into the game. The Tigers opened with a 12-0 run, highlighted by points from five different players. Law hit a three, sophomore Tyler Stewart converted in close, Martins and Quinn each scored, and Vendrell capped the run on a nice pass from Law.

But Foxboro closed the quarter with a 7-0 burst, including a late three-point play from Mollica to give the Warriors a 23-21 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Foxboro extended its lead to seven when Gallagher hit a triple after an offensive rebound from junior Ryan Hughes (11 points), up 30-23. Taunton outscored the Warriors 10-6 the rest of the rest to make it a one-possession game going into the fourth.

“Our guys battled,” Gibbs said. “We knew coming into the game we needed to win the physical battle, really rebound strong. We know that Taunton is a phenomenal offensive rebounding team, they attack the glass from every position. We had our guards ready and in a mindset that they had to be physical. And I think that carried over to our post defense and made them take some tough shots.”

Foxboro boys basketball (1-2 Hockomock, 1-2 overall) is back in action on Friday night when it hosts Bishop Feehan. Taunton (2-1, 2-1) will try to bounce back when it hosts city rival Coyle & Cassidy on Thursday.