Boys Basketball D1 South
#1 Mansfield, 71 vs. #8 Quincy, 43 – Final – Mansfield drained 12 three pointers and had a significant rebounding advantage to knock off the Presidents. Sam Goldberg had a team-high 12 points and hauled in eight rebounds. Tyler Boulter (11 points), Christian Weber (nine points), John McCoy (eight points), Phil Vigeant (eight points) Ryan Otto (six points) and Max Boen (five points, five rebounds) each had at least one trifecta for the Hornets. Mansfield advances to the Div. 1 South semifinal to face No. 4 Bridgewater-Ranyham.
D2 South
#10 Foxboro, 40 @ #2 Westwood, 52 – Final – Foxboro cut the deficit to just three points with less than four minutes to play but couldn’t complete the comeback against the Tri-Valley League co-champion Wolverines. Joe Morrison (eight points) drained a three with just over three minutes to play to cut it to 42-39. However, Westwood finished the game with a 10-1 run to advance. Morrison held TVL MVP Tim Giovino scoreless in the first half. Giovino finished with 13 points – six on free throws and also hit a transition three. Senior Jamaine Few had a team-high 12 points while classmate Mark Clagg chipped in with seven points.
Hockey D1 South
#4 Franklin, 3 vs. #13 Brockton, 1 – Final – Franklin advances to the Div. 1 South quarterfinal and will face Framingham on Sunday, 3/5 at 4:45 p.m. at Gallo Arena in Bourne.
#8 Mansfield, 1 vs. #9 Xaverian, 2 – Final – Mansfield sophomore Coleman O’Brien tied the game in the second period but Xaverian retook the lead, scoring the game-winner within a minute. Tony Rullo had 33 saves for the Hornets.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 52 @ Archbishop Williams, 33 – Final – Canton senior Brian Albert notched his first career double-double as the Bulldogs finished the season with their ninth win. Albert had 10 points and 10 rebounds, Tony Harris led the team with 17 points while hauling in seven rebounds and Devin Foster chipped in with 12 points and seven assists.
Stoughton, 56 @ Foxboro, 68 – Final – Foxboro senior Mark Clagg poured in a game-high 23 points while junior Joe Morrison added 16 points to claim the Warrior Classic championship. Morrison was named tournament MVP and Clagg was named to the all-tournament team. Jamaine Few added 10 points for Foxboro. Stoughton’s Cam Gomes had a team-high 14 points and was named to the all-tournament team.
Franklin, 70 vs. Dorchester, 53 – Final – Josh Macchi was named the Franklin Winter Classic tournament MVP, leading the Panthers with 15 points. Connor Peterson and Connor Goldstein each added 12 points for the Panthers. Sophomore Jalen Samuels was named to the all-tournament team.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 48 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 46 – Final (OT)
Franklin, 31 vs. Shepherd Hill, 45 – Final
King Philip, 60 @ Framingham, 53 – Final – King Philip sophomore Shannon O’Connor led the way for the Warriors with 23 points, including a 10/12 effort from the free throw line. Freshman Chloe Layne stepped up to add 14 points while Christina Hathaway and Julia Leroux both had strong defensive efforts for KP.
Oliver Ames, 41 vs. Brockton, 62 – Final
Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Medfield, 1 – Final
Oliver Ames, 8 vs. Sandwich, 0 – Final
Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 1 @ Medway/Ashland, 3 – Final
Foxboro, 69 vs. Randolph, 58 – Final – Foxboro had a strong third quarter, turning a five-point lead into a double-digit advantage (57-45) going into the final quarter. It was a balanced scoring attack for the Warriors with four players scoring in double-figures. Senior Andrew Block led the way with 14 points, freshman Brandon Borde added 12 points and Joe Morrison and Joe Bartucca each scored 10 points. Mark Clagg added nine points and Jamaine Few finished with eight points.
Franklin, 70 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 66 – Final – Franklin was impressive in the first three quarters, building an 18 point lead before Spellman closed the gap in the final quarter. Franklin senior Josh Macchi registered a career-high 22 points while junior Paul Mahon added 15 points and sophomore Jalen Samuels finished with 14 points.
Milford, 73 vs. Medway, 46 – Final – With its back against the wall, Milford put on a dominant performance to qualify for the state tournament for the second straight year. Scarlet Hawks seniors combined for 52 points to lead the way. Anthony Arcudi had a team-high 18 points while Nate Davila had 14 points, Zack Tamagni had 13 points and Alex Macek chipped in with seven points. Junior Kayden Kelley had 11 points and 17 rebounds in the win.
Oliver Ames, 66 @ Walpole, 53 – Final – Oliver Ames finished the regular season on a high note, taking the consolation game in the Rebel Classic at Walpole. Junior Jack Spillane poured in a team-high 25 points to pace the Tigers while Carter Evin added 15 points and Dylan Mahoney chipped in with 12 points. OA now awaits seeding for the D2 South tournament.
Sharon, 62 vs. Xaverian, 58 – Final – Sharon won the 2017 Walpole Hoop Classic win a win over Xaverian, ending the 2017 campaign on a four-game win streak. Junior Malik Lorquet was named tournament MVP, scoring 12 points and adding 14 rebounds. Junior Jimmy Fitzhenry was named to the all tournament team after scoring 14 points. Senior Ricardo Ripley finished with a team-high 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Stoughton, 64 vs. Tantasqua, 59 – Final – Stoughton junior Cam Andrews dropped a team-high 20 points and senior Cam Gomes chipped in with 13 points as the Black Knights advanced to the finals of the Warrior Classic to play Foxboro.
Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 51 @ Attleboro, 47 – Final – The Rocketeers avenged an earlier loss to the Bombardiers. Emily Schromm was the top scorer for North with 13 points and fellow senior Samantha Taggart scored 12. Attleboro was led by Sarah Deyo’s 22 points.
Foxboro, 54 vs. Whitman-Hanson, 39 – Final – Recently named league MVP Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with 27 points and senior Kristen Bortolotti added 12 in the win. Foxboro will face Lincoln-Sudbury in the final of the Warrior Classic on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Hockey
Stoughton, 8 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Junior forward Brendan Campbell scored a career-best four goals to lead the Black Knights. Sophomore Sean Doherty netted a hat trick and classmate Luke Bainton found the back of the net once.
Franklin, 1 vs. Lasalle Academy, 4 – Final
King Philip, 1 @ Norwood, 4 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield scored three goals in the third period to earn two points and qualify for the state tournament. The teams were level 1-1 after the first period, and then 2-2 during the second period. Tim Arnold gave the Hornets the lead in the third period on assists from Chad Piotti and Cullin Anastasia. Freshman Chris Jenkins gave Mansfield a 4-2 advantage on the power play, taking a feed from Anastasia. Taunton cut the deficit to one but Matt Farragher scored a shot handed goal off an assist from junior Tyler Oakley. Joe Olsen scored in the first period on assists from Farragher and Oakley while Farragher scored in the second on an assist from Olsen.
Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Lowell Catholic, 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 0 vs. Ursuline, 3 – Final
King Philip, 0 @ Westwood, 3 – Final
North Attleboro’s Brent Doherty attempts to dribble past Foxboro’s Joe Morrison in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – It’s time to dust off the boys basketball league championship banner hanging inside Pickering Gymnasium at North Attleboro High School.
It’s time to add 2017 to the list.
For the first time since 2001, the Rocketeers are Hockomock League champions following a 45-40 win over Foxboro on Friday night. With a win, and a Milford loss to Sharon, North Attleboro clinched the division title outright.
It’s been a long four year stretch for head coach Sean Mulkerrins and his squad. The Rocketeers went 0-20 in his first year at the helm, won just five games a year later and eight games one season ago.
Now, North Attleboro has 12 wins with three games to go and sits atop the Davenport division as Hock champs.
“To be honest, it’s been a roller coaster,” Mulkerrins said of the past four seasons. “At times, it felt like insurmountable odds, it felt like we were putting in a lot and not necessarily getting a lot. I credit [former Rocketeers coach] Chris Perron, who’s been everything to me as a mentor and a father figure when I played for him here at North, and opposing coaches like Jon [Gibbs] and Mike Vaughan who were helpful along the way.
“Every year we’ve taken a small step. Four years ago, my first captain Jake Lang kept that locker room as positive as it could be. And I think it kept those freshmen seeing and hearing those positive things. It feels good to see those kids go through the process and get here.”
“This feels great, I couldn’t be happier for the coaches and the team,” Doherty said. “Coming from where we were earlier in my career to winning the Hock tonight is the best feeling. All the hours of practice paid off and now we’re looking to do as much damage as possible in playoffs.”
It took a defensive stand over the final six minutes of the game for the Rocketeers to hold off Foxboro, who secured a second play finish and a trip to the postseason based on all of the results in the league.
“We didn’t talk or say much about a league title, or talk about the tournament during the season because we want to focus on the process,” Mulkerrins said. “We finally mentioned it the other day because we had to come out and play and we wanted to motivate the guys. The defense down the stretch was great. Jon [Gibbs] does such a great job, isolating guys, getting the matchups. It was kind of like playing chess and he’s freaking good. I have so much respect for him. But hats off to our guys, they played just well enough and I’m so proud of them.”
“I thought our effort was terrific all night,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “I thought we really battled and competed. I thought defensively we did a really good job. We came into the game with a plan to deal with Doherty and Friberg. We didn’t want them to beat us, we’re going to try and make other guys step up and make shots and they did. So give credit to North Attleboro, it was a great team win for them.
The Rocketeers led by as much as 10 early in the third quarter but the Warriors fought back to make it a one possession game. North’s Hacmoni Cuevas converted a three point play to put the Rocketeers up 34-25 with 3:51 to play in the third, but Foxboro closed the quarter with a 9-3 run.
After Mark Clagg and Doherty (nine points, three assists) traded three pointers, the Warriors were able to pull within three by shutting down North for the rest of the quarter and both Joe Morrison (nine points) and Teddy Maher connecting from beyond the arc. The Rocketeers led 37-34 heading into the fourth.
That lead didn’t last too long. North’s scoreless streak stretched over two minutes into the final period while Morrison hit a jumper and Andrew Block (seven points, five rebounds, four assists) drove the lane for an easy two to take a 38-37 lead.
While the momentum seemed to be swinging in Foxboro’s favor, suddenly it stopped.
North broke through on the offensive end, with the inside-out game paying off as Friberg (12 points, 14 rebounds) kicked it out to Cuevas for a three and a 40-38 lead with 5:40 to play.
Foxboro wouldn’t score again until under a minute to play.
“It speaks to the metal toughness of this group,” Mulkerrins said. “Similar to the game at the Dunk against Milford, we were up big, then down big and we could have quit. And this game, same thing. Maybe in years past, this team might have, but I think they finally found out what it means to be a winning team.”
It actually took the Rocketeers two minutes to add onto the lead with Reynolds hitting a pair of key free throws to double the lead with 3:31 to play.
The Warriors had a couple of open looks during the stretch, but were unable to convert.
With just under a minute to play, Friberg took it baseline and somehow managed to reach back underneath the basket and lay it in for a 44-38 lead. Foxboro responded with a putback with 30 seconds to play but Chad Peterson(seven points) iced the game with a free throw as Foxboro missed on the other end.
“I thought down the stretch we got some good looks and we just didn’t make them and that’s just basketball,” Gibbs said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow because at times I thought we executed fine but just didn’t put it in the basket…but that happens some times. At the end of the day, I’m really proud of them. We battled and held them to under 20 points in the second half.
“North did a nice job defensively, they did a lot of things to take us out of our rhythm. Both times we’ve played them this year they made it really difficult for us to score. So give a lot of credit to Sean [Mulkerrins] and credit to those guys on North.”
It was a bit of a slow start for both sides, combing for just five points in the five 5:32 of play. North eventually was able to get into a rhythm and threes from McCarthy and Billy Drummond handed Big Red a 15-9 lead after one.
Foxboro cut the deficit to one (18-17) midway through the second quarter, but North finished the frame with a 9-2 run — a Peterson three, a layup from Doherty, and four straight from Friberg — to take a 27-19 lead into the locker room.
North Attleboro boys basketball (12-7 overall, 9-6 Hockomock) is back in action inside Pickering Gymnasium on Sunday when the Milford Scarlet Hawks come to town. Foxboro (9-9, 8-8) can finish no lower than second in the division, thus clinching a playoff spot. The Warriors will look to improve their record and seeding next ween as they host a February vacation tournament, starting with a game against Randolph.
Boys Basketball
Franklin, 73 @ Attleboro, 65 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead heading into the final quarter and held off the Bombardiers to earn the win. Attleboro cut the deficit to five on two separate occasions, including with just under a minute to play but the Panthers finished the game strong. Connor Peterson had 16 points while Josh Macchi and Paul Mahon each chipped in with 14 points for the Panthers.
Foxboro, 51 @ Canton, 44 – Final – It was a close contest throughout between the two Davenport rivals, with Canton seizing a 14-10 lead after one and Foxboro 26-23 at half and 34-33 heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to one with less than a minute to play but Foxboro senior Andrew Block drained a three to put the Warriors ahead for good. Block scored eight of his 11 points in the final quarter while Joe Morrison scored 13 points, Mark Clagg had nine points and both Brandon Borde and Jamaine Few each had eight points. Canton sophomore Devin Foster had 13 points and junior Tony Harris added 10 points.
Mansfield, 56 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Mansfield senior Sam Goldberg (six reobunds) scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, helping offset a poor shooting night by the Hornets to clinch at least a share of the Kelley-Rex title. Mansfield shot just 3-23 from three point range with only Max Boen (11 points) connecting from deep. Goldberg scored 11 points in the third quarter to give Mansfield a 43-36 lead heading into the fourth. The senior scored six of the team’s 13 points in the final quarter. Evan Christo added 11 rebounds for the Hornets.
Sharon, 81 @ Stoughton, 72 – Final – Sharon junior Malik Lorquet had a monster night for the Eagles, tying a career-high with 17 points while hauling in 13 rebounds and adding four steals and three blocks. Senior Jimmy Fitzhenry had a team-high 18 points while classmate Danny Emerman finished with 12 points. Stoughton junior Cam Andrews scored a game-high 24 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 52 @ Franklin, 59 – Final (OT) – Franklin rallied late in the game to force overtime and outscored Attleboro 16-9 in the extra period. Carli Koffinke buried a pair of threes (her only two of the game) and Bea Bondhus scored five points in OT to lead the Panthers, after the duo combined for only one point in regulation. Freshman Ali Brigham was the game’s top scorer, leading the Panthers with 21 points, and classmate Megan O’Connell added nine points in the win. Julia Strachan led the Bombardiers with 18 points and Sarah Deyo had nine.
Canton, 28 @ Foxboro, 69 – Final – After scoring 31 on Monday night, Ashley Sampson scored a team-high 17 on Tuesday to ensure that Foxboro will go into the final league game in at least a tie for first place in the division. Kristen Bortolotti scored 16 points and Riley Collins had 11 for the Warriors.
King Philip, 33 @ Mansfield, 52 – Final – Junior Ann Maher paced the Hornets with a game-high 14 points. Sophomore Emily Vigeant chipped in with six points and Jen Peel added 12 assists for Mansfield, which had 11 players score in the game. Julia Leroux and Christina Hathaway each scored seven points apiece for the Warriors.
Milford, 55 @ Hopedale, 37 – Final – With the victory, Milford booked a place in the state tournament for the first time since 2012.
Taunton, 20 @ Oliver Ames, 54 – Final – Oliver Ames had another impressive defensive effort while junior Kayla Raymond scored a game-high 11 points. Niyera Mitchell and Hannah Carroll each had nine points for OA.
Stoughton, 59 @ Sharon, 45 – Final – Stoughton was led by a pair of freshmen against the Eagles. Aliyah Wright scored a team-high 17 points, while Shyanne Trinh added 15 points for the Black Knights.
Hockey
Stoughton, 5 vs. Bellingham, 2 – Final – Stoughton senior Jon Lessa netted a hat trick to pace the Black Knights past Bellingham. Brendan Campbell and Josh Hough also found the back of the net for the Knights.
Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Cat Luciano scored a hat trick for the Warriors and Madison Haughey scored the fourth.
Today’s games are listed below. We will update this post with any changes based on the information we receive.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 67 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Oliver Ames made a push in the second half with 24 points in the third quarter, and took a 53-46 lead, but the Bombardiers battled back to get the win an earn a postseason berth. Nate Douglas scored a career-high 16 points while Jake Dunkley also added 16 points for the Bombardiers. Lucas Boucicaut added 13 points in the win. Oliver Ames senior Nick Welch had a game-high 20 points while Jack Spillane and Carter Evin each had 13 points and Dylan Mahoney added 11 points.
Milford, 48 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Milford took an 11-10 lead after the first quarter but it Foxboro seized control in the second quarter and never looked back. The Warriors took a 29-25 lead by halftime but then relied on a late surge in the third quarter to create separation. Andrew Block dropped a career-high 20 points, including two threes late in the third. Mark Clagg also hit a three in the third to help the Warriors get the separation. Joe Morrison added 12 points and Jamaine Few chipped in with 11 points. Milford’s Anthony Arcudi had a team-high 17 points while Zack Tamagni and Kayden Kelley each had 10 points.
King Philip, 63 @ Taunton, 64 – Final – Taunton freshman Dante Law hit a three pointer at the buzzer to lift the Tigers over the Warriors. Law (18 points) took a pass from sophomore Luis Vendrell (13 points), who drove the lane before kicking it out to Law. Vendrell had the tying bucket for the Tigers, converting an outlet pass from Tommy MacLean (12 points) to knot the game with 12 seconds to play. KP’s Seth Sullivan scored a pair of free throws to put the Warriors ahead but Law’s buzzer beater.
North Attleboro, 66 @ Stoughton, 56 – Final – North Attleboro had its two leading scorers come alive in the final quarter. Brent Doherty (six rebounds) scored 11 of his 21 points and Jonny Friberg (10 rebounds) netted eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Rocketeers qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2011. North Attleboro took a 43-42 lead into the final quarter but outscored the Black Knights 23-14 in the frame. Senior Kyle McCarthy (10 rebounds) helped carry Big Red in the middle quarters, totaling 10 of his 12 points between the second and third quarters. Stoughton’s Cam Gomes had a team-high 17 points while Matt Valle added 14 points and Ryan Sullivan finished with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 55 @ Attleboro, 50 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Kayla Raymond scored 20 of her career-high 31 points in the second half to lead the Tigers to a season sweep of the Bombardiers. Oliver Ames held a 25-19 advantage at half but Attleboro took a slim lead early in the fourth quarter. But Oliver Ames was able to battle back to earn the win. Raymond also had 10 rebounds while Hannah Carroll added 12 points and Niyera Mitchell registered 12 rebounds. “It was a great defensive effort,” said OA head coach Laney Clement-Holbrook.
Foxboro, 54 @ Milford, 33 – Final – Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with 19 points and Lily Sykes added 12 for Foxboro, which remained in a first place tie with North Attleboro.
Franklin, 37 @ Mansfield, 59 – Final – The Hornets sealed the outright Kelley-Rex division title with the victory. It is the third league title in program history and first time that the Hornets have won back-to-back championships. Meg Hill scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Mansfield, while Jen Peel scored 18 points and had six assists and Ann Maher scored 11 points. Franklin was led by freshman Ali Brigham’s 11 points and also got nine points from senior Carli Koffinke.
Taunton, 30 @ King Philip, 54 – Final – KP was led by sophomore Julia Leroux, who finished with 18 points, and classmate Shannon O’Connor, who tallied 11 points. Jess Regan was the top scorer for the Tigers with nine points.
Stoughton, 25 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – Caroline Collard had 13 points to lead the Rocketeers, who stay in a first place tie with Foxboro with the win. Val Whalen was the top scorer for Stoughton with 11 points.
Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro @ State Championships (@ Newton North) – Attleboro placed fifth overall with a score of 142.95.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 61 @ King Philip, 58 – Final – Attleboro sophomore completed a traditional three point play with 14 seconds left in the game to give the Bombardiers a 59-58 lead and Jake Dunkley and Andrew Milliken each hit a free throw in the waning moments to earn the win. The Bombardiers rallied from a 20-point deficit in the first half to get the win. Dunkley finished with 14 points, Milliken had 10 and Victor chipped in with 10 points.
Canton, 34 @ North Attleboro, 59 – Final – North Attleboro scored 17 points in the first quarter while holding the Bulldogs to just six and never looked back, snapping a three-game losing streak. “I’m proud of how are kids played tonight,” relayed North coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We weren’t happy with how we played Wednesday so this was important. We challenged our kids to play with more passion tonight. If we continue to play hard on defense and smart on offense we know the results will take care of themselves.” Senior Brent Doherty scored a game-high 17 points while hauling in seven rebounds and classmate Jonny Friberg dropped 16 points and had 14 rebounds. Thomas Reynolds chipped in with 11 points for Big Red. Canton’s Tony Harris and Paul Corcoran each scored seven points.
Foxboro, 67 @ Sharon, 54 – Final – Foxboro erased a first quarter double digit deficit to get within a point at halftime (33-32) and then used a 10-0 to begin the second half. The Warriors went on to win the second half 35-21. Sharon built a 19-5 lead in the first quarter, taking a 21-11 lead after eight minutes. But Foxboro clawed back to get within one by halftime. Junior Joe Morrison and senior Andrew Block each scored 14 points for the Warriors while Mark Clagg added 12 points, Jamaine Few had 11 points and freshman Brandon Borde chipped in with nine points. Sharon junior Malik Lorquet had a game-high 16 points while senior Ricardo Ripley finished with 14 points.
Mansfield, 80 @ Taunton, 72 – Final – Mansfield senior Sam Goldberg scored 18 of his career-high 30 points in the first half and the Hornets held off a late surge from the Tigers to get the win. The Hornets built an early 15 point lead by Taunton battled to get within four (42-38) at halftime. The Tigers used a 6-0 run to start the second half to take the lead but Mansfield took a 59-58 lead into the fourth quarter. Taunton’s Tommy MacLean (14 points) drained a three with just over four minutes to go to bring Taunton with three at 68-65, but Mansfield responded with seven points to extend the lead to 10 with just over two minutes to play. Christian Weber also scored a career-high for the Hornets, netting 23 points including 10 in the final quarter. Taunton freshman Dante Law and sophomore Lou Vendrell each had 15 points for the Tigers while junior Malik Charles had 12 points.
Stoughton, 47 @ Milford, 67 – Final – Milford got off to a strong start and never looked back. Senior Zack Tamagni netted a career-high, dropping 26 points in the win, Shane Cosquete added 11 points and Kayden Kelley notched another double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Stoughton senior Matt Valle scored a career-high 17 points for the Black Knights.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ King Philip, 41 – Final
Canton, 37 @ North Attleboro, 56 – Final – Caroline Collard scored a team-high 11 points for North, while Julia Feid chipped in with 10. Hannah Jerrier was the top scorer for the Bulldogs with a game-high 19.
Foxboro, 65 @ Sharon, 28 – Final _ Ashley Sampson continued her strong week for the Warriors with a game-high 20 points.
Mansfield, 62 @ Taunton, 32 – Final – Jen Peel was the top scorer for the Hornets with 16 points and also dished out seven assists. Meg Hill also had a strong game for Mansfield with 12 points and nine rebounds. Alexa White led the Tigers with eight points and eighth grader Sonya Fernandez added seven.
Stoughton, 24 @ Milford, 55 – Final – Kate Irwin paced the Hawks to a big division win with 23 points. Senior Nicole Dahlgren added 16 for Milford, which moves back to .500 in the league and within one win of tournament qualification.
Gymnastics
Attleboro, 137.2 @ Mansfield, 144.0 – Final
Mansfield, 144.0 vs. Medway/Ashland/D-S, 143.6 – Final
Canton, 117.85 @ King Philip, 135.4 – Final
Oliver Ames’ Nick Welch (10) looks to block a shot from Foxboro’s Teddy Maher (5) in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH EASTON, Mass. – There wasn’t much Oliver Ames could do wrong through the first quarter, and again in spurts in the second quarter.
After the first eight minutes, the Tigers held a 21-2 advantage and by halftime, took a 20-point lead into the locker rooms.
When all was said it done, they needed that cushion created in the first half.
Foxboro crafted a spirited rally throughout the final 16 minutes, cutting the deficit to single digits in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get over the hump as Oliver Ames earned a 63-54 win inside William F. Nixon Gymnasium.
“I don’t know if we could have played much better than we did for about a period and a half,” said OA head coach Don Byron. “For that stretch, that’s about as well as we played. There were no illusions that wouldn’t continue for an entire game. We knew they’d make a run at it. We did some things in the second half to make it frantic. They ran a second guy at us and we got a little sloppy with the ball, we got a little undisciplined on the offensive end.
“A combination of things put it in jeopardy. We expected it to be more like the last three periods than the first one. It eventually got there. We were fortunate we did as many things right early as we did.”
The Tigers went 7/16 from the floor, including a trio of trifectas – one from Dylan Mahoney (19 points, 10 rebounds) in transition right at the buzzer to put an exclamation point on the quarter.
After Foxboro scored the opening bucket of the game via freshman Brandon Borde (nine points, five rebounds, four assists), the Warriors went 0/8 from the field and committed eight turnovers against OA’s 2-3 zone — many of the turnovers turning into points for the Tigers.
“We just came and got punched in the mouth,” admitted Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “We weren’t ready to play out of the gate. We didn’t have enough passion, enough energy, just didn’t have enough focus. I thought the first quarter we played uninspired. Too many turnovers led to easy baskets for them. We really struggled against their zone, give credit to OA, they have a very active zone and really get out into passing lanes. It wasn’t just our starters either, we played nine, ten guys in that first quarter. It was just everyone as a group, we weren’t ready to go.”
Nick Welch (11 points) and Jack Spillane (five points, six rebounds) also connected from beyond the arc in the period while Carter Evin (19 points) was perfect from the floor for six points.
Foxboro was a equal opponent, if not greater, the rest of the way. The Warriors outscored OA 51-43, over the final three quarters but never cut the deficit to under eight. Foxboro senior Mark Clagg scored 13 of his team-high 16 points in the second half.
While Oliver Ames obviously relied on its hot start, the Tigers put together maybe its most important run of the game in the fourth quarter. Two free throws from Foxboro’s Anthony Barreira with just under five minutes brought the Warriors within 10 at 53-43.
Oliver Ames responded with a timely 6-0 spurt in just over 30 seconds to retake command of the contest. Evin netted a layup off a feed from Mahoney, Mahoney converted for two of his own after a Foxboro miss and Evin converted a put back after a shot was blocked by Foxboro’s Joe Morrison (12 points, four rebounds, four steals, two blocks).
“We emphasize just that,” Byron said. “It’s not the 18-2 runs, it’s the series of 6-0 runs that you can put together and if they are timely, even better.
“Carter’s starting to look like himself. His first game back he had a rough ride and Mansfield had something to do with that. He probably accelerated the rehab about two weeks but he’s starting to feel better, his practices have been better too. We’re starting to look like ourselves a bit more now.”
Foxboro kept its pressure on, rattling off an 8-1 run capped by Teddy Maher’s second three pointer of the half to get within eight (60-52) with just over a minute to play but the Warriors ran out of time to complete the comeback.
“I was really proud of the way they battled in the second half,” Gibbs said, his Warriors winning the final 16 minutes by double-digits. “I thought they showed a lot character and a lot of heart and I’m proud of that. I think we showed we’re capable of being a very good team when we play with energy. And I think we showed we have the character to be a good team. Obviously we still came up short because when you dig yourself that big of a hole on the road against a good team, it’s going to be tough to get all the way back over the hump. There’s a lot we can learn from this game.”
Barreira and Maher, mostly known for their defensive efforts, turned in strong performances on both ends of the court. Barreira had eight points, seven rebounds and a pair of assists while Maher knocked down a pair of big three pointers, had two assists and three steals.
“I thought Anthony Barreira and Teddy Maher both came off the bench and gave us a defensive spark,” Gibbs said. “We had to go to with an aggressive full court pressure and that’s what those two kids are good at, they are really scrappy, athletic kids that take a lot of pride on the defensive end. They did a great job, they wreaked a lot of havoc and made a lot of great plays to get us back in the game.”
Oliver Ames (8-6 overall, 6-4 Hockomock) moves into sole possession of third place in the Kelley-Rex with a game in hand. The Tigers are back in action on Tuesday with a trip to Canton. Foxboro (4-8, 3-7) looks to snap its three game skid on Tuesday with a visit from Attleboro.
Franklin, 42 @ Canton, 46 – Final – Canton held Franklin to its lowest scoring output of the season, limiting the Panthers to 30 points to three quarters. The Bulldogs trailed 30-26 heading into the final frame before winning the fourth 20-12. It marks Canton’s first win over Franklin in over a decade. “Beating a team like Franklin is a tall order,” Canton head coach Ryan Gordy said. “We needed to execute and play with mental toughness every possession. We grew up as a team tonight.” Canton junior Tony Harris scored a game-high 15 points and hauled in six rebounds while sophomore Devin Foster had 12 points and four rebounds.
Taunton, 73 @ Foxboro, 72 – Final (OT) – Taunton freshman Dante Law connected on six three pointers on his way to a career-high 21 points to help the Tigers edge Foxboro in overtime. Senior Tommy MacLean added 15 points for Taunton, who improves to 10-4. Foxboro junior Joe Morrison dropped a career-high 23 points while Jamaine Few added 15 points and Mark Clagg finished with 13 points.
Mansfield, 67 @ Sharon, 52 – Final – Mansfield junior Tyler Boulter broke a school record, connecting on 10 three pointers to net a career-high 30 points in the win over Sharon. Boulter, who scored 15 points in the first quarter, broke the record previously held by Brian Hershman (2011 vs. Stoughton) and David Borkowski (2009 vs. Franklin). Sam Goldberg added 10 points and eight rebounds while Ricardo Ripley led Sharon with 14 points.
Oliver Ames, 61 @ Milford, 56 – Final – Oliver Ames erased an early five point deficit to take a 18-12 lead after one quarter and never looked back to pick up the win on the road. Milford cut the deficit to five at half (31-26) but Oliver Ames won the third quarter 16-10 to build a double-digit lead. OA’s Jack Spillane led all scorers with 21 points while Carter Evin added 18 points and Nick Welch finished with 14 points. Zack Tamagni led Milford with 18 points while sophomore Brendan White dropped a career-high 14 points.
Canton, 30 @ Franklin, 54 – Final – Franklin had three players reach double figures in a double-digit win over visiting Canton. Carli Koffinke led all scorers with a game-high 16 points while Ali Brigham and Bea Bondhus each chipped in with 10 points in the win. Canton sophomore Julia Hamilton scored a team-high 11 points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 56 @ Taunton, 33 – Final – Foxboro junior Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with a team-high 17 points while classmate Grace Tamulionis added 16 points in the win on the road.
Stoughton, 59 @ King Philip, 54 – Final (OT) – Stoughton ramped up its defensive effort in overtime to pick up the win on the road. Stoughton junior Val Whalen had another monster night for the Black Knights, notching her fifth double-double of the season with 21 points and 21 rebounds. Freshman Shyanne Trinh added 14 points for the Knights. Sophomore Julia Leroux scored a team-high 20 points to pace King Philip.
Sharon, 18 @ Mansfield, 65 – Final – For the second straight game, the Hornets held their opponent to under 20 points to earn a win at home. Offensively, the Hornets had a very efficient showing with junior Ann Maher going a perfect 8/8 from three point range in the first half – a school record – and junior Meg Hill scoring 14 points on 7/9 shooting.
Milford, 42 @ Oliver Ames, 58 – Final – Oliver Ames built a double-digit lead (30-18) by halftime and held onto it throughout the second half. OA junior Kayla Raymond had a game-high 24 points and hauled in 12 rebounds while Niyera Mitchell had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers.
Hockey
Stoughton, 3 @ Bellingham, 9 – Final – Stoughton’s Charlie Morgan and Ryan Buresh each scored their first varsity goal in the loss, while Brendan Campbell scored the other goal for the Black Knights.
Swimming Boys
Foxboro, 65 @ Attleboro, 90 – Final – Foxboro took first in the 50 free and the 400 free relay but fell to Attleboro. Foxboro’s Dan Egan took first in the 50 free (25:31) while the team of Dimitri Davis, Anthony Quarterone, Ben Dorman and Thomas VanDell took first in the 400 free relay (5:12.30).
North Attleboro @ Milford, 4:00
Girls
Foxboro, 72 @ Attleboro, 92 – Final – Foxboro had three first place finishes, including one relay team. Lexi Nelson was first in the 100 fly (1:06.47), Lindsey Nelson was first in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.09) and the team of Nelson, Nelson, Allison Curran and Jamie Gorham took first in the 200 medley (2:13.84).
North Attleboro @ Milford, 4:00
Gymnastics
Franklin, 121.6 @ Oliver Ames, 136.15 – Final
Girls Hockey
King Philip, 3 @ Ursuline Academy, 4 – Final
By David James, HockomockSports.com Student Reporter
FOXBORO, Mass. – In a game filled with scoring runs, North Attleboro happened to have the last one, as the Rocketeers outpaced Foxboro 7-2 down the stretch to pull out the Davenport division game 53-47.
For North, it all started with Jonny Friberg (17 points, 11 rebounds), who scored 14 of his points in the first quarter alone. The 6-foot-6 center seemed unguardable and led North on a 7-2 run to start the game, only for the Warriors to respond with a 9-2 run of their own.
After trading points back and forth, the first quarter ended with the Rocketeers up 20-15. “When [Friberg] gets hot, he’s almost impossible to guard one-on-one,” said North coach Sean Mulkerrins. “That forced them to make some adjustments, which opened everything up for everyone else.”
The second quarter was all Foxboro, as seniors Andrew Block (13 points) and Mark Clagg (7 points) led the team on an 18-6 run that ended with the Warriors up 33-27 heading into halftime. The Warriors defense stymied the Rocketeers by swarming Friberg every time he touched the ball and held North to just six points in the quarter.
“We got caught marveling at the scoreboard and got too comfortable relying on Jonny in the first quarter,” Mulkerrins explained. “They made some adjustments and we didn’t respond to them real well.”
The game’s momentum shift came with 6:14 left in the third quarter as Friberg grabbed an offensive rebound and dunked it with authority, posterizing three Foxboro defenders. This was the highlight in North’s 7-0 run to start the second half, capitalizing on three Foxboro turnovers.
After that, the third quarter featured a back-and-forth battle that saw four lead changes, as Foxboro’s Block and Brandon Borde (10 points), matched North’s Tom Reynolds (11 points) and Brent Doherty (9 points), tying the game at 41 heading into the final period.
The score remained close all the way until the 4:00 mark in the fourth quarter when Hacmoni Cuevas hit a three that flipped the switch back in North’s favor, starting a 7-2 run down the stretch that handed North the win.
The defense was the key for the Rocketeers, who caused 10 turnovers in the second half and allowed just six points in the fourth quarter, helping the team outscore the Warriors 26-14 in the second half.
When asked what the difference in the game was, Mulkerrins explained “We really didn’t do anything special. We played our defense and we played it very well. I give a lot of credit to [Kyle] McCarthy and Reynolds for stepping it up and leading us defensively. A lot of those turnovers led to some good looks for us on offense, which helped a lot down the stretch.”
