Tag: Kevin Velazquez
2019 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars
Below are the official 2019 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Devin Foster, Canton
Hockomock League All Stars
Bryant Ciccio, Attleboro
Qualeem Charles, Attleboro
Mason Houle, Attleboro
Devin Foster, Canton
Kevin Gallagher, Foxboro
Brandon Borde, Foxboro
Chris Edgehill, Franklin
Jalen Samuels, Franklin
Bruce Saintilus, King Philip
Thomas Dooling, Mansfield
Sam Stevens, Mansfield
Matt Boen, Mansfield
Brendan White, Milford
Ethan Eckstrom, Oliver Ames
Obinna Ugwuakazi, Stoughton
Dante Law, Taunton
John Martins, Taunton
Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Velazquez, Attleboro
Ryan Lentol, Canton
Anthony Mollica, Foxboro
Will Harvey, Franklin
Alex Fritz, King Philip
Damani Scott, Mansfield
Danny Corsini, Milford
Josh Montague, North Attleboro
Sean O’Brien, Oliver Ames
Aidan Kane, Sharon
Kevin Dixon, Stoughton
Michael Quinn, Taunton
Taunton Upsets Attleboro With Second Half Surge
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.
“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.
“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.
Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/18/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 66 @ North Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro whittled an 18-point second half deficit down to seven midway through the fourth quarter but Attleboro slammed the door shut to secure the non-league victory. A free throw from Mason Houle (14 points, four rebounds) midway through the third put the Bombardiers up 46-28 midway through the third but the Rocketeers closed the third with an 8-0 run to stay within striking distance. Five points from North Attleboro’s Nate Gonsalves (12 points) and a free throw from Josh Porter made it 53-46 but Attleboro’s Nick McMahon answered with a traditional three-point play, and then Kevin Velazquez (nine points, five rebounds) and Bryant Ciccio (17 points, six assists) each hit a three to help the Bombarders pull away. Junior Tim Callahan added 11 points and classmate Qualeem Charles had 10 points, 16 rebounds. North Attleboro sophomore George Ladd finished with a career-high 13 points.
Foxboro, 70 vs. Randolph, 67 – Final – Foxboro junior Brandon Borde turn a turnaround, fadeaway three-pointer at the buzzer to help the Warriors steal a win over the Blue Devils. The two teams traded turnovers in the final 10 seconds, the Warriors getting the last look off the hands of Borde. Borde (11 rebounds) dominated the game for Foxboro, scoring 13 of his career-high 28 points in the third quarter to keep the Warriors in the game. Sophomore Kevin Gallagher added 12 points Foxboro, which trailed after the first (17-12) and second quarters (31-27) but had a strong second half and headed into the fourth tied 51-51.
Franklin, 61 vs. North Andover, 58 – Final – Franklin junior Chris Edgehill scored on a drive to the basket in the second quarter for his 1,000th carer point, becoming the first male Panther player to reach the plateau since Kyle Gibson in 2011. Edgehill finished with 11 points while senior Will Harvey added seven of his career-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. Jalen Samuels, who was named Harvey Nasuti tournament MVP, scored a team-high 15 points while Steve Karayan added five fourth-quarter points to help the Panthers secure the win.
King Philip @ Dartmouth (@ Somerset-Berkley) – Postponed to Tuesday at 5:00.
Mansfield, 57 vs. Lowell, 66 – Final – The Hornets stayed within striking distance throughout the game but couldn’t close the gap against Lowell (18-3). The Hornets trailed by five at half (26-21) but Lowell was able to increase that advantage to 41-32 heading into the final eight minutes. The Red Raiders made eight of their 11 free throws in a 25-point fourth quarter to ice the game. Senior Tommy Dooling, senior Damani Scott, and sophomore Matt Boen each had 12 points for the Hornets while sophomore TJ Guy finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Milford, 63 vs. Malden, 66 – Final (OT)
Oliver Ames, 53 vs. Scituate, 67 – Final – Scituate hit seven of its 15 three pointers in the first quarter, racing out to a 25-6 advantage after eight minutes and never looked back. The Sailors shot 50% from deep (7-for-14) to start the game, and finished 15-for-38 from deep to keep the Tigers at bay. After a slow first quarter, Oliver Ames won the final three quarters (47-42), including a strong second half. OA senior Sean O’Brien had a team-high 18 points with Amari Brown and Michael Greene each adding six points.
Sharon, 76 @ Norwood, 66 – Final – Sharon had one of its best offensive games to finish the season, scoring over 20 points in three of the four quarters. The Eagles jumped out to a 22-13 lead at the end of the first quarter but saw its lead shrink to just a point, 33-32, by halftime. Norwood kept within striking distance, down 56-52 heading into the fourth but the Eagles put the game to bed with a strong final frame. Senior Sergio Ripley had a carer-high 14 points, senior Greg Persad, junior Aidan Kane, and freshman John Baez each scored 10 points, and junior Andrew Burton finished with nine points.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 46 vs. Old Rochester, 36 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Foxboro reaches the final of the Warrior Classic after winning a defensive struggle with the Bulldogs, who came into Monday’s game tied with the Warriors for the top seed in D2 South. Katelyn Mollica scored 14 points to lead the Warriors and Shakirah Ketant added nine points. Foxboro jumped out to a 25-9 lead at halftime, despite struggling from the field, but Old Rochester battled back in the second half and had the lead down to as few as five points in the fourth quarter but the Warriors hit free throws to seal the victory.
King Philip, 50 @ Westwood, 47 – Final – King Philip held off Westwood in the consolation game of the Riley Winter Classic. The Warriors took the lead by outscoring the Wolverines 14-9 in the third quarter and held that lead until the end of a game that went back and forth throughout. Shannon O’Connor scored 11 points to lead the Warriors, while Faye Veilleux and Brainna James each scored 10.
Lowell, 42 @ Mansfield, 51 – Final – Mansfield jumped out to a lead in the first quarter, built it up to 15 by the end of the third quarter, and held on to it in the fourth quarter to earn the non-league win. Sydney Mulkern caught fire from the three-point line, knocking down six from beyond the arc, and finished with 22 points. Maggie Danehy scored 13 points and nine rebounds and Alicia Hottleman added six, all in the first quarter as the Hornets scored 23 as a team.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 4 @ Cardinal Spellman, 3 – Final
Franklin, 4 @ LaSalle Academy (R.I.), 3 – Final
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Westwood, 6 – Final – OA senior Colin Bourne scored the lone goal for the Tigers, with Jake Gottwald and Hunter Costello getting assists.
Taunton, 3 @ Middleboro, 2 – Final – Taunton senior Andrew Carter scored on a penalty shot halfway through the third period to lift the Tigers to a win. Taunton scored first but Middleboro seized a 2-1 advantage by the end of the first. Taunton was able to tie the game and then a covered puck in the crease in the third led to Carter’s game-winning goal, his second goal of the game. Ethan Ross also had a goal while Jack Patneaude, Loren Corcoran, and Evan Perreira each finished with an assist. Sean Bunker made 17 saves to get the win.
Girls Hockey
Canton, 5 vs. Barnstable, 4 – Final
King Philip, 0 @ Walpole, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Longmeadow, 4 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game.
Franklin Dominates Attleboro In Hockomock Finale
FRANKLIN, Mass. – For the Franklin boys basketball team, terrific defense led to easy offense.
And that combination resulted in a dominant performance and a comfortably 57-36 win over visiting Attleboro.
The Panthers flipped a two-point game upside down with a 20-0 run over the final six minutes of the second quarter to pull away from the Bombardiers, who entered the contest with a chance to win at least a share of its first Kelley-Rex title.
Franklin limited the visitors to just 22% shooting from the field in the opening half as the Bombardiers couldn’t find a connection from deep, going just 1-for-17 from three-point range. And with consistent stops, Franklin’s pushed the pace and cashed in with an impressive transition offense, converting some easy looks down low. Franklin shot 65% from the field in the opening half, making 12-of-18 shots from two-point range.
“That was definitely our best game of the season, by far,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “The guys were excited to play tonight, there’s no doubt about it. I think they were a little sore about how last game went and how the season has gone in some respects. They wanted to make a statement tonight and I thought they did, especially in that second quarter. We went in at halftime, and we usually have a list of things we want to change or that we did poorly, and we didn’t have many things on the list. The guys really bought in, that was the best they’ve bought in to a game plan and scouting report all season.”
While Attleboro only had four first half turnovers, it couldn’t solve the Panthers defensively. During Franklin’s game-changing run, Attleboro only had one turnover on a shot clock violation, and 0-for-11 from the field, with eight of those shots coming from three-point range.
“They did everything better than us tonight, offensively and defensively,” said Attleboro coach Mark Houle. “They made us really feel uncomfortable all night, and we didn’t have any answers.
“We didn’t hit [a three] in the first quarter but I have confidence in our guys that can shoot it, we can get hot, but we didn’t get enough paint touches. [Franklin] did a nice job of taking that away early, something that most teams haven’t been able to do. That limited us really. But quite honestly, we weren’t executing on offense. There were still things that we could have done, but we weren’t executing, and that led to a stagnant offense. And we couldn’t attack the rim because their defense was set. That was a very good defensive effort by them.”
Franklin led 15-7 after the first quarter but Attleboro opened the second quarter with a quick 5-0 run to make it a two-point game. Bryant Ciccio (11 points) drained a three and Kevin Velazquez picked off a pace and went the distance for a layup to make it 15-13.
From there, it was all Panthers. Jalen Samuels (15 points, nine rebounds, four assists) converted his own putback and then scored off a feed from Chris Edgehill (seven points, seven rebounds, seven assists). Will Harvey (career-high 19 points, nine rebounds) sank a three-pointer off a feed from Jack Rudolph, then Edgehill came down with a defensive rebound, pushed it up court and found Rudolph for two. Samuels then drove to the basket, drew in the defense and dished it off to Harvey for an easy two and a 26-13 lead with 3:43 left in the second quarter.
The Bombardiers tried to shoot their way out of the funk, taking six triples on their next seven possessions. The lone trip that didn’t result in a three-point attempt was a turnover on a shot clock violation.
Meanwhile, Franklin continued to cash in on the offensive end. Edgehill got some space in the lane for two, Jake Macchi (nine points) sank a three on a pass from Rudolph just moments after Samuels blocked an Attleboro three, and Samuels scored in low on a floater to put Franklin up 35-13 heading into halftime.
“Getting out in transition was key for us, getting up and down,” Neely said. “And when we attacked the paint, I think the biggest thing was getting in there and then making the extra pass for some dunks and some layups.”
The second half was much more even than the first, but the damage was already done by the Panthers. Tim Callahan made Attleboro’s second triple of the game with 2:44 left in the quarter (2-for-21 from deep through three), Ciccio added five points, including Attleboro’s only two free throws in the game, and Qualeem Charles (eight points, 10 rebounds) got an early bucket, but Franklin got points from Macchi (a three), Harvey (five) and two apiece from Edgehill and Rudolph to hold a 47-24 advantage entering the fourth.
“One of the biggest things we worked on was long closeouts,” Neely said. “We practiced having to get there and get there with a hand without flying into the crowd. We’re going to have to live with them making a couple. We knew we’d have to focus on Q, you can’t let one guy try and do it himself. I thought Harvey played one of his best games this season, and he rebounded really well and played great defensively.”
Attleboro’s defense limited the Panthers to 10 points in the fourth, but only scored 12 on its own. Mason Houle sank two threes in the fourth, the latter cutting the deficit to 15 points but with only three minutes to go. Harvey added four in the final frame and Matt Lazarek came off the bench to hit a triple for the Panthers, who shot 56% from the floor for the game and dominated the rebounding battle, 33-18.
“We had some good looks, but they were mostly contested shots,” Houle said. “We have to regroup. We have the opportunity to learn from this. We didn’t do many good things tonight on either end tonight. Their transition offense, we didn’t do a good enough job against it. That led to 20 straight points…and just layups. It was them getting the rebound and pushing it for a layup.”
Franklin boys basketball (12-4 Hockomock, 14-5 overall) is back in action on Sunday with a noon tipoff against New Bedford. Attleboro (13-3, 16-4) will try to bounce back when it travels to rival North Attleboro for a non-league clash on Monday.
Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/08/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
King Philip, 54 @ Attleboro, 58 – Final – Attleboro senior Mason Houle hit a big three and junior Qualeem Charles sank two big free throws as the Bombardiers held off an upset bid from King Philip. Houle (15 points) took a feed from Kevin Velazquez (nine points) and drained a three to make it 56-48 with 1:20 to play. KP’s Bruce Saintilus (21 points) answered with a three of his own to make it 56-51. After a stop, Tim Nault sank a three for the Warriors to make it 56-54 with 39 seconds to play. Charles (13 points, eight rebounds) hit two free throws with 12.4 left to secure the win for Attleboro. Tim Callahan added 13 points for Attleboro while Alex Fritz finished with 13 points for the Warriors.
Sharon, 43 @ Canton, 69 – Final – Canton senior Devin Foster scored 31 points to lead the Bulldogs to a win. With the victory and other results from the Davenport division, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the division title.
Stoughton, 62 @ Foxboro, 53 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.
Franklin, 67 @ Taunton, 49 – Final – After an even first quarter, Franklin controlled the final three periods to secure a win on the road over Kelley-Rex rival Taunton. Tied at 12-12 through eight minutes, Franklin created a 30-23 lead heading into the halftime break. The Panthers then extended the lead to 49-33 after three and never looked back to get the win. Franklin junior Chris Edgehill scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, Jalen Samuels added 14 points, and both Jake Macchi and Will Harvey (all points in the first half) finished with 10 points apiece. Dante Law had a team-high 10 points for the Tigers.
Mansfield, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 51 – Final – Mansfield connected on nine three-pointers and found success at the free throw line to return home with a win over Oliver Ames. Sophomores TJ Guy and Matt Boen each had 16 points for the Hornets, who held a three point lead at halftime (29-26) and entering the final quarter (45-42). Sam Stevens scored five of his eight points in the final quarter for Mansfield.
Milford, 53 @ North Attleboro, 63 – Final – North Attleboro was perfect from the field in the fourth quarter, going 9-for-9, and poured in 31 points to complete a comeback win over visiting Milford. The Rocketeers were limited to 16 points in the first half but equaled that total in the third quarter. Trailing 41-32 after three, the Rocketeers opened the fourth with an 8-0 run to get back into the game. Junior Ethan Friberg (11 points) hit a pair of threes in the fourth, sophomore George Ladd added 10 points (all in the second half), and Nate Gonsalves scored all eight of his points in the final quarter. Senior Josh Montague scored a team-high 19 points while Josh Porter added nine points, including a big layup in the fourth quarter. Brendan White had a team-high 14 points and Brendon Sailer added 13 points for the Hawks.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – Faith Roy set a career-high with 22 points to lead the Warriors to a win that clinches a state tournament berth. Shannon O’Connor and Faye Veilleux chipped in with 12 points apiece for KP.
Sharon, 48 @ Canton, 65 – Final – Kiara Cerruti scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Bulldogs to their 11th win this season. Defensively, seniors Maggie Connolly and Julia Hamilton combined for 14 steals in the win. Emma Eberhardt scored 19 points in the loss and Telishya Herbert added 15 for the Eagles.
Foxboro, 79 @ Stoughton, 36 – Final – Katelyn Mollica had 25 points, including seven three-pointers, to lead the Warriors to a division win. Yara Fawaz had 16 points and Abby Hassman and Chelsea Gibbons each scored nine points in the win.
Taunton, 37 @ Franklin, 82 – Final – Franklin clinched the outright league title with the win. It’s the first title since 2013 for the Panthers. Eleven different players scored for the Panthers in the win led by Ali Brigham with 20 points. Bea Bondhus added 16 and Megan O’Connell had 13 in the win. Sonya Fernandez was Taunton’s top scorer with 12.
Mansfield, 45 @ Oliver Ames, 39 – Final – Maggie Danehy led the way for the Hornets with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Mady Bendanillo added 10 ppoints, four assists, and three steals in the win. OA closed the gap in the fourth quarter, cutting an 11-point lead to just six, thanks in part to freshman Caroline Peper, who scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth.
North Attleboro, 55 @ Milford, 19 – Final – Liz Smahi and Julia Kleczkowski each scored eight points for the Rocketeers.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 9 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Brendan Tully netted a hat trick and Kirk Leach scored twice as the Warriors skated to a win over Stoughton at Asiaf. Sean Doherty and Carter Gerome each scored for Stoughton.
Gymnastics
Mansfield @ Sharon, 7:30
Oliver Ames, 137.95 @ Mansfield, 147.05 – Final
Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro @ Newton North, 6:30
Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/05/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 55 @ Oliver Ames, 53 – Final – Attleboro overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 21-12 in the final quarter to get the win. The Bombardiers trailed 35-22 in the third before closing the gap to 41-34 entering the fourth quarter. The Bombarders opened the fourth with a 12-5 run, tying the game at 46 with four minutes to play. Attleboro had a three-point lead but OA’s Sean O’Brien hit one from deep to tie the game. Attleboro senior Mason Houle hit two free throws with 20 seconds left and the Bombardiers forced a turnover with seconds left to secure the win. Houle finished with a team-high 20 points while Qualeem Chares added 16 points and eight rebounds. Kevin Velazquez scored all 13 of his points in the second half, including nine in the fourth quarter. OA senior Ethan Eckstrom had a team-high 15 points.
Canton, 52 @ Stoughton, 58 – Final – Stoughton scored 34 points in the second half to pick up a key division win over rival Canton. Junior Myles Grigalunas-Powell was held scoreless in the first half but exploded for 14 points in the second half while Ahmad Jahed added a career-high 13 points to pace the Black Knights. Kevin Dixon and Tahkwan Gates Brown each finished with 11 points for the Black Knights, who trailed 26-24 at half but took a 42-36 lead into the fourth quarter. Devin Foster led Canton with 16 points.
Foxboro, 63 @ Milford, 66 – Final – Milford trailed by 14 at halftime but used a spirited second half to secure the win. Milford scored 19 points in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to single digits (51-42) but then exploded for 24 points in the final period to get the comeback win over the Warriors. Brendan White scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter and also grabbed 15 rebounds to pace the Hawks’ comeback. White put Milford ahead 62-61 after converting an offensive rebound, and Danny Corsini (11 points) came up with a steal and bucket to make it 64-61. Sophomore Jordan Darling added 15 points for Milford Foxboro had a look for the tying bucket at the buzzer but it was just off the mark. The Warriors, who were without leading scorer Brandon Borde, were led by sophomore Kevin Gallagher’s career-high 24 points while senior Anthony Mollica added 16 points.
Mansfield, 73 @ Franklin, 72 – Final (OT) – Click here for a recap of this game.
King Philip, 52 @ Taunton, 59 – Final – King Philip used a 16-point third quarter to tie the score at 43-43 heading into the final frame, but the Tigers’ defense limited the Warriors to just nine points in the fourth quarter to secure the win. Senior Michael Quinn had a team-high 21 points while John Martins added 12 points and Naz Kenion finished with 11 points. Junior Alex Fritz led KP with a career-high 22 points while Bruce Saintilus added 18 points.
Sharon, 43 @ North Attleboro, 50 – Final – North Attleboro senior Nate Gonsalves (13 points) hit a pair of three pointers and junior Ethan Friberg added one as the Rocketeers were able to pull away from Sharon in the fourth quarter. Big Red held a 20-13 lead at halftime but the Eagles exploded for 17 points in the third, as junior Aidan Kane hit three triples and had 11 of his team-high 15 points in the quarter. North had connected on just two threes heading into the fourth but totaled 18 points in the fame to get the win. Senior Josh Montague and sophomore George Ladd each added 13 points for North.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Attleboro, 28 – Final – Oliver Ames ramped up the defensive intensity in the second half, limiting the Bombardiers to just 11 points as the Tigers ran away with the win. Tate Hadges led OA, which led 33-17 at half, with 12 points while freshmen Caroline Peper and Hailey Bourne each added 10 points.
Stoughton, 34 @ Canton, 56 – Final – The Bulldogs clinched a playoff spot with the win. It is the quickest that Canton has clinched a playoff berth in about two decades. Head coach Jim Choquette credited his team’s defensive performance for earning the win and sealing a quick return to the state tournament. Sydnee Hyacinthe had 12 points and Shyanne Trinh had 10 for the Black Knights.
Milford, 13 @ Foxboro, 75 – Final – Katelyn Mollica scored 19 to lead the Warriors, who clinched at least a share of their third straight Davenport title. Shakirah Ketant had 13 ponints and 11 rebounds and Yara Fawaz added 12 points for Foxboro.
Franklin, 47 @ Mansfield, 32 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
King Philip, 74 @ Taunton, 37 – Final – Faith Roy scored 21 points, including 16 in the first quarter, helping the Warriors jump out to a big lead right from the opening tip and they never looked back. KP coach Amy Siggens said that the team’s defensive intensity made the difference. Shannon O’Connor added 16 and Faye Veilleux had 12 points for the Warriors, who are one win away from booking a spot in the state tournament.
North Attleboro, 52 @ Sharon, 57 – Final (OT) – Ally Brown and Telishya Herbert each scored 13 points for the Eagles, who move within two wins of clinching a playoff spot. Emma Eberhardt and Evanjuline Elisma each scored eight points in the win.
Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro @ Burlington, 7:00
Hornets Hold Off Attleboro to Force Tie Atop League
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The first time Attleboro and Mansfield met, the game went to overtime before a winner could be decided. On Friday night in the Albertini Gym, it looked like the two teams could be headed for another extra period when the Bombardiers battled back to tie the game at 53-53 in the fourth quarter.
As they had all game long, the Hornets made shots when they needed to, closing the game on a 10-4 run and sealing a 63-57 win that split the season series against the Bombardiers and forged a tie atop the Kelley-Rex division.
T.J. Guy got the Hornets off to a good start to the game, scoring the team’s first seven points, including a three-pointer, to take an early lead. Sam Stevens hit his first of three from beyond the arc to extend the lead to 10-4. Attleboro climbed back into the game by getting the ball into the post to junior Qualeem Charles (21 points and 17 rebounds). He scored eight in the first to keep the Bombardiers close.
Tim Callahan drilled a three to get Attleboro back within three but then Damani Scott (11 points and 11 rebounds) answered with one of his one and finished with Mansfield’s last eight points of the quarter to give the hosts a 22-17 edge.
Tommy Dooling (10 points) got free on back-to-back possessions in the second and drilled a pair of threes to extend the lead to 30-19, which was the largest of the night. Even without injured point guard Bryant Ciccio, the Bombardiers kept finding ways to hang around. Charles got a three-point play off a Mason Houle assist and then Houle (nine points) got a steal and assist for a Kevin Velazquez transition basket.
“All season long, we’ve had guys down and had guys step up,” said Attleboro coach Mark Houle about battling through the game without Ciccio. “This group really plays for each other. We’re still first place in the league…and we need to finish strong, take care of what we need to do, and work hard then we’ll be alright.”
A Matt Boen three pushed the lead back to nine, but a Charles layup off a Nick McMahon feed and a pair of baskets from Houle kept Attleboro within seven, 37-30, heading into the break.
“We tried to really run at Mason and really neutralize Q,” said Vaughan. “I mean, Q is going to get his points but if we neutralize him and really make it difficult for Tim and Mason to get going I thought that was probably our best recipe for winning. You’ve got to pick your poison.”
The Bombardiers cut the lead down to four at the start of the third quarter, but every time Mansfield would have a response. This time it was Boen drilling a corner three from a Dooling assist and then Stevens got going with seven points in the quarter. When Boen (12 points) hit his second three of the quarter, and third of the night, the Hornets led 53-42 and felt on the verge of putting the game out of reach.
Instead, Attleboro rallied with 11 straight points. Callahan hit a three and McMahon beat the buzzer with a pull-up jumper in the final seconds of the third. Callahan hit another to start the fourth and Charles scored off a Houle assist and got fouled on an offensive rebound to tie the game.
“We had to rebound,” said Vaughan. “I think in the third quarter when they made a push, the first time I thought we could’ve put them away, it was all done on the offensive glass.”
Houle noted, “We’re a resilient group. There were a couple possessions we’d like to have back, kind of settled a little bit, but Mansfield’s good. They buckled down on two, three possessions that ended up being key when we had momentum going.”
After a Scott free throw, Stevens got a good look at a straightaway three and nailed it to make it 57-53. Dooling beat his man for a layup and then Scott followed up a miss with a rebound basket to put the home team up seven with time running out.
“They made shots,” said Houle. “We adjusted some things at halftime and it was the first time we played zone all year. I think it took them out of their rhythm for a little while and we were gritty, scrappy, and I’m proud of our effort. We played like champions need to.”
With the Hornets struggling at the line, just 3-for-10 in the fourth quarter, Attleboro was still in the game and Houle buried his first three of the game to make it 61-57 with 43 seconds left. It just wasn’t enough for the Bombardiers as time ran out on the latest comeback attempt.
“If you’re not making free throws,” Vaughan explained, “you give opportunities and they had a few opportunities but they missed a few shots there that could’ve changed the outcome of the game. Some of it is they’re just not used to the moment, so having games like this will definitely prepare us come tournament time.”
The win moves Mansfield into a first place tie, but both teams have to run the gauntlet of division play over the final four games in the league.
“It doesn’t getting easy for either one of us,” said Vaughan about the closing stretch in league play. “It’s what I love about the league is that it isn’t easy and they didn’t make it easy for us tonight. Now we’ve got to enjoy this tonight and come out on Tuesday and be ready for Franklin because they’re going to come out and say hey this is our league title game.”
As Vaughan noted, Mansfield (14-2, 10-2) will travel to Franklin, which is just one game out of first, on Tuesday night. Attleboro (13-3, 10-2) will also be on the road, traveling to Oliver Ames, looking to stay in the hunt for its first ever Hock title.
Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/29/19
Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 66 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Attleboro exploded for 26 points in the second quarter, turning a four-point lead after one quarter into a 39-20 advantage by halftime. Mason Houle hit three of his six triples in the second quarter and finished with a career-high 25 points to lead the way for the Bombardiers. Kevin Velazquez added seven of his 12 points in the quarter and grabbed nine rebounds, Tim Callahan added nine points and eight rebounds and Qualeem Charles finished with eight points and 13 rebounds. Brendan White had a team-high 17 points for the Hawks.
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Canton, 65 – Final (OT) – Canton junior Kyle Fitzgerald tied the game with a free throw with two seconds left in overtime, and the Bulldogs went 12-for-16 from the line in the extra period to prevail with a win over Oliver Ames. Fitzgerald’s (eight points) free throw knotted the score at 53-53. Canton did not score a field goal in the extra four minutes but was successful from the free throw line. Devin Foster had a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds, Ryan Lentol added 12 points and both Matt Giglio and Eric Mischler finished with 10 points apiece Sean O’Brien hit five threes and finished with a team-high 17 points while Amari Brown added 14 points.
King Philip, 57 @ Foxboro, 61 – Final – King Philip made a late push to get back into the game but Foxboro made 12 of its 18 makes from the free throw line in the final frame to secure the win. Foxboro led 38-37 going into the final frame and used a 10-0 run to take a 52-44 lead with under three minutes to play, but KP refused to go away. KP cut it to three, 56-53, with 21 seconds left but Foxboro was able to hold on, getting clutch free throws from senior Anthony Mollica (11 points). Junior Brandon Borde added 17 points and sophomore Kevin Gallagher finished with 13 points for Foxboro. KP senior Bruce Saintilus had a game-high 18 points and junior Alex Fritz had 16 points.
Franklin, 74 @ Sharon 35 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a 16-11 lead after eight minutes and then poured in 27 points in the second quarter to record a win on the road at Sharon. Jalen Samuels (eight points), Chris Edgehill (10 points), James Marsh (11 points) and Brayden Sullivan each connected on a three in the second quarter. Will Harvey added 12 points, including 10 in the opening quarter.
Mansfield, 45 @ North Attleboro, 43 – Final – North Attleboro scored 17 points in the fourth quarter and had a chance to tie or win the game but couldn’t get the last shot to fall. Mansfield held a 43-40 lead before sophomore Matty Boen hit a free throw to push it to four with 26 seconds left. North Attleboro senior Josh Montague (11 points) responded with a three-point play with 18 seconds left to make it 44-43. Sam Stevens pushed Mansfield’s lead to 45-43 with a free throw and then North Attleboro’s three at the buzzer was just off giving the Hornets the win. Mansfield led 25-19 at half and each team scored seven points in the third as the Hornets led 32-26 going into the final frame. Damani Scott had 12 points and TH Guy added 10 points for Mansfield.
Taunton, 70 @ Stoughton, 61 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
Girls Basketball
Milford, 27 @ Attleboro, 54 – Final – Attleboro had 10 players score in a big win. Liv McCall paced the Bombardiers with 11 points and Nyah Thomas chipped in with 10. Emma Lawrence was Milford’s top scorer with 11 points.
Canton, 65 @ Oliver Ames, 56 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
Foxboro, 49 @ King Philip, 53 – Final (OT) – The Warriors battled back from as many as 15 points down in the second half to force overtime against the defending Div. 2 state champs, before outscoring Foxboro 8-4 in the OT period. Shannon O’Connor scored 18 points and Julia Leroux added 10 for KP, which has already doubled ast year’s win total and is only two wins from clinching a return to the state tournament. Katelyn Mollica scored 22 in the loss. KP coach Amy Siggens credited the team’s defensive effort for the win, saying that it kept stepping up and being aggressive in the second half to limit the league’s top offensive team to 15 points below its season average in regulation.
Sharon, 25 @ Franklin, 53 – Final – Franklin continued its unbeaten start to league play with a dominant second half. Ali Brigham led the way again for the Panthers with 18 points and Megan O’Connell added 15. Telishya Herbert scored 10 points for the Eagles.
North Attleboro, 39 @ Mansfield, 48 – Final – Mansfield had the lead from the start, but North kept things close throughout. The Hornets used a 19-13 fourth quarter to seal the win. Maggie Danehy recorded another double-double for the Hornets with 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Mady Bendanillo and Emily Vigeant each added 12 points. Julia Feid scored a dozen points to lead the Rocketeers and Regan Fein scored nine.
Stoughton, 68 @ Taunton, 46 – Final – Shyanne Trinh scored a team-high 16 points to get the Black Knights back on track with a road win. Aliyah Wright scored 15 and Sydnee Hyacinthe had 13 in the victory.
Gymnastics
King Philip @ North Attleboro, 8:00
Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro, 164.8 @ Burlington, 161.4 – Final
Attleboro, 164.8 vs. Newton North, 187.1 – Final