Attleboro junior Neo Franco goes up for a layup attempt in the first half against Everett. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — In a Division 1 preliminary round clash centered around transition basketball, 18th-seeded Attleboro ran away with a win over #47 Everett.
The Bombardiers took advantage of an aggressive Crimson Tide offense to leak out for some transition buckets in the first half, building a lead that it never gave up on their way to a 67-55 win.
“The transition game was the key for both of us,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We had some really good transition opportunities that gave us the advantage and that lead. Every time they had a long rebound or got a steal, they were going the other way in transition.
“I thought we moved the ball really well tonight. They threw pretty much everything we were expecting at us 1-2-2, 1-3-1, full court, half court, quarter court…and our guys responded really well. I was really proud they were able to dig in, they did a nice job of stepping up. Everett is big, they are physical and ran some really good sets. I thought our guys really stepped up tonight and showed some toughness against a really good team.”
While Everett found success turning long rebounds and turnovers into quick buckets on the other end, Attleboro took advantage of all 94 feet of its new court by using full-court length passes for some easy points.
The Bombardiers jumped ahead in the first quarter and stayed in front for the remainder of the game even though the Crimson Tide made a couple of pushes to stay within striking distance.
Attleboro opened up a 14-point lead with a big run in the middle of the second quarter that started with a three-pointer from Jaiden Outland (15 points, five assists), featured some precision passing from junior Neo Franco (12 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, five blocks) to both Michael Beverly (15 points) and Outland, and finished with a three from sophomore Hayden Crowley (12 points) after the Bombardiers forced a turnover.
A quick 7-0 spurt from Everett closed the half, and two quick buckets from the visitors on the other side of halftime cut the lead all the way down to one possession, 34-31. Attleboro had the perfect response as the hosts rattled off a 14-1 burst that nearly put the game away in the third quarter.
Justin Hanrahan and Franco started it all with points on back-to-back possessions, and Hanrahan took a nice feed from Beverly for two more. Beverly and Outland splashed in threes on consecutive trips down the court and suddenly Attleboro had a 46-32 lead.
“They were crashing the boards [on offense], that was something we saw on film,” Houle said of being able to get out and run. “They are aggressive and have a lot of guys coming into the paint so we thought we could get some guys out running. I thought Michael Beverly was outstanding in that. The length of our court was a benefit for us. I think there were a couple of times they thought the court was going to end and Michael caught it over the top and scored. Neo had several of those good passes. It’s taken us some time to get used to our new court and it was definitely a benefit for us.”
Attleboro looked comfortably ahead going into the fourth (51-37) and pushed the lead to 15 points after freshman Connor Houle took a charge on one end, and Beverly converted a layup off a feed from Hanrahan against Everett’s full-court press.
But Everett scored on four straight possessions, including a three-pointer from senior Steven Cordero, who had a game-high 22 points. The quick run suddenly cut it to six (58-52) with three minutes to go.
Houle dropped in a mid-range jumper after finding some space against the zone, Franco drove to the rim for two, and Crowley sank a straightaway three with 90 seconds left to ice the win.
Attleboro boys basketball (14-9) will take on a much more familiar foe in the Division 1 Round of 32 as the Bombardiers will travel to play Hock rival Taunton. The two teams split the season series with the Tigers winning at home (64-57) in early January, and the Bombardiers winning on their own court (60-58) a month later.
“They’re very good, we both know each other,” Houle said. “We have to play hard, play together, and try and win every possession. Round three, it just seems like we’ve been running into them quite often in the tournament. It’s a check mark for the Hockomock League that you have two good teams playing each other in the tournament.”
Mansfield junior Eddie McCoy goes up for a layup in the second half against Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Buoyed by a dominant second half on both ends of the court, the Mansfield boys basketball team opened the new season in grand style.
Host Attleboro had a good first quarter and kept close with the Hornets for the first half but Mansfield was relentless for 32 minutes on the defensive end and used their athleticism and size to attack the basket, both in transition and in the half court, to pull away for a 62-33 win over the Bombardiers.
“I think in the first quarter both teams were amped up, and sometimes when you’re amped up in your own gym balls go in, and when you’re amped up on the road they don’t,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan, now in his 19th year at the helm. “I thought we did a really good job defensively. I think our length will bother people and I think it did tonight. Night number one, couldn’t be happier with the result and how the kids responded after their early punch and sticking with the game plan.”
Not only was it Attleboro’s home opener for the season, but it was also their first home game in their brand new high school, which opened up this fall. The Bombardiers translated that energy into a strong opening quarter as Hayden Crowley and Nathan Hodson — both varsity newcomers — each hit a three and junior returner Neo Franco sank a pair of shots.
But even Attleboro’s strong start wasn’t enough for the lead after eight minutes as Mansfield senior Chris Hill, the most seasoned player in the Hock entering the season, helped the Hornets quell the early waves of momentum and hit a pair of threes of his own, the latter of the two giving Mansfield a 14-13 lead after a quarter.
Mansfield improved on both ends of the court in the second quarter, upping its scoring output while lowering Attleboro’s. That trend continued in the third and fourth quarters as well as the Hornets outscored the hosts 33-10 in the second half, pitching a shutout in the fourth quarter until 10 seconds to play.
“Their defensive intensity stayed pretty consistent throughout the entire game,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle, now in his 28th year leading the Bombardiers. “I think for us, the early energy was great both offensively and defensively, but I think they wore us down a bit on the defensive end. We weren’t making shots and their length hurt us inside. Having kids get experience today was important, especially against a really good, well-coached team. Matching them early was good but in order to compete at that level, you have to do it for 32 minutes.
“They went into a different gear in the second half and we weren’t ready for that.”
Hill had a terrific performance with 21 points, eight rebounds, five blocks, and four assists. He led the charge again in the second quarter with seven points, converting an early layup that canceled out a three from Crowley, and then finishing a putback plus the foul just a couple minutes later that evened out yet another triple from Crowley (nine points).
Juniors Trevor Foley (16 points, six rebounds), Brandon Jackman, and Eddie McCoy (six points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals) all scored to help Mansfield establish a 29-23 lead at the break.
Mansfield’s single-digit advantage didn’t last long in the third quarter. The Hornets got out on the break, after makes and misses, running up the court for quick, and at times, easy baskets. Foley, McCoy, and senior Caden Colby all scored early and Davon Sanders scored off an offensive rebound midway through the quarter.
A brief 6-2 burst — featuring a bucket and assist from JT Veiking (10 points, three rebounds), a dunk from Foley up the middle, and two more from Hill extended Mansfield’s lead to 45-31.
“We tried to do a little more in transition because we have guys like Eddie and Trevor who can get out in front,” Vaughan said. “And we had touches in the paint tonight for the first time in 16 years, so that was pretty good. If we can go inside out and move the ball, and be a little more consistent with the movement, we can be good but I was pretty happy with how we played.
“I thought our flow was good, our transition was good and our defense was great.”
Hill drained a three to start the fourth and Mansfield never looked back. Their swarming defense forced the Bombardiers into 13 turnovers and Mansfield recorded seven blocks as a team (five from Hill), taking advantage of their size.
“He played pretty consistent through four [quarters] and he has a calming way about him,” Vaughan said of Hill. “The difference between this year and previous years is now he’ll exert himself in an offensive possession or on defense too, he had some really impressive blocks. He has that ice in his veins, just does his job.”
For Attleboro, which had all but three of its players getting their first meaningful varsity minutes, the experience is invaluable
“It’s a lot about details…we need to sprint and get back on defense,” Houle said. “it was a layup drill for them in the second half. Even when we scored, we turn around, and two passes later they are getting a layup. It will be important when we watch the film and I think they’ll learn from this game and figure out what we can do better as a team.”
Mansfield boys basketball (1-0 Hockomock, 1-0 overall) is on the road again Friday, making a trip to Foxboro for a key Davenport division clash. Attleboro (0-1, 0-1) is home again when it hosts Milford.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
Attleboro junior Trevor White goes up for a shot over a pair of Sharon players in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
SHARON, Mass. — The Attleboro boys basketball team led from start to finish on the road at Sharon on Tuesday night, but it was far from a comfortable win.
The Bombardiers looked poised to pull away on a number of occasions throughout its 77-68 road win, but just when it appeared Attleboro had a comfortable cushion, the Eagles chipped away to make a game of it.
There was the 13-point lead in the first quarter that shrunk to six in just seconds. And then another double-digit advantage, up 33-22 with less than 90 seconds to go in the half that Sharon quickly cut in half to trail b just five at the halftime break.
The trend continued in the third, with Attleboro’s lead twice ballooning back up to 11, first on a bucket from senior Joe Francois-Annevil (seven points, six rebounds, four assists) on a nice drive to the rim, and then again on a two-handed slam from junior Trevor White to give Attleboro not only a 46-35 but the Bombardiers got the ball back after a block from Alvin Harrison (10 points) on the defensive end.
Instead, it was Sharon who responded with a 12-4 burst. A three-point play from senior Donyae Pierre preceded a triple from sophomore Jacob McLoughlin (10 points). After a couple of stops, Sam Cohen (eight points, five rebounds) sank a triple and a midrange jumper from Matt Baur (22 points, five rebounds, three assists) made it 50-47 with just under two minutes to go in the third.
Jake Struminski had back-to-back finishes in close and White (career-high 31 points, six rebounds) added another one of his two-handed slams to stem the tide with the Bombardiers ahead 56-49 going into the fourth.
Attleboro boys basketball
It was more of a back-and-forth fourth quarter with Harrison, Francois-Annevil, and White finding success attacking the basket for the Bombardiers. Meanwhile, Pierre, Baur, and a three-point play from Will Hippler kept the Eagles close, down 62-56 with five minutes to go.
“We were just inconsistent throughout that game,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We were really good at times and then they were able to turn us over and they looked really good at times. To their credit, they’ve had a good year so far and played with a lot of confidence. Our lack of understanding time and score in certain situations kind of hurt us.
“We were prepared for their zone and I thought we looked good the last time a team threw that at us but we stopped getting paint touches and relied on the three-point shot. It can obviously help if you’re making them but when you’re not, you have to change your course of action.”
Attleboro tied its largest lead of the game after senior Evan Houle (17 points, seven assists) threaded the needle with a pass through Sharon’s zone to White down on the baseline for a dunk that established a 71-58 lead with three minutes to go.
But a steal and layup from McLoughlin was followed by an off-balance three-pointer from senior John Baez, and after another stop on defense, Baur found McLoughlin for a three, and just like that, it was 71-66 with two minutes to play.
Like it had throughout the game, Attleboro kept its lead. The Bombardiers never let it slip away and hit a couple of key free throws down the stretch to keep the Eagles at bay to secure a 77-68 win.
“It was just our effort, the guys were just grinding,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We’ve been in a little bit of a slide but we’re just trying to work through our process. We think if we stick to our core values and we work through our process, the results will come. They dug in and they were grinding the entire second half to keep it close. There’s a tremendous amount of belief in this group and they really worked at it.”
Attleboro boys basketball
White proved to be too hard to stop for the Eagles, who were without sophomore big man Nate Katznelson for the season straight game. After not taking a shot in the first quarter and scoring seven points in the second, White sliced through the Sharon defense time and time again to net 13 points in the third quarter and 11 points in the fourth. He finished 11-for-14 from two-point range.
“He’s working hard in practice and I think we’re starting to get more comfortable playing together as a team,” Houle said. “And obviously he’s a big part of that. He’s very talented and has a lot of skillsets that make him a tough match-up for a lot of teams. When he’s running the court, and we can get our inside-out game going, it helps. He did a nice job running the floor and our guys did a nice job finding him there and finding him in the half court too.”
Evan Houle and sophomore Neo Franco (six points, nine assists, three steals) set the tone early for the visitors. Franco had a pair of three-pointers early and a pair of steals while Houle went 4-for-6 from the floor, also connecting on a pair of trifectas. Attleboro, however, only hit one more three the rest of the game, coming off the fingertips of White with 2:27 to go in the second quarter.
Like White, Baur didn’t score in the first quarter but he was Sharon’s leading scorer by halftime. He erupted for eight points in less than two minutes, converting a traditional three-point play, sinking two more free throws, and then drained a three after an offensive rebound from Pierre cut into Attleboro’s lead, 35-30, at halftime.
Sharon continuously cut double-digit deficits down to a two-possession game, getting as close as three near the end of the third and then within five with two minutes to go in the game, but the Eagles were never able to get over the hump and go ahead.
“Trevor White is probably the answer,” Ferguson said of being unable to take the lead. “We just didn’t have an answer for him, he played amazing. Donyae absolutely worked his butt off but when you’re giving up five to six inches to a player like that…Houle hit a couple of threes in the first half to get them going. They’re an unbelievably physical team. I thought our guys battled with them. I thought anytime we needed a stop or a rebound, they were just able to convert and hurt us.”
Attleboro boys basketball (7-2 Hockomock, 9-2 overall) carries a four-game win streak into its home contest with Mansfield on Friday. Sharon (5-4, 7-4) will look to snap its three-game skid when it hosts rival Stoughton on the same night,
Franklin senior Sean Vinson goes up for a layup against Attleboro in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Franklin sophomore Sean O’Leary rallied the Panthers back into the game and senior Sean Vinson put on the finishing touch.
Franklin overcame a slow second quarter, surged past the Bombardiers in the third, and stayed ahead for good in the fourth for a 52-47 win over visiting Attleboro.
The Panthers went without points for the final seven minutes of the first half, seeing a seven-point lead turn into a nine-point deficit by halftime.
O’Leary, who had a strong first quarter but was held scoreless in the second, exploded for 17 of his career-high 23 points in the second half. He scored 12 points in the third, helping the Panthers to a 14-point swing and a 38-33 lead going into the fourth.
Clinging to a two-point edge, 46-44, with just over two minutes remaining, Vinson hauled in an offensive rebound after a missed three. The ball kicked around until it found Justin Allen in the corner, who quickly made the extra pass to Vinson for a three-pointer that gave the Panthers a two-possession lead.
“We were discombobulated in that second quarter, guys were just chucking the ball everywhere and there was too much dribbling,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “I told them at halftime, we couldn’t have guys taking turns going one-on-one, we’re not about that. We move the ball, swing it around, get a reversal, get a paint touch…but we were just dribbling too much.
“But we moved it around much better in the second half. We started to cut better, we were standing around too much in the first. It’s one thing to keep space but you want to make sure you’re moving around to keep the defense active.”
The Panthers got back-to-back stops before Evan Houle (11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) sank a contested corner three with 22.8 seconds to go, making it 49-47.
Franklin boys basketball
Franklin sophomore Andrew O’Neill was fouled off the ensuing inbounds play and made both ends of his one-and-one situation. The Panthers forced a turnover on Attleboro’s next possession and Allen added a free throw in the final seconds to ice it.
The hosts built a 14-10 lead after a quarter that featured back-and-forth scoring from both sides. Will Tracey hit a free throw and then set up Allen on a drive to the basket within the first minute as the Panthers’ advantage grew to 17-10. But that was all the scoring for the rest of the half for Franklin.
Franklin boys basketball
Junior Trevor White (11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) had five straight and a three from Houle put the visitors ahead. Alvin Harrison (four points, 10 rebounds, two steals), Colin Morais (14 points), White, and Houle each scored two to complete a 16-0 run that had the Bombardiers ahead 26-17 at the break.
A pair of free throws from Morais gave Attleboro its largest lead at 28-18 but O’Leary sparked the Panthers’ offense with a putback plus the foul. Ben Harvey found Henry Digiorgio (11 points, six rebounds) for a three after a turnover and then O’Leary drained a three of his own to make it a one-point game.
Morais kept the visitors ahead with a crafty finish but Harvey took a pass from John Brighamm for a corner three to tie it. Houle’s putback plus the foul put Attleboro back in front but O’Leary found Digiorgio for a triple that put Franklin in front for good at 35-33.
O’Leary ended the third quarter by coming up with an offensive rebound and finishing the putback through contact for a three-point play with 0.7 seconds to go, putting the Panthers up 38-33.
“O’Leary had a huge second half, he’s a really versatile guy too,” Neely said. “If you put someone smaller on him, he can play in the post and if you put a bigger guy on him, he can step out and hit the three. He’s the ultimate competitor, he had a big half.”
Franklin boys basketball
Franklin extended its lead when O’Leary went into the post and scored off a nice move but Attleboro sophomore Neo Franco answered with a three to keep the Bombardiers close.
O’Leary (11 rebounds) and Allen each hit a three in the next three possessions to extend the lead to 46-38 with four minutes to play. Morais hit a three then scored at the rim, and White had a free throw to make it 46-44, setting up Vinson’s big shot.
“He’s always competing,” Neely said of Vinson, the lone starting senior. “Sometimes things might not be going his way, or his shot might not be falling but he never stops competing on both ends of the floor. He wants it so bad for everyone. He’s a great leader for us in the locker room, says all the right things in the huddle. He just goes out there and battles, even if he’s having an off night. He took a lot of pride in guarding White, I thought he did a good job making it hard on him. And then obviously that shot was huge.”
Attleboro shot well in the fourth quarter (4-for-7) but had more turnovers (8) than field goal attempts. The Bombarders also shot under 30% from three-point range.
“Our biggest thing right now is we’re having a hard time shooting,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “Our offense isn’t where it needs to be. Defensively we’ve been decent, doing some good things on that end but we need to be able to score the ball. They did a good job defending but we did have some good looks we didn’t finish. They had the run to start the second half and we never really responded. That was a big turning point.
“We have confidence in our guys, I thought we had some good looks tonight but we’ll keep working at it. We’ve played in two away gyms, sometimes you get back to your gym and get a little confidence. Two tough games to start on the road so we’re getting battled-tested early.”
Franklin boys basketball (2-0 Hock, 2-0 overall) is home again on Monday, hosting Oliver Ames (1-1). Attleboro (1-1, 1-1) has its first home game of the season on the same night, entertaining rival North Attleboro (0-1).
Taunton senior Tyler Stewart goes up for a layup against Attleboro in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
TAUNTON, Mass. – It’s been a most challenging season for everyone, but with a delayed start and a one-week hiatus smack in the middle of its schedule, it’s been a bit tougher on the Taunton boys basketball team.
So it’s only fitting that the Tigers made clinching their first-ever Hockomock League Kelley-Rex division title a bit more difficult than it needed to be.
A near-perfect start from visiting Attleboro coupled with a sluggish first eight minutes from the Tigers put the hosts in a double-digit deficit.
But as these Tigers have done all season, they responded. Despite starting their season two weeks after everyone else, Taunton opened the season with five straight wins. And when they were forced to the sideline for a week, the Tigers came right back and beat one of the best teams in the state in Mansfield with just one day of practice.
And on Thursday afternoon, in their fourth game in the five-day span, the Tigers dominated the final three quarters of play, not only digging out of the hole they were in but burying it and covering it with a mound of dirt in the form of a 76-57 win over the Bombardiers.
The Tigers’ game with King Philip will not be made up and the Hockomock League is expected to award Taunton with a win via forfeit for that game multiple sources told HockomockSports.com.
It marks Taunton’s first league title since 2008 when it won the Old Colony League.
“Everyone has gone through issues this year but this is an extraordinary group, I’ve said it many times,” said longtime Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “Across the board, not just the first five either, you go right down the roster. We’ve had no issues at all this year. There’s usually something but this group has been great, they really like each other too.
“When we got into our offense, we got the lead into double figures and that force them to pressure a little bit. Then we really started to figure out that if we can our offense, things were working. Once we’re relaxed, like any team, they get into a comfort zone and we really pulled away.”
Attleboro got whatever it wanted to start the game, hitting mid-range jumpers and getting to the rim on open layups. The Bombardiers shot 9-for-16 from the field for 20 points while their defense was on point too, the Tigers were forced to settle for contested looks inside and out. The result was a 20-9 lead, seemingly stunning Taunton.
“We had confidence from yesterday’s game and that carried over to today,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I thought the first quarter we played as well as we could have…defensively, offensively, transition baskets, we controlled the boards. They started rebounding better and we couldn’t stop them. We had them for 26 possessions in the second and third quarters and they scored on 22 of them. We tried to change it up as much as we could but they made plays consistently and we couldn’t stop them.
“Overall between yesterday and today we really battled but [Taunton] is a really good team.
The comeback didn’t come quickly, but it was steady. Attleboro scored to push its lead to 22-9 to start the frame and Taunton had three chances to get back on the board but went empty on two shots from the field and two from the line. The next play, however, might have been the spark that lit a fire for the Tigers.
Junior Tristan Herry, who scored a season-high 20 points, poked the ball free and won a foot race to the loose ball on the other end of the court. From there, Taunton went on to score on 12 straight possessions to erase the deficit and take a lead by halftime.
“Tristan was bustin’ on defense, he was trying to do all the right things on offense. I think that sunk into the other four, if he’s going to do it then we should do it. He was the catalyst in that turnaround for us. Tyler [Stewart] changes the flow of the offense because he demands attention, even if he’s not scoring. But Tristan got us going.”
Senior Josh Lopes (nine points, five rebounds) scored the first three points on a jumper and a free throw and Herry stepped up on the offensive end with his first three-pointer. A steal by Nigel Choate gave Taunton the ball back and an offensive rebound resulted in two points from senior Tyler Stewart (10 points, five rebounds).
Attleboro’s Justin Daniels (17 points) answered for the Bombardiers but junior Trent Santos (18 points, four assists) attacked the basket for two for the hosts. Herry sank his second three of the period to make it a four-point game but junior Evan Houle (nine points, four rebounds) answered with a triple of his own out of an Attleboro timeout.
The Tigers’ relentless offensive attack continued as an offensive board from Choate turned into a free throw from junior Faisal Mass (12 points, 12 rebounds, five assists). Joe Francois-Annevil took a feed from Alvin Harrison and scored down low but Herry drained another triple and a steal from Choate resulted in two after a putback from Mass.
Stewart had a big block and then found Choate for two down low, and after another Attleboro turnover, Mass finished through contact to put the hosts ahead for the first time, 32-31. Stewart then sank an elbow jumper and the Tiger took a 34-32 lead into halftime.
“I think we were a little fatigued from yesterday but going into the second, we talked with each other about how we felt we were the better team,” said Stewart, who is committed to play at Wentworth. “Tristan hit some big shots that really changed the momentum for us. Once he hit those shots, it got the rest of us going.
“Just a chance to play [this season] was really exciting for us. I think we’ve shown that this group plays really well under adversity. The amount of things we’ve had to go through to get to this point is insane, all the way back to the start of last year through this year, shows a lot about this group.”
Taunton’s offense wasn’t as effective in the third quarter, but it was pretty close. The Tigers picked up points on 10 of their first 11 possessions of the quarter to build a double-digit advantage.
Taunton boys basketball Trent Santos Tyler Stewart Josh Lopes Tristan Herry Faisal Mass
Lopes and Daniels traded buckets to start and the Tigers finally had an empty possession on their second trip up court. Mass found Santos for a three and then Santos returned the favor to Lopes for two more. Attleboro cashed on its third shot of its next possession when Chris Holcomb sank a three to keep the deficit at four.
Santos and Mass each connected from downtown in a one-minute span and layups from Santos and Stewart pushed Taunton’s lead to 55-45 going into the final quarter.
“Herry kept them in it early and then after that, it was all of them, I think every single one of them played well today,” Houle said of the Tigers. “It was pretty spread out, and it felt like any time we did get a stop in the second or third they got an offensive rebound and got an extra opportunity.”
Attleboro cut into the lead early in the fourth as a strong take from Francois-Annevil make it 60-51 but Mass answered with two after a nice fake, Santos dropped in a floater, Herry hit on a pull-up, and Lopes scored after a turnover and the lead ballooned to 68-51 with just under four minutes.
After scoring just nine points in the first, Taunton scored 20 or more points in each of the second, third, and fourth quarters.
Taunton becomes just the third team to win the Kelley-Rex division in boys basketball since the Hockomock League split in two. Mansfield has won it 10 times, including a share this year, while Franklin won it outright in 2012 and earned a share in 2016.
Taunton boys basketball (8-1 Kelley-Rex, 8-1 overall) will host Sharon on Saturday at noon for its final game of the season. Attleboro (5-5, 10-5) will host rival North Attleboro on Sunday at 1:30.
Taunton boys basketball Trent Santos Tyler Stewart Josh Lopes Tristan Herry Faisal Mass
Attleboro junior Evan Houle (1) looks to dribble past Franklin senior Zach Harvey. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – In most games, it was a run that normally wouldn’t make headlines.
But in Tuesday night’s contest between Attleboro and Franklin, with points more valuable than GameStop’s stock, an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter from the hosts made all the difference.
Attleboro boys basketball
Attleboro senior Alec Eaton hit back-to-back three-pointers and junior Evan Houle added a jumper as the Bombardiers turned a four-point deficit into a four-point lead in the fourth quarter, an advantage they never relinquished — though it was close — in a 42-40 win over Franklin.
Franklin made it a one-point game, 39-38, with just under a minute to go before Attleboro senior Justin Daniels (10 points, four rebounds) hit a pair of free throws. The Bombardiers’ edge grew by one, 42-38, after Daniels sank another from the line following a Franklin turnover.
Franklin got a second chance after a miss when Zach Harvey grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it to Andrew Byfield (12 points) for a long two (his foot was on the line) to make it 42-40 but there was just 3.4 seconds left.
The Bombardiers tried to kill the clock with a long pass down court but the ball slipped and went out of bounds, giving the Panthers one final chance. Without a timeout, Franklin ran a play for a contested three that was just off the mark and the off-balance putback attempt also missed as Attleboro held on.
“I think the message is that every possession matters in a game like that,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We had a couple of executions of plays and some good finishes we had in the second half and I think that was the difference.
Attleboro boys basketball
“[The 8-0 run] was the turning point when Alec his those two threes. That gave us the lead that we able to hold onto for the rest of the game.”
A back-and-forth first quarter saw the Bombardiers and Panthers combine for 30 points, the latter holding a slim 16-14 lead through eight minutes. With a total of seven three-pointers, it looked like the table was set for a barn-burner type game.
But instead, it was the total opposite. From the start of the second quarter, it turned into a game of stops instead of runs.
Defense shined in the middle quarters for both teams. A clean look at the basket became harder to come by than predicting the snow total from a New England winter storm. The teams combined for a total of just six points in the second quarter, going a combined 3-for-24 from the floor.
“Extremely frustrating,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely. “I thought we had a lot of really good looks. To score 40 points and feel like you got a lot of good looks is a weird thing to say but it felt like we had our opportunities to extend our lead or make some shots that could have put us in a good position to win the game but unfortunately, we just didn’t finish. I know our shooting percentage wasn’t pretty. [Attleboro] played hard, they did a good job, they are a physical team that plays really hard. Hopefully we can make more looks on Thursday.”
While each offense found a little bit more rhythm in the third, both sides were limited to single-digit scoring once again. Byfield had half of the Panthers’ eight points, including a breakaway left-handed slam after a steal near midcourt. Attleboro’s Evan Houle (10 points) hit a three with less than a minute to bring his team within one, 26-25, going into the fourth. It was the first made three from either team since the first quarter.
Attleboro boys basketball
“We know [Franklin] is going to come in here and defend,” Houle said. “That’s a well-coached team and they are going to be tough on defense from start to finish. I thought we matched them on defense for a little while too. I give my guys credits for defending tonight, there were some times we had some lapses on some slips where they got some good looks that we have to work on. But I thought we battled hard on the inside. I thought both Jake Struminski and Chris Holcomb came in and played well for us. Those two guys played hard and made an impact in the game.”
Franklin seemed to grab the momentum to start the fourth, scoring on back-to-back possessions as Jake O’Brien (13 points, 10 rebounds) converted a pass from Ben Harvey, and senior Declan Walmsley (15 points, nine rebounds) knocked down a three. Two plays later, Harvey came up with a steal and O’Brien converted a putback, and the Panthers, who didn’t attempt a free throw in the game, had the momentum and a 33-29 lead.
After a timeout, the Bombardiers came out and hit the most important shot of the game. A skip pass from Houle found Eaton alone in the corner and he buried a three to make it a one-point game. Struminski gobbled up a rebound after a Franklin miss and this time Eaton took a nice pass from Alvin Harrison and drained another three, this from the opposite corner.
The Bombardiers got a stop after the Panthers used up nearly the entire shot clock. On the other end, Houle drove to his left and pulled up for a 10-footer with four seconds on the shot clock to make it 37-33 with three minutes to play.
“It doesn’t seem like much at first but that’s a lot in a game like this,” Neely said of the 8-0 run. “We helped off of a shooter when I didn’t think we needed to and credit to them, they did a good job skipping it over the top finding him and he made them.
“I think the frustration built a little bit inside the guys. Instead of moving on to the next play, it seemed like they were worried about the last miss they had instead of making the next shot. We have to be tougher than that mentally and be better than that.”
Walmsley made his second three of the quarter to make it a one-point game with just under two minutes to go. Daniels hit two from the line but O’Brien drove to the rim to make it 39-38, setting up the frantic finish.
Franklin (4-5 Kelley-Rex, 4-5 overall) will try to snap its current skid when it hosts the Bombardiers (5-2, 7-2) in a rematch on Thursday.
Mansfield senior Matt Boen goes up for a layup against Attleboro in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – For nearly the entire first half, the young, inexperienced Bombardiers of Attleboro High not only just keeping pace with the visitors from Mansfield, they were going toe-to-toe with the Hornets.
Mansfield boys basketball
But if you give these Hornets an inch, they’ll take a mile — and in a blink of an eye too.
First, it was a short burst from the Hornets in the final moments of the first quarter that prevented the hosts from boasting a surprising lead through eight minutes.
And then when it looked like it would be a close game going into the halftime break, the Hornets stung the Bombardiers with a game-changing run that led to an advantage that never went below double digits the rest of the way.
In the end, Mansfield left with an 80-58 decision over Attleboro in the first matchup between the two teams this week.
“I thought the pace of play started to lean in our direction,” offered Mansfield head coach Mike Vaughan, in the midst of his 17th year at the helm of the Hornets.
Mansfield erased a five-point second quarter deficit to pull even with the hosts, entering the final two-plus minutes knotted at 29-29. With the pace of play in their control, the Hornets closed the quarter with a 14-2 run.
Senior Matt Boen was once again a handful on the offensive end (30 points) and on the boards (six of his 10 rebounds coming on the offensive glass), and was the catalyst for the run. It was his steal and fast-break layup that got things started. He scored six straight to start the run, getting assists from Brian See (12 points) and Matt Hyland (12 points, seven rebounds, four assists) with the latter a traditional three-point play.
Brendan Foley hustled to track down his own miss, finding Hyland for a key three in the final minute, and Hyland returned the favor by hitting Foley on the break to cap the 14-2 run and give Mansfield a 43-31 lead at halftime.
“They missed a couple of easy ones, had some turnovers, and we came down and made some shots,” Vaughan said. “I thought Attleboro handled our pressure well so we went back to our base defense because I felt like we were giving up too many baskets without scoring. Once we got into more of our staple defense, we got the stops we needed and turned those into baskets.”
Mansfield boys basketball
Attleboro senior Justin Daniels (16 points) played a big role in helping his squad get off to a strong start, hitting a pair of threes in the opening quarter and adding another in the second. In the second, the Bombardiers showed no fear attacking the basket as sophomore Trevor White (13 rebounds, four assists, four blocks) scored seven of his 13 points, Alvin Harrison (six boards) had six of his 11 points, and Joe Francois-Annevil added two more with a strong take to the rim, his bucket making it 29-29 late in the second.
“I saw them play their two games against Milford and I came away thinking that team could beat anyone on any given night,” Vaughan said. “They have guys that can shoot, they have good guard play. The big kid [White] is impressive, he must have had five or six blocks, all of which looked like uncontested layups and he came out of nowhere. And he blocks to keep it in bounds so it’s almost like a block and a steal at the same time. They have some good pieces.”
Mansfield picked up the second half where it left off at the break. See sank a triple and sophomore Chris Hill took a freed from Hyland and drained one from downtown. Despite missing a three, Boen followed his shot came flying in for the offensive board, and converted the putback while being fouled for a three-point play, and a 53-34 lead.
On top of it all, the Hornets created the separation without their second-leading scorer in TJ Guy, who went out in the second quarter with an existing injury.
“Their transition game really took over,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle, a 26-year veteran on the Bombardier bench. “That’s one thing when you play against them, you have to be careful to not get into too much of a transition game. You have to take your opportunities when you get them, but you can’t let them get out and run. They can spread you out and they can shoot the ball. Matty [Boen] had a terrific game. They rallied around TJ when he went down.
“Their defense in the second quarter, the pressure…they decided to run and jump a little bit in the half court. It’s tough to simulate that in practice and that kind of put us a little bit on our heels.”
While it looked like the game was out of reach, the Bombardiers never quite quit and clawed their way back into the game over the next eight minutes. Helped along by a couple of big blocks from White on the defensive end, Francois-Anvil scored on the other end, and a breakaway dunk from White kept the hosts around.
Evan Houle hit two free throws and White completed a traditional three-point play at the buzzer of the third quarter to keep things interesting with Mansfield holding a 62-49 lead going into the fourth.
The Bombardiers were in the bonus for the entire fourth and free throws from Daniels and Alec Eaton early followed by a corner three from Chris Holcomb made it 66-56 with just over five minutes to play.
But instead of getting any closer, Mansfield slammed the door shut with yet another 14-2 run to close the game. Boen hit a pair of three-pointers while See and Hyland converted at the rim with Attleboro bringing double teams. The Bombardiers were held without a field goal the rest of the way.
“It’s a great challenge to play in this league and play against teams like Mansfield,” Houle said. “We’ve been successful recently and it’s because we play hard. I thought our effort was there tonight, we just made too many mistakes collectively.”
Mansfield junior TJ Guy (4) goes up for a shot against Attleboro’s Qualeem Charles and Bryant Ciccio in the third quarter. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Just minutes after a thrilling high school game between Hockomock League rivals Mansfield and Attleboro, Hornet head coach Mike Vaughan summed it up perfectly.
“You could have charged double and people still would have gotten their money’s worth.”
In front of a packed standing-room-only crowd inside James Albertini Gymnasium, the third meeting between the Hornets and Bombardiers proved to the best of the series. And in the end, it had the same result as the first two with top-seeded Mansfield clawing out a 54-52 win over Attleboro in a D1 South Quarterfinal clash.
How it played out, however, was far different from the two regular season meetings between Kelley-Rex foes. This go-around, Mansfield had to dig itself out of a 12-point hole in the second half, and after struggling from the free-throw line all game (11-for-26), sank clutch shots from the charity stripe in the final seconds and held their breath as a near full-court heave from the Bombarders just missed at the buzzer.
“Just play harder, play with a sense of urgency,” Vaughan said of the turnaround. “I talked with the two seniors Sammy [Stevens] and Drew [Rooney], told them they weren’t going to go out this way and to put it all on the line, leave it on the table and see what happens.”
What happened was a new aggressive approach from junior TJ Guy (11 points, seven rebounds), attacking the basket with a purpose. And while that set the table for the comeback, the space it created allowed junior Matt Boen (22 points, four rebounds, four assists) to carry the Hornets over the hump and into the lead.
Attleboro’s Nick McMahon (13 points, seven rebounds) hit a pair of free throws to give the visitors a 37-25 edge with 4:49 left in the third quarter, the first time the Bombarders pushed the advantage to 12 points. Guy sliced through the defense for two, was fouled after collecting his own rebound after getting to the basket again, and once again attacked the basket for a traditional three-point play.
“I thought TJ did a good job coming out in the third and being aggressive to the basket and that opened things up and guys had to make shots,” Vaughan said. “We needed multiple people in the room to fight and he took it to heart. And what I was proud of TJ about is when they started to adjust to what he was doing, he came down three straight possessions and distributed the ball, so we didn’t end up just watching him every time.”
Nonetheless, McMahon answered with a triple on the other end and Attleboro once again had a 12-point advantage, this time at 42-30 with 3:23 left to play.
After four straight takes from Guy, the Hornets found space on the perimeter and Boen sank a triple to get the run going. An Attleboro turnover resulted in another triple from Boen after a feed from Guy. A handful of empty possessions from both sides preceded yet another three from Boen with just 12 seconds left in the third and the Hornets cut the deficit to just 42-39 entering the fourth quarter.
“TJ is a special player for them and he’s got quick feet, he got to the rim a couple times in the third quarter,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “And that matchup favored them when TJ had the ball in those situations and he kind of took the game over. He’s a very good player, and once he gets his, we started to collapse a bit and then they start kicking it out and Boen went off. They have some terrific players and when they needed it, those guys stepped up.
“That kind of changed the flow of the game and it coincided with their defensive pressure too.”
Attleboro senior Bryant Ciccio (11 points, three assists) pushed the Bombarders’ lead to 44-39 to open the quarter but a 5-0 spurt from the Hornets — a free throw from Boen, two from Stevens at the line, and a steal from Brendan Foley that led to a bucket from Boen — tied things up with 5:52 to play. Both Foley and junior Jack Colby gave the Hornets strong minutes defensively in the fourth quarter.
“I thought Matty was awesome in the third quarter and we needed someone to step up and start playing,” Vaughan said. “I think Matty was kind of holding back [in the first half] for some reason, whether it was the atmosphere or the first playoff game where he’s ‘the man.’ It’s our first tournament game, some guys have more experience. I think he just needed a half to figure out how he could be effective and once the first one falls, he started to play with confidence.
The Bombarders missed on a pair of three-point chances before Rooney went up and under for two, only for Attleboro senior Qualeem Charles (10 points, nine rebounds) to answer on the other end.
“They forced some turnovers in the second half,” Houle said, the Bombardiers with eight turnovers after the halftime break. “I thought our rhythm on offense was pretty good early but they got us to turn the ball over and really pressured us. You get energy off of the defense and that’s what they did.
“We like to be in these grind it out games, I had a lot of confidence we would find a way to tie it up and get the win, but [Mansfield] has some terrific players too.
Stevens came up with a big block in the lane and Boen hit his sixth triple of the game to put the Hornets ahead with 3:29 to go. Attleboro once again was off the mark from three, and then had a possession in which they missed two more. Stevens deflected a pass that led to a steal from Boen, but Attleboro got the stop and McMahon hit a little runner in the lane to make it 49-48 with 1:16 to go.
Attleboro got the turnover it needed but came up just short on a baseline layup take. Stevens hit both from the line with 23.3 left for a 51-48 lead and Guy added another for a 52-48 advantage.
McMahon made two at the line to get within two before Stevens hit another for a 53-50 lead. McMahon kept the Bombarders in it with two more from the line before Boen pushed the lead to 54-52 with 3.7 seconds left. Attleboro’s heave at the buzzer was off the back of the rim.
“I’m certainly very proud of our guys and the effort we had tonight and throughout the season, especially our seniors and the amazing crowd we had tonight,” Houle said, with at least half of the crowd at Mansfield clad in Attleboro blue. “You see that many kids and that many fans there before a game, it really shows how much like this group and that made me proud. This has been a terrific group.”
Mansfield built a 15-13 edge after one quarter due to some strong shooting from the perimeter. Boen, Rooney, and freshman Chris Hill all hit from deep while Guy and Stevens had success down low. Attleboro kept pace by going to the hoop, as both Charles and Lorenzo Wilson had four points each.
The second quarter belonged to the Bombardiers, outscoring the hosts 14-2 in the frame to build a double-digit lead by halftime. The Hornets had four turnovers against a strong Attleboro defense and went 0-for-8 from the floor. Mansfield’s only points came at the line, although they missed six straight at one point.
On the flip side, Jason Weir hit his first of three made three-pointers and Ciccio went off his nine points in the quarter, including an impressive bucket to beat the buzzer where he split a pair of defenders and nailed a pull up jumper.
“I thought in the first quarter we were okay,” Vaughan said. “I think we were ahead as many as five and then we get to the second quarter and we scored two points. When’s the last time we scored just two points in a quarter? I think we just had to find our rhythm.”
Mansfield boys basketball (21-3) advances to the D1 South Semifinal against #4 Needham, who took down #5 Newton North 59-46. The Hornets and Rockets will tipoff at 3:30 on Sunday at Taunton High. Attleboro finishes the season at 17-7.
Senior guard Bryant Ciccio sank a pair of free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining to lift Attleboro a playoff win against Brookline. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. – With Brookline leading by a point and the shot clock turned off, Attleboro’s first effort to try and regain the lead was off-line. Tim Callahan corralled the rebound to keep the possession, and Attleboro’s chance of winning Tuesday night’s Div. 1 South opener alive.
Callahan got the ball in the hands of senior guard Bryant Ciccio. There was no one that the packed gym wanted to see have the ball more than the recently-named Hockomock League MVP.
The Bombardiers cleared out, leaving Ciccio one-on-one well beyond the three-point line. He dribbled the clock down to five seconds before dipping his shoulder and taking off down the lane. As he went up for a shot, he drew a foul with 3.2 remaining. The gym was loud and he was trying to earn the first playoff win of his career, but Ciccio showed no nerves, sinking both free throws to put Attleboro back in front.
“They were in a one-and-one situation and it’s either draw a foul or get to the hoop on that one, take an easier shot than a hard one,” said Ciccio. “But, I love being under pressure. I live for that and I want to take those shots at the end of the game.”
Brookline tried to get the ball up the floor for one last shot, but Nick McMahon got the slightest touch on the second pass on the sideline and the clock ran out on a 50-49 Attleboro win. It was the program’s first tournament victory since 2008.
“There’s 13 seconds left and the ball is in the hands of a player that we have a lot of faith in that’s going to make a play and he made a terrific play, got fouled,” said Attleboro coach Mark Houle. “To be put in that position and to knock down those free throws at home in a state tournament game, I’m very proud of him.”
It was always likely to be a close game and it played out that way right from the opening tip. Neither team managed to build more than a five-point edge in the first half and the lead changed hands nine times.
The Warriors were causing problems with their athletic wings, as Ben Murray (16 points) and Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown (15 points) combined for 11 points in the first. Murray’s drive put Brookline ahead for the first time at 11-9.
Attleboro answered back by going inside to senior center Qualeem Charles (16 points and nine rebounds). He scored a layup plus the foul off an offensive rebound and then came back with another and-one off a pass from Ciccio. Callahan (six points) nailed his second three of the quarter to put the Bombardiers ahead 18-14 after one.
Dahlstedt-Brown nailed a three to put the visitors up 25-23 in the second, but Attleboro came right back. Ciccio (14 points) knocked down a shot to tie it and then Jason Weir (six points) got free on a pick-and-pop for his lone three-pointer of the night. After a Brookline basket, Weir lobbed a pass over the top for another Charles layup and McMahon (eight points and six rebounds) turned a steal into a fast break basket and Attleboro’s largest lead, 32-27.
Brookline closed the gap to one, but Ciccio hit a tough floater in traffic to put Attleboro up 36-33 heading into the locker rooms. That would be where the Attleboro offense would stay for the bulk of the third quarter.
The Bombardiers went nearly six minutes of the third quarter without scoring a point, but remained in the game thanks to its defense holding Brookline to just six over that same span. Attleboro turned to its bench, trying to give the starters a much-needed rest and the likes of Evan Houle, Justin Daniels, Lorenzo Wilson, and Adam Pearlstein kept the hosts in it.
“This team’s a tight-knit group,” said Ciccio. “We fight for each other, play hard for each other, and everyone on this team will do what it takes to win the game. We knew if we kept playing hard on defense then the offense would come.”
Ciccio drilled a long three to tie the game at 39-39, Attleboro’s first points of the second half and he followed with a jumper that tied the game again. Charles came back in and scored off a McMahon assist and, improbably, Attleboro took back the lead at 43-41 entering the fourth quarter.
“We had some young kids come in there in the third quarter and they haven’t played a heck of a lot of minutes this year but they gave us three really good minutes and it was a stalemate,” said Houle. “We talk about being a team and those 30 seconds, two minutes, three minutes that we got from some of our reserves tonight were really key for us.”
Charles got a put-back and McMahon had a drive to the rim to extend the lead to six points and it looked like Attleboro might be starting to pull away. The Warriors responded. Alex Socorro scored his only three points of the game and got Brookline to within one with 3:16 left to play.
Attleboro got one at the line on its end and Brookline got one at the line on the other end. After a big offensive rebound by Devani Perez, Murray went to the basket and finished in traffic, giving the visitors the 49-48 lead with just 46.3 to go.
The Bombardiers had one last chance to get over the first round hump and it was no surprise it was the MVP that had the final say.
“There were times in the first half when they got in their rhythm and they were getting to the middle and they were running some really good stuff offensively,” said Houle. “In the second half, it was just getting back to our basics, trying to control the ball better, the on-ball defense was good…the tempo of the game was what we wanted.”
Attleboro (17-6) will now take on top seed Mansfield in the quarterfinal on Friday night. It is the third meeting between the teams this season, with the Hornets winning each of the first two. There is plenty of respect between the teams and players and few secrets.
“I love all the kids from Mansfield,” Ciccio said. “We all compete so well against each other and it’s always a good game. Everyone gets their money’s worth when we play.”
