Boys Basketball Division 1
#2 Lawrence, 67 vs. #18 Attleboro, 47 – Final – Attleboro played even with one of the state’s best for most of the first half but a small surge at the end of the half gave Lawrence a double-digit lead they held the rest of the way. Senior Justin Hanrahan had seven first quarter points and freshman Connor Houle had four as Attleboro and Lawrence were tied 13-13 after one, and the Bombardiers were down just seven as the first half was coming to a close but a turnover led to points for the Lancers, who staked a 34-23 halftime lead. Lawrence poured in 22 points in the third quarter and never let Attleboro back into the game. Sophomore Hayden Crowley had a team-high 11 points, Hanrahan finished with 10 points, and senior Jaiden Outland had seven points.
#3 Franklin, 47 vs. #14 Brockton, 56 – Final
Division 2
#2 Mansfield, 64 vs. #15 Salem, 43 – Final – After a tough close to the third quarter saw Mansfield’s double-digit lead cut down to just two possessions, Mansfield came out and slammed the door shut with a dominant fourth quarter to book their spot in the Division 2 Elite 8. Mansfield’s defense held Salem to just 17 points over the first two quarters for a 27-17 halftime lead. But the Witches closed the third strong and ended up scoring more in that quarter (19 points) than the entire second half, cutting the 10-point lead down to just five, 41-36, going into the fourth. The Hornets came out with a 9-0 run to start the fourth and never looked back, outscoring the Witches 23-7 in the last stanza. Junior Eddie McCoy had a terrific night on the offensive end, shooting over 70% from the floor (12-for-17), including six three-pointers, on his way to a career-high 31 points to lead the charge. McCoy caught fire in the fourth, hitting four of those threes and finishing with 15 points in the fourth. He also had seven steals and hauled in four rebounds. Sophomore Nate Creedon had a big night in his first start of the season with a career-high 11 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Senior Chris Hill hit a trio of threes and finished with 11 points, sixi boards, four assists, and two blocks. Mansfield will host #10 Marblehead (who beat #7 Pope Francis, 59-57), with the date and time to be announced.
Attleboro junior Neo Franco goes up for a layup attempt in the first half against Everett. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — In a Division 1 preliminary round clash centered around transition basketball, 18th-seeded Attleboro ran away with a win over #47 Everett.
The Bombardiers took advantage of an aggressive Crimson Tide offense to leak out for some transition buckets in the first half, building a lead that it never gave up on their way to a 67-55 win.
“The transition game was the key for both of us,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We had some really good transition opportunities that gave us the advantage and that lead. Every time they had a long rebound or got a steal, they were going the other way in transition.
“I thought we moved the ball really well tonight. They threw pretty much everything we were expecting at us 1-2-2, 1-3-1, full court, half court, quarter court…and our guys responded really well. I was really proud they were able to dig in, they did a nice job of stepping up. Everett is big, they are physical and ran some really good sets. I thought our guys really stepped up tonight and showed some toughness against a really good team.”
While Everett found success turning long rebounds and turnovers into quick buckets on the other end, Attleboro took advantage of all 94 feet of its new court by using full-court length passes for some easy points.
The Bombardiers jumped ahead in the first quarter and stayed in front for the remainder of the game even though the Crimson Tide made a couple of pushes to stay within striking distance.
Attleboro opened up a 14-point lead with a big run in the middle of the second quarter that started with a three-pointer from Jaiden Outland (15 points, five assists), featured some precision passing from junior Neo Franco (12 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, five blocks) to both Michael Beverly (15 points) and Outland, and finished with a three from sophomore Hayden Crowley (12 points) after the Bombardiers forced a turnover.
A quick 7-0 spurt from Everett closed the half, and two quick buckets from the visitors on the other side of halftime cut the lead all the way down to one possession, 34-31. Attleboro had the perfect response as the hosts rattled off a 14-1 burst that nearly put the game away in the third quarter.
Justin Hanrahan and Franco started it all with points on back-to-back possessions, and Hanrahan took a nice feed from Beverly for two more. Beverly and Outland splashed in threes on consecutive trips down the court and suddenly Attleboro had a 46-32 lead.
“They were crashing the boards [on offense], that was something we saw on film,” Houle said of being able to get out and run. “They are aggressive and have a lot of guys coming into the paint so we thought we could get some guys out running. I thought Michael Beverly was outstanding in that. The length of our court was a benefit for us. I think there were a couple of times they thought the court was going to end and Michael caught it over the top and scored. Neo had several of those good passes. It’s taken us some time to get used to our new court and it was definitely a benefit for us.”
Attleboro looked comfortably ahead going into the fourth (51-37) and pushed the lead to 15 points after freshman Connor Houle took a charge on one end, and Beverly converted a layup off a feed from Hanrahan against Everett’s full-court press.
But Everett scored on four straight possessions, including a three-pointer from senior Steven Cordero, who had a game-high 22 points. The quick run suddenly cut it to six (58-52) with three minutes to go.
Houle dropped in a mid-range jumper after finding some space against the zone, Franco drove to the rim for two, and Crowley sank a straightaway three with 90 seconds left to ice the win.
Attleboro boys basketball (14-9) will take on a much more familiar foe in the Division 1 Round of 32 as the Bombardiers will travel to play Hock rival Taunton. The two teams split the season series with the Tigers winning at home (64-57) in early January, and the Bombardiers winning on their own court (60-58) a month later.
“They’re very good, we both know each other,” Houle said. “We have to play hard, play together, and try and win every possession. Round three, it just seems like we’ve been running into them quite often in the tournament. It’s a check mark for the Hockomock League that you have two good teams playing each other in the tournament.”
Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda poured in 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and North Attleboro scored 19 in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits, but Attleboro kept the visitors at bay in the fourth to secure the win. The Bombardiers built a 29-15 lead at halftime but Maceda helped orchestrate a comeback attempt, hitting a three at the buzzer to pull the Rocketeers within 43-34 going into the fourth. Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan opened the fourth with five straight points — two free throws and a traditional three-point play — to restore the Bombardiers’ double-digit advantage and they held it the rest of the way. Jaiden Outland had a team-high 12 points, Hanrahan added 10 points, and Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points. Sophomore Chase Frisoli added 14 points for the Rocketeers.
Canton, 39 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – Mansfield and Canton were level after the first eight minutes but the Hornets went on to outscore the visitors in each of the final three quarters to run away with a 61-39 win over the Bulldogs, clinching the Davenport division title outright. After going back-and-forth, the teams were tied 14-14 after one but Mansfield had a big second quarter with JT Veiking (18 points, 5 rebounds) sinking a pair of threes and Eddie McCoy (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) adding a triple of his own to push the lead to 32-20 at half. Chris Hill added 10 points for the Hornets. Caden Mirliani had a team-high 12 points for Canton.
Foxboro, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Foxboro set the tone early with its defensive effort and had a consistent performance on the offensive end to win its final league game of the year, pulling into a tie in third place of the Davenport division with Canton. The Warriors limited OA to just six points in each of the first three quarters with disciplined defense and good rebounding. Foxboro senior Alex Penders dominated on both ends with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and four assists to lead the way for the Warriors. Rayna Kelley added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with eight points and four rebounds.
Franklin, 63 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin clicked into gear in the third quarter and then pulled away for good in the fourth against a resilient Milford squad. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first but Franklin had six players contribute to the scoring in the second and went 9-for-10 from the line in the period to stake a 27-23 halftime lead. Hansy Jacques had his best game of the year for the Panthers as the junior erupted for nine of his career-high 16 points in the third quarter and senior Geino Scaringello hit a pair of threes as Franklin extended its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth. Franklin junior Sean O’Leary finished the game strong, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth, going 7-for-10 from the line overall in the game. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera had a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior Wyatt Zagami added 11 points, and sophomore Luca Testa finished with 10 points for the Hawks.
King Philip, 57 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – It was a tale of two halves as Taunton flipped the script on visiting King Philip by erasing a double-digit deficit at the break and running away with a 71-56 win. Grant Kinney, Tommy McLeish, Tommy Kilroy, and Trevor Clyde each connected for a three in an 18-point third quarter that saw the Warriors surge ahead 33-23 at halftime. Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent flipped a switch in the second half as he scored 20 of his career-high 22 points after the break, including 11 in the third quarter to jumpstart the Tigers’ offense. Junior Troy Santos added six in the frame and had 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Al Morisseau added 10 points and Chris Volcy chipped in with nine points for Taunton, which scored 21 points in the third and 27 points in the fourth quarter, going 13-for-19 from the line. Tommy Martorano and Kilroy each had 11 points for KP while Brandon Nicastro finished with 10 points.
Sharon, 75 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final (OT) – Sharon erased a four-point deficit with under 20 seconds to go to force overtime and then outlasted the Black Knights in the four-minute extra period to secure the win on the road over an upset-minded Stoughton squad. Jayden Costa-Haywood (20 points) sank a pair of free throws to push Stoughton’s lead to 67-63 but a foul sent Matt Baur (22 points) to the line, and his two free throws cut the deficit in half with 17 seconds to go. The Eagles were able to trap with the press and pick off a pass, which led to a floater from Baur taking a kind bounce and in with two seconds left to make it 67-67. Baur opened the overtime with a triple and Jacob McLoughlin (17 points) added a free throw to push the lead to four. After Stoughton got it back to three off a free throw from Jarred Daughtry, McLoughlin had a traditional three-point play with two minutes to go to make it 74-68. Costa-Haywood answered on the other end with a three-point play of his own to cut the deficit in half. Daughtry hit two more to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 43.1 seconds to play, and Stoughton had a shot in the air to take the lead but it was off the mark and a Tyler Goodman free throw with 1.5 seconds left iced it. Nate Katznelson added 12 points for the Eagles. Matt Greenspoon scored 16 points for Stoughton while Obi Dike added 11 points and Anthony Alessi chipped in with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 65 @ North Attleboro, 36 – Final – The Bombardiers scored 20-plus points in the first and third quarters to pull away for a big bounce back win. Eight players got on the score sheet for Attleboro in the win. It was a quick start for the visitors, as Kayla Goldrick and Avery James each scored six points and Lily Routhier added four in a 20-11 quarter. Ava McKeon tried to keep North in the game with seven of her team-high 15 in the opening quarter. Attleboro scored 14 in the second, while holding North to just six. Vanessa Ellis was held scoreless for the first half, but she got things going with nine points in the third and then added another eight in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17. The Rocketeers tried battle back in the fourth with 17 points as a team, including six more from McKeon and all five of Ella McLaughlin’s points in the game. Goldrick would finish with 12 points, Routhier would have nine, and James scored eight. Sam Sweeney added 10 points for the Rocketeers.
Mansfield, 47 @ Canton, 33 – Final – Mansfield put in a strong defensive performance to secure a home win in the Hockomock finale. The Hornets didn’t allow Canton to reach double digits in the first three quarters and opened up an 18-point lead. The visitors jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one and doubled up Canton 12-6 in the second to make it a double-digit game at halftime. Abby Wager, Kara Santos, and Hallie Popat combined for 19 points in the first half. Wager would go on to score eight of Mansfield’s 10 points in the third and the Hornets held Canton to just five to break the game open. The Bulldogs had their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 11 points, including four from Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe’s second three of the night. Wager led all scorers with 14, while Santos finished with 10 and Popat added eight. Fatima Sidibay was Canton’s top scorer with seven points, while Beatty and McCabe each totaled six.
Milford, 24 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin had 13 different scorers, none with more than eight points, to close out the league campaign with a big win. The Panthers held Milford to just nine points in the first half, going into the locker room with a 24-point lead. Katie Peterson scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, as the Panthers scored 24 in the opening eight minutes. The Hawks would play even in the third, as Brooke Ferreira scored eight of Milford’s 10 points. She finished with a dozen on the night. Franklin’s depth was too much. The Panthers got contributions up and down the roster. Norah MacCallum scored seven, while Elle Bonacci and Kyra McSweeney each chipped in with six. Aliza Syed had five points for the Hawks, all in the first quarter.
Taunton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Emily Sawyer exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a career-high 34 points, powering KP to a bounce back win in the final home game of the regular season. Jackie Bonner chipped in with 14 points and four threes for the Warriors. KP grabbed the lead in the first, as Sawyer and Maddie Paschke each scored four and Bonner knocked down her first triple. The Warriors extended the lead to 25-18 at halftime, as Sawyer and Bonner had all 11 of KP’s points in the second. Cali Melo kept the Tigers close with 10 of her team-high 16 in the opening half. Sawyer and Bonner had all of KP’s points in the third quarter as well, combining for 14 to add another six points to the lead. In the fourth, the Warriors continued to feed Sawyer in the post and the 6-foot-3 center, and league’s leading scorer, had 16 of KP’s 17 points to put the game out of reach. Paschke added her fifth point of the night in the fourth. Taryn Campbell added seven points and eighth grader Raya Horton chipped in with six for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 59 – Final – Rachael Hager nailed the game-winning three, one of several big plays she made down the stretch, to lift the Eagles to a sweep of the season series. Hager finished with 16 points. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a game-high 26 points for Sharon. Kirsten McKay was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed four boards. Raina Tat continued her run of double-digit games, scoring 12 points, while Leah McCarty had eight points and four rebounds and Katrina Varnum scored seven and grabbed a dozen boards.
Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Everett/Revere, 2 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner with 40 seconds left in regulation to earn the Bulldogs a big win against another Div. 2 title contender. Audrey Koen scored Canton’s first goal before Bohane popped up with the late winner to extend the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (7-0-4).
Franklin junior Sean O’Leary celebrates with teammates after hitting a crucial three-pointer late in the fourth quarter at Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — For three and a half quarters, Attleboro controlled the tempo of the game and had visiting Franklin right where they wanted them.
The Bombardiers slowed the game down in an effort to limit how many possessions the Panthers had, and it was working as sophomore Hayden Crowley’s third three-pointer of the game had Attleboro up 30-25 with just six minutes to go.
But in crunch time, Franklin junior Sean O’Leary showed why he’s been the best player in the Hockomock League this season.
The Panthers rattled off a 12-0 run in a three-minute span, and O’Leary was directly involved in each bucket. He had a pair of traditional three-point plays, assisted on a three from senior Justin Allen after Attleboro brought a double team, and then drained a corner three off a tremendous effort play from senior Ben Harvey for a 37-30 lead.
Attleboro made a final push as Justin Hanrahan scored back-to-back buckets off turnovers and Michael Beverly scored down low with a minute to go to cut the deficit to just one.
Franklin quickly got the ball back to O’Leary (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) in the post, and when the Bombardiers brought help, he quickly found Allen (12 points) wide open and the senior sank his fourth triple of the game to clinch a 41-36 win.
“Going into the fourth, it was tied so we just said we have to beat them in an eight-minute game,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “We had to forget about the first three quarters and just win that one. It didn’t have to be pretty, just wanted to get the win and that’s what happened.
“The two biggest plays were the Harvey save to O’Leary for three, and then O’Leary finding Allen for the open three with under a minute to go. We know Sean is going to get a lot of attention, and we still need to get him the ball more. I thought when things weren’t going our way, we weren’t getting him the ball. And if teams want to double him, we have the shooting to punish teams.”
For almost the entire first half and the majority of the second, Attleboro used at least 25 seconds of the shot clock before looking for a shot. And the Bombardiers only allowed three offensive rebounds to the Panthers, who have torched opponents this season with their high-tempo offense.
“We did a pretty good job of running some clock on offense and trying to get some good shots,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I thought there were a couple we left out there in both halves. We wanted to limit their possessions and I think we did a pretty decent job at that. They sped us up at the end and got some turnovers, which ended up being a big factor.
“We wanted to control the tempo. We sacrificed some chances at offensive rebounding because we wanted to get back on defense. We probably had some slips that we didn’t hit early and then we had too many turnovers. When you limit how many possessions you have, you can’t have those turnovers and that hurt us.”
The Bombardiers made their intent known early as they only had nine field goal attempts in the first eight minutes, including one second-chance bucket. On the flip side, Franklin only had 10 chances from the floor, including a pair of second-chance points.
The result was an 8-6 lead for the Panthers, and not much changed over the next eight minutes. Franklin was once again limited to eight shots from the floor. While Attleboro controlled the tempo, they couldn’t find a rhythm either as they went without a three-pointer in the first two quarters.
Allen had a steal and a layup midway through the quarter but the Panthers would only score once more (a layup from Bradley Herndon) over the final four minutes, while the Bombardiers closed the gap with a strong take from Neo Franco (10 points, 6 rebounds), a three-point play from freshman Connor Houle, and another tough take from Franco to get with 17-13 at the break.
“Credit to Attleboro, they had a gameplan of slowing us down for as long as possible and stick around, and they certainly did,” Neely said. “It was a tough game. I’m actually glad we got that kind of challenge because we had to make some tough plays.”
Attleboro was a bit more active on the offensive end to start the second half, opening the third quarter with a 10-3 run. Jaiden Outland had an early late and Crowley (9 points) sandwiched a pair of threes — the first two triples from the Bombardiers — around a layup from Franco to surge ahead 23-20.
Franklin’s Ben Harvey and Franco traded buckets before a traditional three-point play from O’Leary with under a minute to go made it 25-25 going into the fourth quarter.
Franco opened the fourth with a bucket and Crowley sank another three as Attleboro took a 30-25 lead with six minutes to go. The Panthers, who had started to double-team late in the third quarter, extended their defensive pressure to full court in the fourth quarter.
After O’Leary’s first traditional three-point play, Franklin’s press resulted in a thrown away pass and the Panthers cashed in with a triple from Allen. Another Attleboro turnover led to another three-point play for O’Leary, putting the Bombardiers ahead for good.
“I thought we played well on him all night long but he’s one of the better players in this league, and he showed it,” Houle said of O’Leary. “They went to him and he made the plays. It wasn’t just him scoring either, he had a couple of nice passes to Allen.”
Franklin boys basketball (14-1 Hockomock, 16-1 overall) will conclude its league slate on Friday on the road at Milford while Attleboro (8-7, 11-8) is home again against rival North Attleboro.
Boys Basketball
Taunton, 58 @ Attleboro, 60 – Final – Attleboro’s Spencer Sherck made a huge defensive play and Hayden Crowley sank two free throws both with under 10 seconds left as the Bombardiers held on a late run from Taunton for the win. Attleboro led by as much as 12 points early in the fourth quarter and again at 56-44 with 2:18 left to play following a three-pointer from Michael Beverly before Taunton’s full court pressure sped the game up and got the Tigers a 9-0 run in 50 seconds of action, capped by a deep three from Troy Santos to make it 56-53. A steal and layup from Chris Volcy got the visitors within a point before Attleboro freshman Connor Houle hit a pair from the line to make it 58-55. Santos used a nice move to get to the line again and hit another two with 41.1 seconds to go. Taunton got another stop but so did Attleboro as Sherck stepped stepped in and took a charge with 7.8 seconds to go. Crowley sank two free throws to extend Attleboro’s lead and the Bombardiers were able to hold on for the win. Beverly tied a career-high with 19 points to lead the Bombardiers while Jaiden Outland added 12 points. Crowley finished with 8 points while Houle, Neo Franco, and Justin Hanahran each had 7 points. Santos dropped a game-high 22 points, half of them coming in the fourth quarter. Tyson Carter added a career-high 17 points and Chris Perault finished with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 45 @ Canton, 47 – Final – Canton scored the go-ahead bucket off a broken play with just seconds seconds to go and held on as OA’s attempt at a game-winner was off the mark to secure a hard-fought league win and season sweep of the Tigers. Oliver Ames staked a two-point lead after a quarter (13-11) and a four-point advantage at halftime (27-23) but the Bulldogs held the visitors to single digits in the third and pulled even (34-34) going into the fourth quarter. With just under 20 seconds to go, Oliver Ames nearly intercepted a pass but the deflection bounced to Canton sophomore Anthony Diletizia and he alertly fired a bounce pass to Jeremiah Predin and he kissed one off the glass to put Canton up 47-45 with 12.2 seconds to play. Zaza Francoeur had a big block on OA’s first look and then the Tigers launched a three at the buzzer but it was off the mark. Jamaal McConnell had a team-high 13 points for Canton, Caden Mirliani added 12 points and Predin and Francoeur each finished with 8 points. OA sophomore Cole Craffey had a game-high 16 points and freshman Soren Lolonga added 12 points in the win.
Stoughton, 59 @ Foxboro, 76 – Final – Foxboro erupted for 22 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, scoring a season sweep of Stoughton with a wire-to-wire win on Friday. Seniors Sam Golub (13 points) and Ryan LeClair (9 points) each hit a pair of threes inside the opening eight minutes while classmate Alex Penders added another and a total of eight of his game-high 28 points as the Warriors jumped ahead 22-15. Senior Andrew Finn added another triple in the second while junior Ryan Cotter and sophomore Ryan Kelley both had a pair of baskets to help Foxboro extend its lead to 39-26 at halftime. Penders kept it going with 10 more points in the third and sophomore Nolan Gordon took his turn with all seven of his points in the frame for a 56-42 lead going into the fourth. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood had a team-high 18 points while sophomore Matt Greenspoon chipped in with 12 points.
North Attleboro, 49 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin sank four of its 11 three-pointers in the opening eight minutes to stake an early lead and the Panthers never looked back in a big win over visiting North Attleboro. Andrew O’Neill hit a pair, Justin Allen had one of his four triples, and Nick Scala tossed another in to take a 16-7 lead after one, and the Panthers never surrendered that lead. Bradley Herndon got going in the second with six of his 11 points and junior Sean O’Leary had a third of his 12 points in the second as Franklin took a 31-15 lead into the locker room. Allen had a team-high 14 points, O’Neill and O’Leary finished at 12 points apiece, and Herndon had 11 points. North senior Jack Munley and sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski each had nine points.
Milford, 82 @ King Philip, 66 – Final – Milford had an offensive outburst on the road to earn its fifth straight win, pouring in 26 points in the second quarter and 27 more in the third quarter en route to beating King Philip. Senior Wyatt Zagami, who had a season-high 18 points, was a huge spark for the offense, draining a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter to jump start the Hawks’ offense. Milford built a 14-11 lead after a quarter but really turned it on in the second with Zagami and sophomore Andrew Rivera, who had a career-high 28 points, each hit three three-pointers, and sophomores Jack Buckley and Luca Testa each added points as Milford ended up with a 40-30 lead going into halftime. The break couldn’t cool the red-hot Hawks as Rivera added nine more in the third, freshman CJ Farrell got going with nine of his 18 points in the frame, and Testa, Zagami, Nick Aruajo, and Tyler Ballard all hit shots from the floor to the tune of 27 points and a 67-47 advantage going into the fourth. Senior Will Laplante led KP with 20 points, sophomore Jack Assini added 13 points, and sophomore Tommy Kilroy chipped in with 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ Taunton, 40 – Final – Attleboro stormed out of the gates, bombing away from three, and jumped out to a 43-13 lead by halftime, ensuring that the Bombardiers will head into Tuesday’s showdown with Franklin down just a game in the Kelley-Rex standings. The visitors had no problem finding the range in the Rabouin Field House, knocking down 10 three-pointers as a team. Sarah Maher got Attleboro off to a strong start with seven of her nine points coming in the first, while Kayla Goldrick added five and Vanessa Ellis and Lily Routhier (eight points) scored four apiece to open up a 26-7 lead after one. Rylie Camacho buried three from beyond the arc in the second, while Molly Moore and Goldrick both knocked down shots from the outside, as Attleboro’s lead grew to 30. Moore would hit a pair from three in the third and scored eight of her 11 points in the quarter, as Attleboro didn’t let off the gas. Moore, Goldrick, Ellis, and Camacho all finished with 11 for the Bombardiers. Eighth grader Rayah Horton scored a career-high 13 points for the Tigers, including seven in the fourth. Cali Melo also scored seven of her 13 points over the final eight minutes and Skylar McCrohan added six points for the hosts.
Foxboro, 79 @ Stoughton, 26 – Final – Kailey Sullivan continued her hot streak, scoring a game-high 25 points, including four three-pointers. It’s the third straight game that Sullivan has scored at least 23 points (with one game of 31). Camryn Collins and Addie Ruter also reached double digits, scoring 15 points apiece. Nine different Warriors got on the score sheet. Stoughton was led by Kirsten McKay with 10 points, five boards, and two steals.
Franklin, 66 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Katie Peterson scored a career-high 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out three assists to lead Franklin to the road win that keeps the Panthers atop the Kelley-Rex by a game heading into Tuesday’s showdown with second-place Attleboro. Peterson got the visitors off to a strong start, burying a pair of threes and scoring 10 points in the first. Bridget Leo and Chloe Fales also knocked down threes for Franklin, which took a 24-8 lead after one. Peterson hit her third three and had four points in the second to help the Panthers extend the lead by two, 35-17, going into the locker room. After scoring only 17 points total in the first meeting, North found another gear offensively in the third. Despite Peterson scoring another eight points, North cut the lead by a couple, scoring 18 in the quarter. Maryellen Charette had five points and Ava McKeon, Sam Faria, and Ella McLaughlin each drilled threes for the Rocketeers. Peterson added six more in the fourth, including a drive midway through the quarter to set her new high mark. Sam Sweeney matched Peterson with five in the final eight minutes. Caelyn Leonard scored 11 (going 6-of-7 from the line), Bridget Leo added nine points and four assists, and Chloe Fales had six (all in the first). Sweeney and Charette each scored 10 and McLaughlin had nine, while McKeon and Katie Corsetti both finished with eight points for North.
Sharon, 47 @ Mansfield, 81 – Final – Natalya Gill scored a career-high 21 points, knocking down seven three-pointers, and the Hornets set a new program-high for points in a game. This is the second time this season that Mansfield has scored 80 or more points in a game. Gill and Abby Wager each scored six points in the first to help the Hornets take a 14-8 lead. The Mansfield offense found a second gear in the second quarter, as the Hornets scored 25 points. Gill continued her hot shooting with three from beyond the arc, Wager chipped in with seven more, and Ella Palanza (eight points) scored four. The Eagles were hanging around behind Jasmine Davis, who scored 14 of her game-high 23 in the first half. The third quarter was nearly even, with the Hornets adding one point to their lead. Davis added another seven points and Rachael Hager, who missed much of the season with injury, scored five points. Mansfield ensured there would be no comeback with 25 points in the fourth quarter. Gill hit another couple of threes and Bridget Hanley scored four of her eight points to help put the game away. Hager added another five and finished with 10 for the Eagles, while Eva Poulton had six. Wager scored 20 points in the win.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 69 @ King Philip, 66 – Final (OT) – Attleboro junior Neo Franco exploded for a career-high 38 points, including a clutch three-pointer with under a minute to go in overtime to help the Bombardiers return home with a hard-fought win over King Philip. A layup from KP sophomore Tommy McLeish gave the Warriors a 65-63 lead but Franco took an extra pass from freshman Connor Houle and sank a three from the corner to give Attleboro a 66-65 lead with 49.1 seconds to play. Franco and KP’s Tommy Martorano each hit a free throw before Attleboro sophomore Hayden Crowley hit two from the line with 7.5 seconds left. KP got off a look before the buzzer to tie it but it was off the mark. Franco had a quiet first quarter (two points) but got it going with a trio of triples in the second and had 15 points at half. After just one three in the third, he scored 20 points between the second half and overtime to lead Attleboro to the win. Crowley finished with 10 points and Justin Hanrahan hit three three-pointers in the third, helping Attleboro turn a 26-25 halftime deficit into a 42-39 lead going into the fourth. KP senior Will Laplante scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, Martorano finished with 15 points, and senior Grant Kinney had 12.
Stoughton, 51 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton juniors Zaza Francoeur and Jeremiah Predin combined for eight of Canton’s 11 made three-pointers and the Bulldogs pulled away in the second half for a win over neighboring Stoughton. Francoeur hit five threes on his way to a career-high 23 points while Predin had three triples and finished with 13 points. Canton staked a 34-28 lead at halftime and doubled up on the Black Knights (14-7) in the third to create a double-digit advantage. Stoughton senior Obi Dike dropped a career-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Foxboro, 64 @ Sharon, 68 – Final – Sharon senior Dante James had a key three-point play with under a minute to go and finished with a team-high 21 points to help the Eagles land another close win over Foxboro. The visiting Warriors led at each of the first two quarters, 15-12 after one and 32-28 at halftime. Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored half of his 18 points in the third, Matt Baur and James each had four, Tyler Goodman added a three, and Nate Katznelson and Sam Letendre chipped in points from the free throw line to help Sharon pull even, 50-50, going into the fourth. The Eagles were limited to just two field goals in the fourth, including James’ big one on a leak out on an inbounds play, but also went 14-for-15 from the line in the final eight minutes to ice the win. Foxboro senior Alex Penders had a team-high 20 points while Sam Golub chipped in with 12 points for the Warriors.
Franklin, 75 @ Taunton, 50 – Final – Taunton didn’t have an answer for Franklin’s Sean O’Leary as the junior erupted for a career-high 35 points to lead the Panthers to a win on the road. The win clinches the Kelley-Rex division title for Franklin, the first since 2016. O’Leary hit 16 shots from the floor — 14 from two-point range and a pair of threes — and had just one free throw to finish with 35 points. He scored nine in the first, 11 in the second, six in the third, and nine more in the fourth quarter. Franklin increased its lead throughout the game leading 11-8 after one and 32-24 at halftime. An 18-point third quarter extended the lead and Franklin closed strong with 25 points in the fourth. Justin Allen hit four threes and finished with 14 points to go along with 13 rebounds, and Andrew O’Neill added 11 points for the Panthers. Troy Santos led Taunton with 16 points, Chris Perault added 15 points, and Jakari Innocent finished with 11 points.
Mansfield, 74 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – The Hornets built a big lead early but needed a dominant fourth quarter to shake an upset-minded Oliver Ames squad. Mansfield opened the game on a 12-0 run and had a 28-11 advantage after a quarter, but the Tigers clawed back into it and got within five (42-37) at the break. A three-pointer from Davon Sanders late in the third quarter handed the Hornets a 59-50 lead going into the fourth and Mansfield pulled away for the win. Sanders finished with a career-high 24 points along with six rebounds, Eddie McCoy added 12 points and five assists, and Chris Hill chipped in with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. OA sophomore Cole Craffey caught fire in the second, hitting four of his seven threes in the period while Jake Willard added two more and Jacob Lok sank one, resulting in a 26-point quarter from OA. Craffey finished with a career-high 28 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 10 points.
Girls Basketball
King Philip, 48 @ Attleboro, 61 – Final – Attleboro outscored KP 15-7 in the fourth quarter, turning a five-point game into a double digit win and keeping the Bombardiers one back of Franklin in the league standings. The hosts jumped out to a 10-point lead after one. Lily Routhier scored eight of her 11 points in the opening quarter and Kayla Goldrick added five more. Maddie Paschke scored eight points in the first for KP, but the Warriors found themselves down 23-13. The Warriors closed the gap in the second with Kaelyn Clancy knocking down a pair of threes and the Warriors outscoring Attleboro 14-8. The third quarter was nearly even, as Attleboro added one point to its advantage. In the fourth, Attleboro got a spark from Rylie Camacho, who just returned from injury and scored six of her eight points in the final frame. Goldrick led all scorers with 17, while Avery James added 10 and Vanessa Ellis scored eight. Attleboro made six threes as a team. Paschke was KP’s top scorer with 13. Emily Sawyer scored 10, Clancy had a career-high 11, and Jackie Bonner had six points. KP hit seven threes as a team in the loss.
Canton, 23 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Raina Tat scored 11 points to help Stoughton pull out a defensive struggle against Canton. Tat added four rebounds and three steals for the Black Knights. Leah McCarty added eight points and four boards and Kirsten McKay had six points for Stoughton. Katrina Varnum chipped in with 10 rebounds and a pair of steals.
Sharon, 43 @ Foxboro, 72 – Final – Kailey Sullivan had another big game for the Warriors, scoring 23 points, and Foxboro remains unbeaten in league play. Camryn Collins added 17 points, Erin Foley scored 14, and Addie Ruter had 10 in another balanced attack for the Davenport division champions.
Taunton, 32 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – Caelyn Leonard scored a career-high 21 points and Franklin turned up its defensive pressure over the final three quarters to earn the big win and stay one game in front of Attleboro in the Kelley-Rex title race. The game was tied at 13 apiece after the first quarter. Leonard got off to a quick start, scoring seven points, while Cali Melo paced the Tigers with five points over the first eight minutes. Franklin broke things open in the second, outscoring Taunton 19-7. In the third, the Panthers were even tougher on defense, holding Taunton to just four points. Leonard came up big again, scoring eight of Franklin’s 16 in the quarter, as they made it a 24-point lead heading to the fourth. Lizzie Newman scored 10 points and Katie Peterson had eight for the Panthers. Melo led Taunton with eight, while Chelsea Bousquet and Tarynn Campbell each scored seven.
Oliver Ames, 45 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – The Hornets scored 32 points in the second half to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 12-point win, ending a two-game losing streak and keeping Mansfield in second place in the Davenport. Mansfield’s Abby Wager scored 18 points in the second half, on her way to a game-high 29. Wager opened the game with six points to help the Hornets take an 11-9 lead. Sarah Hilliard had five points to help OA stay within two. The Tigers cut the lead in half in the second, as Kaydance Derba buried a pair of threes and Avery Gamble added three more points. Kara Santos had seven in the frame for Mansfield and Wager had five. Wager caught fire in the third, hitting a pair of threes and scoring 10 of Mansfield’s 16 points. Wager added eight more in the fourth, half of Mansfield’s total, and Olivia Salisbury went 3-for-3 at the line to put the game away. Santos scored 16 and Ella Palanza chipped in with six. Kamryn Derba had 13 of her team-high 18 and Gamble had eight of her 11 in the second half to try and keep the Tigers close. Hilliard and Kaydance Derba each finished with seven points.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 43 @ Milford, 44 – Final – Milford’s Andrew Rivera scored the go-ahead basket with two minutes to go and freshman CJ Farrell had the best game of his young career to help the Scarlet Hawks survive against visiting Attleboro. Farrell drained a three to give the Hawks the lead at 40-38 but Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan drove to the bucket for two to tie the game. Back down the other end, Rivera got a jumper from the free throw line to fall and a 44-42 lead. Attleboro freshman Connor Houle hit a free throw to get within one, and the Bombardiers got a key stop in the final seconds but a heavily contested three-pointer at the buzzer was just off the mark. The Hawks came out of the gate strong as Farrell had nine of his career-high 22 points in the opening quarter to help the hosts stage an 18-13 edge. The middle two quarters were a defensive battle as the Bombardiers held the hosts to just one field goal (a three from Farrell, who also had 15 rebounds and 5 assists) while Jaiden Outland (15 points) and Neo Franco each hit a three to bring the Bombardiers even, 21-21, at the break. Outland added two more threes in the third as Attleboro took a 33-29 lead into the final quarter but Milford’s offense found its footing again and Jack Buckley (nine points) added a key three for Milford.
Sharon, 43 @ Canton, 46 – Final – Canton senior Caden Mirliani drained a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left to deliver the Bulldogs an upset win over Sharon. The Eagles took a 43-40 lead with just over 90 seconds remaining after a great hustle play from Matt Baur led to an easy two for Nate Katznelson. Jamaal McConnell got the deficit down to two with a free throw, and then a bucket from Kareem Porter off a pass from Mirliani tied the game with 45 seconds to go. Canton got a stop after a quick three from the Eagles was off the mark, and after a timeout, drained the clock down to the final seconds. Jeremiah Predin drew a double-team in the post and kicked it to Mirliani for the three. It was a close game throughout the first half with Sharon leading by two (10-8) after a quarter and Canton holding the same advantage (22-20) at halftime. The Eagles outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third quarter as Dante James erupted for 11 of his 14 points in the game and Jacob McLoughlin had four of his 12 to give Sharon a 37-29 lead going into the fourth. Mirliani finished with eight of his career-high 15 points in the final frame while McConnell had five of his nine to get Canton back in it.
Foxboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 42 – Final – Mansfield junior Trevor Foley made a pair of key defensive plays inside the final minute to help the Hornets survive an upset bid from a well-prepared Foxboro squad. Holding a 42-41 lead with under a minute to go, Foley knocked the ball free to get the ball back for the hosts. Mansfield was unable to extend it’s lead from the free throw line, and Foxboro got off a good look from the corner that was off the mark and a desperation putback attempt was blocked by Foley at the buzzer to seal the win. It was close throughout after some early runs from both sides, with Mansfield leading after the first quarter (12-6) and at halftime (21-17). Davon Sanders had six of his 11 and Caden Colby had five of his 11 points in the third to keep the Hornets ahead while Sam Golub scored seven of his 15 points and Alex Penders added eight of his 18 to keep the Warriors within striking distance, 37-35, going into the fourth. A steal from Golub led to two points from Penders to give Foxboro a 41-39 lead but the Warriors couldn’t add to their lead after getting a stop and Mansfield senior JT Veiking drained the go-ahead triple with just over a minute left.
King Philip, 38 @ Franklin, 56 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead by halftime and never looked back, running away with a big win over rival King Philip. Geino Scaringello (11 points) hit a trio of first half three-pointers and Andrew Benoit added a triple of his own as the Panthers staked a 31-21 lead at halftime. Junior Sean O’Leary was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line, including 11-for-11 in the second half and finished with a game-high 20 points for Franklin, who extended its lead to 46-29 at the end of the third. Tommy Kilroy and Grant Kinney each scored 11 points for the Panthers and Tommy McLeish added 10 points.
Taunton, 50 @ North Attleboro, 37 – Final – Locked in a low scoring, tight battle at halftime, Taunton used a press as a spark for the second straight game and pulled away for the win on the road. Both teams were limited to single digits in each of the first two quarters and the game was knotted at 12-12 at the break. Taunton got its offense going in the third quater as Chris Perault had seven points in the frame, Troy Santos added six, Jakari Innocent had five of his eight points, and Chris Volcy chipped in with four as the Tigers dropped 22 points in the third to stake a 34-24 lead going into the fourth. Perault finished with all but two of his game-high 16 points in the fourth while Santos finished with 15 points and Volcy had nine points. Senior Jack Munley led North with 10 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski added 7 points.
Oliver Ames, 56 @ Stoughton, 52 – Final
Girls Basketball
Milford, 36 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – The Bombardiers had three players in double digits to earn a bounce-back win over the Hawks and continue to apply pressure on league leader Franklin ahead of the teams’ next meeting. Vanessa Ellis and Kayla Goldrick each had eight points in the first half, helping the Bombardiers pull ahead by double digits heading into the break. Ellis finished with a game-high 16 and Goldrick had 12. Sarah Maher also got into double digits for Attleboro, scoring 13 points (nine in the second half). Emily Croteau led the Hawks with 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Erin Michelson added seven for Milford.
Canton, 48 @ Sharon, 45 – Final
Mansfield, 57 @ Foxboro, 65 – Final – Kailey Sullivan scored 31 points, going 9-of-10 at the line in the fourth quarter, to help the Warriors pull out a win against Mansfield, which clinched the Davenport title. Camryn Collins added 17 for Foxboro.
Franklin, 65 @ King Philip, 51 – Final – Franklin led by four points at halftime, but the Panthers exploded for 26 points in the third to open up a comfortable advantage. Kylie Watson scored a career-high 13 points, knocking down a trio of threes, for KP and her 10 first-half points helped the Warriors stay close at the break. Bridget Leo (eight points), Katie Peterson (seven), Caelyn Leonard (six), and Chloe Fales (five) turned the game around in the third quarter, combining for 26 points, doubling up KP in the frame and going ahead by 17 heading to the fourth. Peterson would be the high scorer for the Panthers with 17. Leo added 14 points and Leonard and Fales each finished with 11 for the Kelley-Rex leaders. Emily Sawyer led KP with 16 points (nine in the first half). Jackie Bonner hit three from beyond the arc and had 10 points and Leah Santoro hit a pair of threes for six points.
North Attleboro, 64 @ Taunton, 61 – Final – North outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the fourth quarter to pull out the win and avoid a season sweep. After facing each other twice already, including an overtime game last time out, the Rocketeers expected the Taunton pressure, but the Tigers pulled ahead in the third quarter and led by as many as 13 points in the second half before North mounted a comeback. Seven players go into the scoring column for the visitors, with Sam Sweeney, Ava McKeon, and Katie Corsetti each finishing with 14 points and Maryellen Charette adding nine. Cali Melo led the Tigers with 15 points, including 10 in the first half as the teams went into the locker room tied at 33-33. Lexi Haywood knocked down three from beyond the arc and finished with 13. Tarynn Campbell chipped in with a dozen points and Chelsea Bousquet had eight in the loss.
Stoughton, 39 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – OA’s offense clicked into gear right from the start, scoring 34 points in the first half to go up by 19. Stoughton scored 24 in the second half, but the Tigers held onto the big lead to the final whistle. Sara Hilliard helped the Tigers get off to a great start, scoring nine of the team’s 15 in the first. She finished with 13. Kamryn Derba added seven of her 14 in the first half. OA also got 10 points from Avery Gamble and seven from Kaydance Derba. Raina Tat was the game’s top scorer, finishing with 16 points (13 in the second half). Kirsten McKay nailed three from beyond the arc for nine points, Leah McCarty had eight points and 11 rebounds, and Katrina Varnum had six points.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 5 @ Apponequet, 0 – Final
Boys Swimming
Hockomock League Championships, 4:00 (@ Milford)
Gymnastics
Canton @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Attleboro @ King Philip, 8:00
Boys Basketball
Canton, 38 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Attleboro used a dominant first half to build a large halftime lead and carried that strong start to a win over visiting Canton. The Bombardiers exploded for 21 points in the first quarter (on 64% shooting) and 21 more points in the second quarter (on 73% shooting) and combined a strong offensive effort with good defense (10 forced turnovers in the first half) to build a large lead (42-10) at halftime. Junior Neo Franco had a game-high 12 points along with four assists and three rebounds, Justin Hanrahan added 10 points and eight boards, and both Jaiden Outland and Hayden Crowley chipped in eight points for Attleboro. Canton’s Jeremiah Predin had a team-high 10 points and six rebounds.
Stoughton, 33 @ Bedford, 54 – Final – Caleigh Clark led the Black Knights with 10 points and three rebounds. Kristina Varnum added six points and eight boards, while Kirsten McKay finished with three points, four rebounds, and three steals, and Leah McCarty had two points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
