Tag: Lester High

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/26/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 59 @ Milford, 51 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Franklin, 93 @ Stoughton, 58 – Final – Franklin jumped out to a quick 19-2 lead and never looked back in a road win at Stoughton. The Panthers led 30-11 after one before the Black Knights cut the deficit to nine, 48-39, at halftime. Franklin outscored 45-19 in the second half to earn the win. Senior Paul Mahon led a game-high 21 points while senior Matt Elias and sophomore Chris Edgehill each had 16 points apiece for the Panthers. Stoughton senior Cam Andrews had a team-high 15 points.

King Philip, 57 @ Sharon, 63 – Final (OT) – King Philip raced out to a 13-0 lead, led by as much as 23 in the first half and 31-11 at halftime, but Sharon stormed back with a gigantic second half to stun the Warriors in overtime. Sharon hit one free throw to make it 50-46, then grabbed the offensive rebound to get back to the line. After making the first again, the Eagles came down with the offensive board on the miss. Lester High, who scored a career-high 19 points, drained a three to tie the game with 25 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Malik Lorquet (18 points, 13 rebounds) and Jimmy Fitzhenry (12 points) hit back-to-back baskets, KP answered with a free throw, then High hit his fifth triple of the game to make it 57-53. Tom Madden (12 points) answered in the post to cut it to four, but Fitzhenry drained a three with just under a minute to play to make it 60-53. Pharoah Davis led KP with 14 points.

Girls Basketball
Milford, 46 @ Attleboro, 38 – Final – A night after scoring 33 and reaching the 1,000-point plateau, Kate Irwin scored 17 points to lead the Hawks to a road win at Attleboro to clinch a spot in the postseason for the second season in a row. Jess Tomaso added 15 points for Milford, while Attleboro was led by Sam Pierce with 14 points.

Foxboro, 61 @ Oliver Ames, 39 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 47 @ Franklin, 36 – Final – Stoughton won its fourth straight game (all on the road) with a strong defensive effort against the Panthers. Aliyah Wright led the Black Knights with 17 points and Jordan Motley just missed out on a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Sharon, 43 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – KP had four players in double digits in a big home win. Faith Roy was the top scorer for the Warriors with 19 points, while Shannon O’Connor scored 14 and Christina Hathaway and freshman Brianna James each scored 10. Emma Eberhardt was Sharon’s top scorer with 11 points.

North Attleboro, 29 @ Mansfield, 59 – Final – Meg Hill scored 15 points and recorded 12 rebounds in another double-double for the senior center. Ann Maher scored nine, while Sydney Mulkern and Alicia Hottleman each added seven for the Hornets. Julia Feid was the high scorer for North with 10 points.

Boys Indoor Track (@ Reggie Lewis)
Attleboro, 58 vs. Taunton, 42 – Final

Canton, 52.5 vs. Foxboro, 47.5 – Final – Marquise Montes, Riley McDonnell, and Cordell Smith all placed first in individual races and teamed together along with freshman Cam Sanchez to win the 4×200 relay to help the Bulldogs edge the Warriors. Montes on the 55M (with Sanchez second), McDonnell took first in the 300M (with Smith second and John Guenthner third) and Smith won the high jump (with Steven Brady second and McDonnell tied for third). Brady also won the long jump, Jack Healey won the 2 Mile and was second in the 1 Mile, and Mike Mazzola took second in the 1000M. Gerry Sullivan added a third-place finish in the 600M.

Franklin, 25 vs. Mansfield, 75 – Final – The Hornets clinched another league title with a win over the Panthers. Jareme DiLorenzo had a great meet for Mansfield, taking first in the 55M hurdles (8.12), first in the long jump (20-05.00) and second in the 55M dash (6.98). Mike Hargadon ran a PR (1:26.52) for a second place finish in the 600M, with Mike Shannon coming in first (1:25.29). In the shot put, Dan Radev had a PR of 41-11.25 to take second (behind teammate Kevin McCree’s 45-05.00) and Kalin Petrov had his best performance in the 2 Mile, finishing in 9:42.00.

King Philip, 36 vs. Oliver Ames, 64 – Final

Milford, 33 vs. North Attleboro, 67 – Final

Sharon, 58 vs. Stoughton, 42 – Final

Girls Indoor Track (@ Reggie Lewis)
Attleboro, 30.5 vs. Taunton, 65.5 – Final

Canton, 36 vs. Foxboro, 60 – Final – Canton’s Jimisha Williams, Leah Murphy and Claire Belisle all won individual events and teamed with Rosana Cho to win the 4×200 relay for the Bulldogs. Williams took first in the 55M, Murphy was on the long jump while Cho took second, and Belisle won the 300M. Ally Chin (2 Mile) and Bronwyn Mahoney (shot put) earned first-place finishes, while Chloe Pennacchio earned points with third-place finishes in both the 1000M and 1 Mile.

Franklin, 59 vs. Mansfield, 41 – Final – Franklin won the division for the third straight year with the victory. For Mansfield, senior Madison Haughey ran a PR in the 55M hurdles and jumped 4’11 in the high jump, qualifying for states in both events. Junior Brynn Anderson knocked off six seconds for a PR in the 1000M, also qualifying for states. Lizzie How also ran a PR in the 300, taking second, with freshman Tessa Lancaster shaved 20 seconds off her 2 Mile run, qualifying for states at 12:14.55.

King Philip, 57 vs. Oliver Ames, 43 – Final

Milford, 43 vs. North Attleboro, 57 – Final

Sharon, 69 vs. Stoughton, 30 – Final

Boys Swimming
Franklin, 86 @ North Attleboro, 74 – Final
Oliver Ames, 99 @ King Philip, 84 – Final

Girls Swimming
Franklin, 90 @ North Attleboro, 75 – Final
Oliver Ames, 90 @ King Philip, 95 – Final

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

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Taunton, 47 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Canton, 66 @ Stoughton, 40 – Final – Canton turned a four-point lead at halftime into a big win with a huge second half. The Bulldogs led 30-26 at half, and then 51-38 after three quarters. Canton slammed the door shut with a 15-2 final quarter. Austin Maffie led the Dogs with 20 points while Devin Foster added 19 points in the win. Cam Andrews led the Black Knights with 20 points.

Foxboro, 50 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – North Attleboro had a lead at the end of each the first, second and third quarters but Foxboro’s offense came to life with 21 points in the final frame, edging Big Red in the final minute. Joe Morrison scored eight of his game-high 15 points in the final frame, including a pair of threes, to help the Warriors earn the win. In the final minute, Devin Hassett scored on a broken play just before the shot clock to put Foxboro up 50-48. Sophomore Brandon Borde added 10 points while Hassett had all nine of his points in the second half. Josh Montague led North with nine points while Nate Goncalves and Chad Peterson each had eight points.

Franklin, 61 @ King Philip, 44 – Final – Franklin turned a six-point lead at halftime into a 19-point lead (49-30) heading into the final quarter and never looked back. Sophomore Chris Edgehill led the Panthers with 22 points while junior Jalen Samuels added 14 points.

Oliver Ames, 39 @ Mansfield, 72 – Final – Mansfield limited Oliver Ames to five points in the first quarter, and then six in the second to build a 39-11 lead at the break. Junior Tommy Dooling connected on five three-pointers for a career-high 15 points to lead the Hornets. Tyler Boulter added 11 points and John McCoy had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Sharon, 59 @ Milford, 77 – Final – Milford poured in 49 points in the first half, building a 30-point lead that it never surrendered. Sharon got within 12 in the second half but the Scarlet Hawks never allowed it to get to single digits. Brendan White led Milford with 20 points while senior Kayden Kelley had 13 points and 14 rebounds, Brendon Sailer added 11 points and Andrew Fraioli finished with eight points and five rebounds. Sharon’s Malik Lorquet and Lester High each scored 13 points.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 40 @ Taunton, 51 – Final – The Tigers went on a 14-3 run to close the game after the teams entered the fourth quarter tied 37-37. MacKenzie Handrahan paced Taunton with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Alexa and Kelsey White each added 12 points. Lily Patneaude had a solid all-around game with six points, six assists, and six steals. Sam Pierce was Attleboro’s top scorer with 15 points.

Stoughton, 56 @ Canton, 40 – Final – The Knights were led by sophomore guard Aliyah Wright, who led the team in scoring with 22 points. Senior forward Val Whalen chipped in with 12 points for Stoughton.

North Attleboro, 26 @ Foxboro, 75 – Final – Ashley Sampson had another big night for the Warriors with 26 points, while Lily Sykes added 17 and Katelyn Mollica had 16.

King Philip, 47 @ Franklin, 56 – Final – Ali Brigham led the way for the Panthers with her second 20-point game of the week. The sophomore center scored 23 points and recorded her second triple-double of the season.

Mansfield, 44 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Milford, 44 @ Sharon, 28 – Final

Wrestling
Burlington Quad (Oliver Ames) – A shorthanded Oliver Ames squad picked up a pair of wins on the day. The Tigers were narrowly edged by Arlington (34-32) but had impressive showings against Burlington (45-31) and Mascononmet (42-39), Cobey Williamson, Anthony Berksza and Dean Pacini all went 3-0 while Darnele Ryan (220) went 2-1.

Boys Swimming
Canton @ Westwood, 3:30
Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Taunton @ Franklin, 7:00

Girls Swimming
Canton @ Westwood, 3:30
Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Taunton, 71 @ Franklin, 90 – Final

Gymnastics
North Attleboro, 138.75 @ Franklin, 131.15 – Final

Borde Leads Foxboro Past Sharon In Davenport Clash

Foxboro boys basketball
Foxboro sophomore Brandon Borde converts a layup in the first half against Sharon. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
 
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
SHARON, Mass. – With 29 career starts already under his belt, it’s easy to forget that Foxboro’s Brandon Borde is just a sophomore.

And you’d never know it based on his performance on Saturday night. Borde poured in a career-high 25 points in a dominant effort, helping Foxboro pick up a 73-46 win over the Eagles in the first Davenport division game of the season.

After starting all but one game during his rookie year (senior night), Borde wasted little time getting going during his seventh start of this season. He scored 11 points in the first quarter, helping Foxboro build a double-digit lead it never surrendered.

By halftime, Borde had already surpassed his career-high mark with 19 points and then added six points in the third quarter before resting for the majority of the final frame.

“We’ve been really begging him to be more aggressive in terms of looking for his own shot and attacking the basket,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “He’s such an unselfish kid and such a good passer that a lot of times he defers and he doesn’t realize how good he is.

“Obviously he got going tonight and I think he started to realize he could score almost at will and his confidence really got going. You can see what he’s capable of when he’s that aggressive. Hopefully, that aggressive mindset will become the norm.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Warriors and Eagles matched one another through the first five and a half minutes, but Foxboro seized control of the game by closing with an 11-0 run. A free throw from Bobby Harrison and three free throws from Joe Morrison after the buzzer sandwiched a 7-0 run from Borde himself.

Up 10-8, Borde hauled in a defensive rebound before converting at the rim on the other end. After Sharon came up with a block, Borde drained a three on a feed from Anthony Mollica, Sharon missed a three and Borde pulled up in the lane for another two to make it 17-10 with under a minute to play in the first.

The sophomore kept it going in the second quarter. When Sharon’s Malik Lorquet opened the frame with a traditional three-point play to give the home side some momentum, Borde answered with a strong take to the rim himself, converting while being fouled; he also converted the free throw.

After sophomore Will Morrison hit a pair of free throws, Borde read a cross-court pass, picking it off and laying it in for an easy two. Sharon’s Jayvon Monteiro responded with a layup of his own but Borde drained his second triple of the half on a pass from Joe Morrison, giving Foxboro a commanding 30-13 lead.

Foxboro took a 39-18 lead into halftime.

“We were right there with them for the first six and a half minutes but that last minute and a half really killed us in the first quarter,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We knew how good they were defensively, Jon does such a great job with them. Joe Morrison did a great job, Brandon Borde did a great job. Our offense just got stagnant, we didn’t move the ball enough. We went a little one-on-one too much, and that’s a credit to [Foxboro]. They were able to take us out of what we wanted to do by executing what they wanted to do.”

Foxboro put to bed any hopes of a comeback with its best offensive quarter of the game, pouring in 21 points in the frame on 53% shooting. Both Joe Morrison (two three’s) and Borde scored six points in the quarter while Teddy Maher and Ryan Hughes each contributed.

Mollica capped the quarter with his first field goal fo the game, a three-pointer after Joe Morrison forced a turnover on the defensive end.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

With both teams playing their starters, Foxboro held the Eagles to 38 points on 35% shooting from the field while forcing 17 turnovers. It marked the sixth time in eight games an opponent has scored fewer than 5 points with Mansfield (50 points) and Franklin (52 points) the lone teams to reach the half-century mark.

“Defense is where it all starts for us, and it’s a huge point of pride for us,” Gibbs said. “I think that’s definitely our calling card as a team. We have a lot of quick, tough, physical guards that are really good at containing dribble penetration. I think we make it tough for teams to get into the paint and break us down off the dribble. We just have some tough-minded kids, they really work at it, they’re really coachable. It’s definitely something we take a lot of pride in.”

Lorquet led Sharon with 11 points and six rebounds while Lester High and Jimmy Fitzhenry each scored 10 points for the Eagles.

Foxboro boys basketball (3-1 Hockomock, 7-1 overall) is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Stoughton. Sharon (0-4, 1-6) will try to get back on track on Tuesday when it hosts North Attleboro at 6:30.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Shooting, Rebounding Woes Plague Sharon In Loss

Sharon boys basketball
Sharon’s Malik Lorquet fights for a loose ball with Walpole’s Trey Wilkes. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
 
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
WESTWOOD, Mass. – Sometimes there’s one specific stat or play that a coach can point to that changes the game. Unfortunately for Sharon, it was a handful of stats and combination of plays that resulted in a 59-54 setback to Walpole in the first round of the Westwood Holiday Tournament.

The Eagles had a strong defensive performance, helping force 23 Rebel turnovers, but cooled down considerably on the offensive end after a red-hot start. Sharon shot just 15% from three-point range (3-for-20) and hit just 54% of its free throw attempts (13-for-24) while losing the rebounding battle to Walpole, 39-26.

“It was a combination of things,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “Since I’ve been the freshmen coach here I’ve been preaching layups and free throws. We missed too many layups and we missed too many foul shots. I think if we made some of those layups and those foul shots and we get going from inside, then those threes start falling. I think we settled for too many jump shots instead of taking the ball to the basket.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Despite the final numbers, Sharon’s offense was nearly unstoppable for nearly the opening five minutes. After giving up the opening bucket of the game, the Eagles went on a 16-0 run over a four-minute span to seize a 16-2 lead.

Over that stretch, the Eagles made seven of their eight field goal attempts. Using a fast tempo, the Eagles quickly turned stops on defense into transition offense. Ben Kaplan (nine points) split right through the lane to start the run and Alex Kaufmann (16 points) sandwiched two layups around an assist to Kaplan for three.

Out of a timeout, Kaufmann converted a traditional three-point play and senior Malik Lorquet (13 points, seven rebounds) scored back-to-back baskets underneath to stretch the lead to 14 points.

“We have to be a one-stop defense and we have to rebound the basketball and run from there,” Ferguson said. “When we did that, we were successful. But when they beat us on the glass, they were more successful than we were.”

But the Rebels’ offense came alive as well. Walpole closed the quarter on a 7-2 run and then continued that run in the second quarter. In a stretch that saw three missed free throws and a pair of turnovers, Walpole knotted the game at 19.

“I looked over at my staff when it was an eight or ten point lead and asked, ‘Why does this feel like just a two-point lead?’ We got complacent, we didn’t have the killer instinct,” Ferguson said. “I think we lacked it some coming off the bench, I think we lacked it some in our starting group. I think they went in here to kind of roll them over after that first four minutes. And Walpole is a very good coached team, [Walpole head coach] Mike [Masto] does a great job. We knew they weren’t going to lay down, and they didn’t. We weren’t really able to finish off the game.”

Holding a 24-23 lead, Sharon got back into the driver’s seat and finished the half with a 9-1 run; a traditional three-point play from Jayvon Monteiro, a layup from Kaplan, a putback from Lorquet and a bucket from Kaufmann, leading 33-24 at the half.

Walpole had its best quarter of the game in the third, scoring 18 points while holding the Eagles to just eight points.

Sophomore Aidan Kane drained a three off a feed from Lester High to give Sharon a 40-34 lead with 3:13 to go in the third quarter. But from there, Walpole surged ahead with an 8-1 run to close the quarter. The Eagles were without three starters due to foul trouble for the end of the third and beginning of the fourth.

The Rebels built its largest lead of the game at that point when Brett Lavanchy (13 points, 10 rebounds) converted off a Sharon turnover to make it 51-46.

But Sharon didn’t go away quietly. As Monteiro drained a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game. After a stop, Lorquet converted down low to get within one, 51-50, with 3:24 to play.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a minute without scoring, Walpole scored down low for a 53-50 lead and the Rebels’ defense got a stop, with Lorquet picking up his fifth foul on an over the back call.

Walpole pushed it back to five, 55-50, with 1:03 to play. The teams traded two throws apiece to keep the lead at five. Sharon’s Max Tarlin hauled in a late offensive board to give the Eagles a shot at a three, but the chance rimmed in and out.

Tarlin added two free throws to bring Sharon within three with 3.4 seconds to go, but Walpole was able to inbound the ball and make its free throws.

Sharon boys basketball (0-3 Hockomock, 0-4 overall) is back in action on Saturday when it will play host Westwood in the consolation round of the tournament at 5:00.

“We can’t let this snowball to 0-5,” Ferguson said. “Tomorrow will show us what we’re really made of. If we show up and lie down, it really hurts us going into the league and puts us behind the eight ball. But I have faith in my guys that they’ll show up tomorrow and give a good effort. We really want to come out of here with a W and I think we’ll work hard to do that tomorrow.”

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/12/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 50 @ Canton, 53 – Final – Canton held a one-point lead at halftime (28-27) but used an 8-0 run to start the second half to create the separation it needed. The Bulldogs went up 51-41 with 5:29 to play, but Attleboro’s switch to a zone defense stalled Canton’s offense and got the Bombarders back into the game. Attleboro had a 9-2 run and had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but the shot missed and Canton picked up its first win over Attleboro since 2013. Senior Tony Harris scored a game-high 18 points while hauling in 15 rebounds, senior Austin Maffie added 11 points and junior Devin Foster finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Attleboro junior Dom Victor had a team-high 16 points while sophomore Qualeem Charles had 12 points.

Mansfield, 50 @ Foxboro, 43 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

King Philip, 53 @ Milford, 47 – Final – Milford held the lead until the final minutes of the game, but King Philip took the lead late and earned the win on the road. Milford junior Brendan White dropped a career-high 20 points while senior Kayden Kelley had 15 points for the Hawks.

Oliver Ames, 64 @ Stoughton, 53 – Final – Stoughton rallied at the end of the first half, using seven straight points from senior Greg Firmin (career-high 14 points) to take a 34-32 lead at halftime. But Oliver Ames switched to a 2-3 zone and took control of the game in the second half. OA senior Jack Spillane led all scorers with 24 points while junior Jake Erlich scored 13 points for the Tigers.

Taunton, 64 @ Sharon, 62 – Final – Sharon overcame a 13-point deficit over the final 90 seconds and had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but came up just shy. Taunton jumped out to a 20-10 lead after the first quarter before taking a 34-25 lead into the locker room. The Tigers kept their lead in double-digits, 50-40, heading into the final quarter. Sharon outscored Taunton 22-12 in the final frame but the Tigers escaped with the win. Sophomore Dante Law netted a team-high 20 points for Taunton while junior Lou Vendrell scored a career-high 18 points. Sharon senior Malik Lorquet led all scorers with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Jimmy Fitzhenry added 14 points and Lester High had 11 points.

Girls Basketball
Canton, 39 @ Attleboro, 37 – Final – Hannah Jerrier scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds and Erin Devine added eight points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and three assists as Canton rallied in the final minute to open its season with a road victory. The Bulldogs trailed 37-36 with a minute left and scored to take the lead, adding a free throw in the final 20 seconds. Julia Hamilton added seven points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs. Attleboro was led by Sam Pierce’s 12 points, while Jordyn Lako scored 10 in the loss.

Foxboro, 43 @ Mansfield, 37 – Final – The Warriors got 12 points from Grace Tamulionis and nine points from Lily Sykes (on a combined five three-pointers) to win the Hockomock opener for both teams in a battle of last season’s league champions. The Warriors took the lead with a 15-6 fourth-quarter run. The game was tied 37-37 with 2:00 remaining and Shannon Smally scored the go-ahead basket for Foxboro. Mansfield got 11 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks from Meg Hill and nine points on a trio of three-pointers from Ann Maher.

North Attleboro, 37 @ Franklin, 61 – Final – Ali Brigham scored 16 points to lead Franklin to a win in the Hockomock League opener for both teams. Bea Bondhus added 15 points and freshman Elizabeth Wilson had 12 for the Panthers.

Milford, 56 @ King Philip, 64 – Final – Shannon O’Connor scored a game-high 26 points to give new head coach Amy Siggens a win in her first game in charge. Faith Roy added 10 points and Faye Veilleux had nine for the Warriors. Siggens said it was a total team effort and highlighted KP turning the ball over only 10 times in the game. She added, “They just played so well together.” Milford was led by Kate Irwin with 22 points and Emily Piergustavo scored 16 in the loss.

Stoughton, 48 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Oliver Ames held a comfortable 45-29 lead after three quarters, but the Knights rattled off a 17-4 run over the first five minutes of the final quarter to make it a three-point game. OA’s defense clamped down and allowed just two more points the rest of the way while Abby Reardon and Tori Harney hit key free throws to seal the win. Kayla Raymond scored 25 points and Caroline Flynn added 14 to lead Oliver Ames to a season-opening victory.

Sharon, 42 @ Taunton, 58 – Final – Taunton got 15 points from Hannah Moniz to open its season with a second straight win, exceeding the win total from last winter. Jaelyn Fernandez added 11 points, Mackenzie Handrahan had 10 points and seven boards, Alexa White had eight points and six steals, and Lily Patneaude and Kelsey White each had seven points in the victory. Emma Eberhardt scored 21 points and Kaitlyn Wallace added 16 for the Eagles.

Boys Swimming
Canton, 108.5 @ Attleboro, 49.5 – Final

Boys Swimming
Canton, 91 @ Attleboro, 78 – Final

Eagles Ride Strong Defensive Effort Past Canton

Sharon boys basketball
Sharon’s Ricardo Ripley celebrates a late bucket in the fourth quarter. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 
PROVIDENCE, RI — When all was said and done, the focus for both coaches was the same: defense.

Sharon and Canton both utilized a 2-3 zone but their respective coaches had vastly different outlooks on how things worked out.

Eagles head coach Andrew Ferguson said it was the best defensive effort from his side all season.

Bulldogs skipper Ryan Gordy had just the opposite outlook on his team’s defensive effort, saying it was the worst output for Canton.

No surprise based on each coach’s feedback, Sharon won the game, 62-53.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I think defensively we were so much better than we better than when we played them the first time,” Ferguson said. “We communicated much better, we took away the corner three which killed us the first time. I think we did a great job on Devin Foster, who’s just a terrific player. We knew if he got going, their guys would feed off that so we started with him. I know [Tony] Harris got a bunch and hurt us but defensively, that’s the best effort we have given for 32 minutes.”

The Eagles limited Canton to just six points in the opening quarter and then used a late surge – scoring seven points over the final minute of the first half, including five from senior Ricardo Ripley — to take a 23-18 lead into the locker room.

“It wasn’t about offense tonight, it was about our defense,” Gordy said. “We gave up a lot of uncontested shots, we didn’t compete hard enough defensive to win a game. That was probably the worst defense we played all season.”

Ben Stamm hit an early three pointer in the second half, Jimmy Fitzhenry (14 points, five rebounds) added one of his own and with just under three minutes to play in the third quarter, Ricardo Ripley (13 points) drained one from deep to give Sharon a 36-29 lead.

But Canton would close the gap with Foster driving to the basket for two and Austin Maffie draining a three to make it a two point game. Sharon once again had a response as Tommy Modelevsky connected from deep. Yet again, Canton chipped with with a layup from Maffie and two free throws from Brian Albert pulled the Bulldogs within three through three quarters.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sharon took little time to build an early lead in the fourth quarter with a quick 7-0 run. Lester High drained a three for his lone bucket of the game, Ripley drove to the basket for two and Malik Lorquet hit two free throws — all while the Eagles defense kept Canton off the board to start the quarter.

“That’s what you need, guys to step up,” Ferguson said of getting buckets here and there from role players. “Tommy had a big three, Lester had a big three, and Ben hit a big three right at the start of the second half. We need those guys. We’ve been relying on Ricky and Malik, and Jimmy’s gotten better, but you have to have those side guys come in and hit shots. And add in Jayvon Monteiro, he played great defense and Sammy Kirshenbaum rebounded pretty well. That’s what we need from these guys day in and day out.”

“They hit shots – they didn’t hit shots last game,” Gordy said. “Sometimes it comes down to making and missing. I want to give them credit for shots, but we do close out drills all the time and we didn’t close out correctly all game. It’s a maturity issue right now. You can’t beat Franklin and then lose to Sharon in one week, it’s a maturity issue.”

Danny Hartnett connected on a three to get the Bulldogs’ offense back in gear and Harris scored twice in low to make it a three point game. Sharon sophomore Alex Kaufmann hit a pair of free throws to make it 53-46 but two from Harris and two free throws from Foster made it a one possession game with 2:22 to play.

But from there, Canton’s offense went cold while Sharon was successful from the free throw line. The Eagles ended the game with a 9-3 run, with seven points coming on free throws.

“That’s the difference — when we’re not active and we’re not cutting off passes, it’s an ugly defensive scheme,” Ferguson said of his zone being active, causing Canton problems. “But when we get active, when Malik can control the middle, Xavier [Hackett] helps us rebound, and when we aren’t giving teams second and third chances, we’re a pretty good defensive team. When we start giving up extra opportunities get into trouble.”

Sharon improves to 3-10 on the season, and 2-9 in Hockomock play. The Eagles will be back in action on Tuesday when they host Franklin. Canton (6-7, 4-7) looks to bounce back on the same day with a visit from Oliver Ames.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.