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THE SUPER TEAM

Guard – Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
An exceptional athlete gifted with a tenacious motor, and one of the state's most dynamic scorers, the 5-foot-11 Calixte was the driving force behind the Black Knight's run to the Division 2 Eastern Mass. final, and asserted himself as the state's premier point guard. For his junior season, he averaged 19 points and six assists, and was named a Hockomock League All-Star. Calixte also stands out on the gridiron for the Black Knights' football squad.

Guard – Tyrese Hoxter, Jr., Charlestown
After playing in the shadows of former All-Stater Akosa Maduegbunam a year ago, the 6-foot-3 Hoxter thoroughly burst onto the scene and had a monster campaign for the Townies, leading them to the TD Garden floor for the first time since 2005 before bowing out to Brockton in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final. This season he averaged 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Guard – Tyrell Springer, Sr., Springfield Central
After falling short of a state title two seasons ago with New Leadership, the 6-foot-2 Springer led Central to the DCU Center floor this season where the Golden Eagles captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991. The centerpiece of one of the state's most athletic lineups, Springer averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, seven assists and 7.3 steals. He is undecided on college plans.

Forward – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
The 6-foot-8 Layman was one of the most dominant players in Massachusetts this season, with the ability to score both inside and out, as the Warriors set a school single-season record for wins (18) before suffering a surprise upset in the Division 2 South quarterfinals. In 21 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 16 rebounds, 5.8 blocks, 3.2 assists and three steals. He closes his career with with 1,752 points, 1,098 rebounds and 391 blocks, giving him career averages of 20.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.6 blocks, 2.8 steals and 2.6 assists. This is his second appearance on the Super Team; he also captured the Hockomock League's MVP for the second straight season. Layman, who was named ESPN Boston's "Mr. Basketball" earlier this week, is ranked the nation's No. 62 overall senior by ESPN, and will continue his career next season at the University of Maryland.

Center – Sayvonn Houston, Sr., Brockton
A nightly double-double machine, Houston established himself as one of the state's most dominant true centers, making life difficult down low as the Boxers went 23-3 and made their first Division 1 state final appearance since 1985. He saved his biggest performances for the biggest stages, such as his 20-20 night in the Division 1 South semifinals, or his 22-point, 13-rebound effort in Brockton's overtime win over Charlestown in the Division 1 Eastern Mass. Final at TD Garden. Houston is undecided on college plans.

BEST OF THE REST

Jalen Adams, Soph. G, Melrose
Quickly rising as one of the Bay State's most complete scoring guards, the 6-foot-1 Adams took home Middlesex League MVP honors after averaging 21 points per game. He led the Red Raiders to an 18-2 regular season record, before they fell to state runner-up Brighton in the Division 2 North semifinals. Adams has already declared that he will be transferring to Wilbraham & Monson Academy next season, where he will reclassify to the Class of 2015.

Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G, Brockton
Like Houston, the 5-foot-11 Blakely saved some of his best performances for the crunch time in the playoffs, such as his eight-assist performance in the Boxers' win over Catholic Memorial. Blakely distributed evenly to Brockton's talented shooters and post players, as they went 23-3 and reached their first state final appearance since 1985.

Matt Droney, Sr. F, Catholic Memorial
A terrific shooter, the 6-foot-4 Droney was named the Catholic Conference's MVP after a season of averaging 20.7 points, six assists and five rebounds per game. He also became the eighth player in school history to surpass 1,000 points earlier this season. The Canton resident will be doing a post-graduate season next year at the Taft School in Connecticut.

Darien Fernandez, Jr. G, Wareham
The 5-foot-7 waterbug demonstrated a tenacious motor in leading the Vikings to their second Division 3 Eastern Mass. Final appearance in three seasons. Wareham was the state's last unbeaten before losing to state champion Danvers. For the season, Fernandez averaged 24 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and five steals, and recorded three triple-doubles. He needs just 45 points next season to reach 1,000 for his career.

Rony Fernandez, Sr. G, Charlestown
Fernandez was one of the most outstanding point guards of the MIAA tournament, leading the Townies to a thrilling win over Lexington in the Division 1 North final before bowing out to state runner-up Brockton in the Eastern Mass. Finals. For the season he averaged 16 points and seven assists. He is undecided on college plans, but is currently fielding interest from Division 1 programs such as Maine, Northeastern and Hartford.

Joey Glynn, Sr. F, Cardinal Spellman
The 6-foot-5 Abington resident did it all this season for the Cardinals, averaging a double-double (18.5 points, 12 rebounds, three steals, 2.2 blocks) as they lost to Eastern Mass. runner-up Wareham in the Division 3 South semifinals. For his career, Glynn scored 1,425 points. He will continue his career next season at Bentley University.

Steve Haladyna, Sr. G/F, St. John’s Prep
One of two repeat All-Staters, the 6-foot-3 Haladyna was unable to lead the Eagles deep in their Division 1 state title defense, but he still leaves the Danvers campus as one of its most decorated basketball stars. He averaged 22.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, both team highs, and for his career he finishes with 1,392 points -- second all-time on Prep's scoring list. The South Hamilton resident will continue his career next season at Tufts University.

Malik James, Soph. G, Brighton
The 6-foot-1 James elevated his game when the Bengals needed it most, as they made their first state final appearance in school history, falling to Mahar in the Division 2 title game. For the season, James averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds as the Bengals won their first-ever Eastern Mass. title.

Jameilen Jones, Jr. G, BC High
BC High's season came to an unexpected halt as the Eagles loss in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament, but the 6-foot-2 Jones has established himself as one of Eastern Mass.'s premier two-way players. For the season, he averaged 17 points and eight rebounds as the Eagles went 15-6.

Zach Karalis, Sr. G, North Andover
The 6-foot-1 Karalis was one of the driving forces for the Scarlet Knights, who went 21-2 and reached the playoffs an unprecedented 47th straight time. For the season he averaged 15.9 points and shot 46 percent from the field, to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals. Karalis will continue his career next season at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Kevin LaFrancis, Sr. C, Acton-Boxborough
After a stellar season in leading the 21-2 Colonials to a Division 1 North semifinal appearance, the 6-foot-6 LaFrancis was named the Dual County League's MVP. He averaged 19.5 points and eight rebounds this season, and finishes his career at A-B with 1,012 career points. He is undecided on college plans.

Alex Lopez, Sr. G, Springfield Commerce
The 5-foot-10 Lopez led the Valley League in scoring for the second straight season, averaging 22.3 points as the Red Raiders went to the Division 1 Western Mass. Finals and took state champion Springfield Central to the wire. He led Western Mass. in field goals made (185) and total points (512). Lopez is currently undecided on college plans.

Damian Lugay, Sr. G, Weymouth
The 6-foot-2 Lugay led the Wildcats to a second straight 17-win season, before they were bounced in the first round of the Division 1 South tournament. For the season he averaged 18.1 points and just under four assists, and leaves Weymouth as a two-time First Team All-Bay State Conference. Lugay is undecided on college plans.

George Merry, Sr. C, Danvers
At 6-foot-7, Merry was a force at both ends of the floor for the Falcons, known for his ability to redirect shots as much as his scoring touch. He averaged 16.1 points, eight rebounds and 6.6 blocks as Danvers captured its first Division 3 state championship in school history. Merry is currently undecided on college plans, but showing interest from several schools in Divisions 2 and 3.

Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Tasked nightly with locking down the opposition's top scorer, Middleton established himself as one of the state's premier on-ball defenders. Middleton averaged 16 points per game for the Black Knights, who won the Division 2 South title before bowing out to state runner-up Brighton in the Eastern Mass. championship at TD Garden. Middleton also stars on Stoughton's football squad.

Matt Mobley, Sr. G/F, St. Peter-Marian
One of state's most pleasant late-blooming surprises, the 6-foot-3 Mobley was one of the leading scorers in Central Mass. as the Guardians made it all the way to the Division 1 Central Final. For the season, he averaged 23.2 points in leading SPM to its most successful season under head coach Marcus Watson. Mobley finished his career at SPM with 1,175 points, and will do a post-graduate season next year at Worcester Academy.

Tyler Nelson, Soph. G, Central Catholic
The 5-foot-11 Nelson established himself as one of the state's premier shooters, as the Raiders made it to the Division 1 North semifinals before bowing out to champion Charlestown. He averaged 15.5 points and four assists this season, shot 42 percent from three-point range, and 91 percent from the free throw line.

Colin Richey, Jr. G, Whitinsville Christian
After winning a Division 3 state title a year ago, the 6-foot Richey nearly led them back, as the Crusaders lost in the final seconds to state runner-up St. Joseph Central in the state semifinals. For the seaosn, Richey averaged 16.8 points, 6.7 assist and 6.3 rebounds for the Dual Valley League champions.

Kamari Robinson, Jr. F, Springfield Central
The 6-foot-5 Robinson was a rock underneath for the Golden Eagles, who captured their first Division 1 state title since 1991 and third overall. He was a nightly double-double threat this season, averaging 13 points, 11 rebounds, four steals and three assists, as Central went undefeated in Massachusetts.

Michael Thorpe, Sr. G, Newton North
The Tigers went run-and-gun this season, and the 5-foot-11 Thorpe kept them thoroughly going. One year after reaching the Division 1 South finals, he nearly led them back, before losing to state runner-up Brockton in the semifinals. He was named the Bay State Conference's MVP, with averages of 15 points and four assists. Thorpe will continue his career next season at Emerson College.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MARCUS MIDDLETON, STOUGHTON
The kind of on-ball pressure Middleton provided nightly to some of the state's premier scorers can take its toll physically, but he was routinely up to the task. As teammate Aaron Calixte saw a barrage of double-teams and box-and-one's, Middleton did his part at the other end, hedging off screens and staying one one's hip, chasing them all over the floor. As much praise as Calixte will get in this unprecedented season for the Knights, an equal amount must be thrown Middleton's way.

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
G – Marcus Middleton, Jr., Stoughton
G – Anthony Hodges, Sr., Holy Name
G – Darien Fernandez, Jr., Wareham
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
C – George Merry, Sr., Danvers

COACH OF THE YEAR
HUGH COLEMAN, BRIGHTON
The Bengals lost their best player before the start of the tournament, and backpedaled into the playoffs with uninspiring losses to Acton-Boxborough and Madison Park. Yet in the end, they were one step away from the school's first-ever state title. Coleman is an unabashed disciple of the legendary Jack O'Brien, and staples of those historic Charlestown squads are sprinkled all over the program. Not only has Coleman done a remarkable job bringing the team to heights never before reached in his three seasons at the helm, but this is a program that will be dangerous for the next few years.

RUNNERS-UP:
Paul Connolly, Newton North
Dean O'Connor, Franklin

FINALISTS:
Kevin Brogioli, Wareham
John Gallivan, Stoughton
Reggie Hobbs, Lexington
Malcolm Smith, East Boston
Chad Softic, Mahar
John Walsh, Danvers
Dennis Wilson, Madison Park

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Brighton coach Hugh Coleman may have never heard of Mahar Regional before today, but it did not take long to learn the Senators' name on Saturday.

After rolling out to an early fifteen point lead, Mahar weathered a wave of Bengals comeback attempts on way to a 45-41 win the MIAA Division 2 state championship, in its first-ever state final appearance, at the DCU Center.

“We have not played a team as skilled or athletic as Brighton,” said Mahar coach Chad Softic. “We were not going to go beyond the three-point line (defensively). We came out sharp, and that allowed us later in the game to withstand a couple runs from them.”

Only trailing twice in the game, the Senators (22-3) pulled ahead for good in the third off a pair of sidelines treys by seniors Phil DiPhillipo and Darwin Duncan to go up 33-30 with 1:53 left.

The Bengals (21-4) had six opportunities to tie the game in the final 40 seconds, but were unable to hit the equalizer. Sandwiched by a pair of missed 3-pointers, junior Prince Unaegbu threw up the Bengals' closest effort down 43-40 with a falling back lob that rolled in-and-out in at 20 seconds.

After trading a point off free-throws, junior Theo Oribhabor (12 points) set up a final fade-away behind the arc, but the leading Bengals' scorer was blocked by senior Phil DiPhillipo.

“We were going to make (Malik) James show us he could shoot,” said Softic. “If they were going to beat us they were going to have to knock down some shots to beat us.”

Mahar was lead with strong guard play from its senior, including 16 points from leading scorer Jesse LaCroix and 12 from DiPhillipo. The senior guards helped the Senators open strong with runs of eight and nine, respectively, during the first quarter.

DiPhillipo stole the rock in the lane and rushed it to the opposite boards to open the scoring for the Western Mass champs. A few minutes later LaCroix stepped around a screen for an open jumper and a 8-2 lead at 2:30 in the first.

Straddling the initial break with a nine point streak, LaCroix lobbed a rebound across the court for two then forced a three-point play under the basket for a 17-3 spread at 6:50.

“They were quick so they had quick hands and feet,” said LaCroix. “It was definitely different going in, but I just tried to use the same moves and check the ball better.”

After tallying five straight from freshman Keyon Jones to end the half, Brighton outscored Mahar 15 to 4 to open the third. Speeding up the tempo entering the half, teammates junior Daivon Edwards and Oribhabor hit a pair of fade-aways for three at 5:30.

The Bengals grabbed their first lead in twenty minutes with a 29-27 spin around ace from junior Dwayne Harper at 3:40 in the third.

“We were talking about dropping so we would not just give up layups,” said Coleman. “(We needed) more ball pressure to create turnovers. We got rolling, but they made some big shots.”

Softic, who is in his fifth year at the helm of Mahar, is the first coach to drive the Senators past the regional semifinals in school history.

MALDEN, Mass. — It wasn’t a situation that Tre Dowman has been put in, or one that is really expected of the 6-foot-7-inch center for the Brighton boys basketball team.

But there he was, on the free throw line with huge shots that could force Melrose to take a last-possession 3-pointer with less than 17 seconds on the clock for a chance to force overtime in the Div. 2 North semifinals.

With the entire Melrose section swaying the crowd against him, and a couple of those fans pushing the limits by going under the basket to try and dissuade the big man, Dowman drained the first and capped off the second as the No. 3 seed Bengals (19-3) held on to head to their second straight Div. 2 North finals in exciting fashion with a 65-59 victory Tuesday night at Malden High.

Dowman was confident that he could get the job done despite not scoring a point in the entire second half.

“I practice my free throws in practice, you know,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got ice water in my veins and I just keep practicing them. Practicing is easy for me. Every time I shoot free throws I feel like I can make 100 in a row.”

Dowman was quick to point out that he hasn’t conquered the feat yet, but for head coach Hugh Coleman, the two his senior center hit were more than enough.

“That’s not a spot that he’s normally in,” said Coleman with a big smile on his face. “He asks me to shoot 3’s and all this other stuff. I tease him and said no you are a big guy. But he’s got a nice little touch...Tre stepped up with a lot of confidence and knocked him down. I’m very proud of him.”

The Red Raiders (20-3) got a good look on a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the corner from Matt Sherlock, but his attempt was a little bit too strong and Malik James handled the rebound and subsequently knocked down a pair of freebies to further extend the lead for the Bengals.

Third Quarter Shooting: The Bengals were a woeful 0-for-7 from distance in the first half until Daivon Edwards got going in the third quarter.

Edwards canned three 3-pointers in the third period and Brighton started to race away from the Red Raiders 15-2 run to end the quarter for a 53-39 lead.

Edwards finished with 16 points and also hit a big 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to nine with two minutes to go in the game before Jalen Adams fueled a comeback, most notably with a three to bring the deficit to one with under 30 seconds left, for Melrose.

Pressure Brings Red Raiders Back: James was clearly the most prolific ball-handler on the court between the two teams, but even he was having a hard time dealing with the Red Raiders defense in the fourth quarter. Melrose finally switched to a suffocating full-court man press in to fuel a 12-0 run to climb back into the game in the early parts of the fourth quarter.

“That is how we play it,” said Melrose head coach Mike Kasprzak. “We are usually in a way better situation in that point and then we put it on and it’s a different story. When you have to come down from three or four possessions down, it’s tough.”

James felt a heavy burden of bringing the ball up, especially with Nick Simpson on the sidelines living and dying with every made bucket, and the sophomore made up for several turnovers with three clutch free throws at the end of the game.

“There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders that I had to carry,” said James, who finished with a game-high 29 points. “I couldn’t let nobody down, it was all on my shoulders.”

No. 6 Brighton beat No. 9 New Mission in convincing fashion last Wednesday thanks to their 1-2-1-1 diamond. Their press caused New Mission to rush their offense and force turnovers, which ultimately shifted the momentum of the game in Brighton’s favor.

Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman made the executive decision to stay in the press for the majority of the game not to run up the score, but because he knew it would keep his team playing hard. He took advantage of the fact that he has numerous quick players on his team and made sure he was using them to their strengths.

Here is a breakdown of how it worked:

What is it?

Brighton’s 1-2-1-1 press forces players to get trapped along the sidelines. It is a press that cuts off the middle and leaves the opposite side of the court’s sidelines open, which is often times a tough and long pass for the guards. When it is passed to the opposite sidelines, however, there are always three Brighton defenders always back on defense.

Forcing Turnovers

The main goal of any type of pressure is usually to force turnovers. Brighton’s press only directly forced three turnovers in this game.



Only one of those plays led to a Brighton basket. This may prompt one to ask, how was Brighton’s press so effective?

Rushed Offense

The way that their press hurt New Mission was not so much the idea of forcing turnovers. Instead, it made New Mission rush things on offense.



As you can see from each clip, New Mission had a false perception of being on a fast break whenever they broke the press. In three out of the four clips (the first, second, and last clip), New Mission took a shot that they thought was a good shot because they were on a “fast break”. If you look closely in these clips, the Brighton players back on defense outnumber the New Mission players on offense.

The confusion and bad decision making allowed for Brighton to get in transition on the other end. It also helped that Brighton’s offense was running smoothly. The press served as an extra punch after any Brighton scored basket.

How To Break It

New Mission did not do a bad job of breaking the press. The main man to credit would be DaShawn Fennell. He did a great job of attacking at the right time. He was smart with the ball and took advantage of any openings he found.



The key to breaking this press (or any press) is patience and poise. Players have to take openings when they see them. For example, on the last clip, Brighton’s players did not get back on defense. Leroy Hamilton saw this and instantly attacked the basket. The open three-pointer is intriguing, but not a good shot in transition, especially since Brighton usually has more people back on defense in the paint. Players must also attack it, draw double teams, and find the open players.

This takes toughness and intelligence, two of the attributes that separate the good basketball players from the not so good ones.

ROXBURY, Mass. -- Their energetic student section was dancing in the bleachers. Their promising young point guard was all smiles, ear to ear, with an extra bit of jump in his stride. And when the final buzzer rang, their spiritual head coach's voice had grown so hoarse he could barely speak.

The Brighton Bengals were in rare form tonight against their Boston South rivals New Mission, tonight in a home game at Latin Academy, so excuse all parties involved for expending -- or, in head coach Hugh Coleman's case, exhausting -- bountiful bursts of energy.

When these two teams met last month before a frenetic crowd at the Tobin Community Center, the Bengals snuck out of the building with a two-point comeback victory, and Coleman's first win over the Titans in his tenure at Brighton. But tonight, before another capacity crowd, the Bengals pulled off a rare sweep of a team that just plain doesn't get swept, delivering the Titans a 76-53 haymaker to take control of the South division and assure themselves a spot the Boston City League Championship tournament at the end of this month.

"They [Mission] were the standard in our league, of excellence, and the team to beat," said Coleman, growling and straining his hoarse voice to make out words. "We've been measuring ourselves against them, and for two years couldn't get over the top.

"We got close last year in the D2 North Final [a 55-53 loss], so this year it was important for us to get the first win. And I thought again, we came out and played well, and did some things to slow them down. So it means a lot, for now, but we're most likely going to see them again in the state tournament, or in the City's."

The Titans (11-4) took their only lead of the game right at the beginning, a Tayon Watson three-pointer from the wing giving them a 5-2 advantage. From then on, the Bengals (15-1) seized control forcefully, using an aggressive 1-2-1-1 press to force a slew of turnovers and close out the quarter on an 18-4 run. Daivon Edwards (17 points, five rebounds) hit two 3-pointers to spark the run.

More damage came in the second quarter, when sophomore point guard Malik James (20 points, 12 assists, five rebounds) pushed Brighton's advantage out to 34-16 with a momentum-swaying three-point play. James pulled up to the left elbow, crossed his man up to a loud chorus of approval from the crowd, and pulled back for a 15-foot fadeaway that drew a foul from his defender in the process.

"It was basically a four-low iso, and coach was telling us to keep going," James said. "So I hit him with a crossover and just pulled up."

The Bengals led 38-24 at the half, forcing 15 Mission turnovers over the first 16 minutes, and led 54-39 through three. Sophomore forward Nick Simpson added 16 points and eight rebounds in the win, while junior guard Theo Oribhabor added 15 points, five assists and five rebounds.

"[We were] real energized, practice was crazy yesterday," James said. "Real energetic, and then we just left everything out there. We went after everything."

Shaquan Murray led Mission with 11 points, while DaShawn Fennell added 10 points and junior forward Isshiah Coleman had 10 rebounds.

Packing the pressure: Coleman toiled under legendary head coach Jack O'Brien at Charlestown during their historic run of dominance at the start of the 21st Century, winning five Division 2 state titles in six seasons, and one of the staples of O'Brien's reign he has brought with him to Brighton is the method in which players attack in full-court pressure.

Emphasis on attack, by the way. The Bengals take proper spacing and attack at angles, which tonight led to an aggressive press -- especially with their diamond-and-one look, which placed four defenders in a diamond formation about the three-point arc, and left the big man 40 to 50 feet back as a safety valve.

In turn, Mission was forced into some poor decisions with the ball, getting trapped and turning the ball over around midcourt a number of times and yielding some open perimeter looks on the fast break. When they did get shots off, the Bengals controlled the glass, including a 23-12 advantange on the boards in the first half.

"It's a good question," Coleman said when asked how much he wanted to dictate tempo. "My coaches, after a couple fouls, want to pull the press off. But I feel when you sit back in a zone, you get lackadaisical. So I really wanted to push the tempo, dictate it, get us going up and down, because our guys are really good in the open court.

"I thought that if we could get them in a couple good trap situations, force them to speed it up a bit, that would help us out. And it worked."

James' confidence growing: As much as James excites fans at time with his ballhandling ability and end-to-end rushes, it's his confidence that Coleman says is his best quality at the moment.

"He's always been a special, talented kid," Coleman said. "He has skills. But when his confidence is going, that's everything. He can get people the ball, he can get to the lane, play good defense, and be a great leader. So when his confidence up, it helps our team overall. That's the energy level we want."

Pyrrhic victory? Emotions are running high in Brighton, off to the program's best start in years despite not having a home gym due to renovations, but the Bengals may soon have to deal with more adversity.

Coleman confirmed to ESPNBoston.com following the win that he expects to lose Simpson and junior point guard Nate Hogan either by the end of this week or next week due to academics. Simpson has been consistently one of the Bengals' best performers, if not their most versatile threat in the frontcourt, posting double-double figures nearly nightly.

Down the other end, Mission head coach Cory McCarthy confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that he has lost promising freshman point guard Greg Bridges, also due to academics. Bridges was averaging 20 points and eight rebounds in his first year with the Titans.

BRIGHTON, Mass. -- In our latest installment of "Chalk Talk", we caught up with Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman and his bright young assistant Kurtis Grant following a Bengals practice Monday night.

The Bengals have turned the corner this season, off to a 10-1 start, a No. 7 ranking in ESPN Boston's statewide MIAA poll, and in control of the Boston City League's North Division. It's also been a rewarding season, not just for the development of some promising underclassmen, but because renovations at the school have forced them to take many of their practices at defunct Hyde Park High.

Coleman and Grant talk about the season's success so far, and show us a new play the team has been working on:

With many teams across the state reaching the midway point of their schedule this week, here are my mid-season picks for our annual MIAA All-State, All-Defensive, and Coach of the Year awards.

THE SUPER TEAM
G – Aaron Calixte, Jr., Stoughton
G – Steve Haladyna, Sr., St. John’s Prep
G – Tyrese Hoxter, Jr., Charlestown
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
F – Isshiah Coleman, Jr., New Mission

BEST OF THE REST
Yadoris Arias, Sr. G, Lawrence
Tyler Delorey, Sr. G, Holy Name
Matt Droney, Sr. G/F, Catholic Memorial
Joey Glynn, Sr. F, Cardinal Spellman
Leroy Hamilton, Sr. F, New Mission
Jameilen Jones, Jr. G, BC High
Kevin LaFrancis, Sr. C, Acton-Boxborough
Alex Lopez, Sr. G, Springfield Commerce
Damian Lugay, Sr. G, Weymouth
George Merry, Sr. C, Danvers
Marcus Middleton, Jr. G, Stoughton
Matt Mobley, Sr. G/F, St. Peter-Marian
Brian Mukasa, Soph. G, Sharon
Tyler Nelson, Soph. G, Central Catholic
Quinton Perkins, Sr. G, Fitchburg
Luis Puello, Sr. G, Central Catholic
Colin Richey, Jr. G, Whitinsville Christian
Kamari Robinson, Jr. F, Springfield Central
Tyrell Springer, Sr. G, Springfield Central
Michael Thorpe, Sr. G, Newton North

ALL-DEFENSIVE
G – Luis Puello, Sr., Central Catholic
G – Anthony Hodges, Sr., Holy Name
F – Jake Layman, Sr., King Philip
F – Antonio Ferreira, Sr., Stoughton
C – George Merry, Sr., Danvers

COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
Scott Boyle, Lowell
Hugh Coleman, Brighton
Paul Connolly, Newton North
Paul DiGeronimo, Fitchburg
John Gallivan, Stoughton
Paul Neal, Lawrence
Brendan Smith, Boston Latin
Malcolm Smith, East Boston
Mike Vaughan, Mansfield
John Walsh, Danvers

ROXBURY, Mass. — The last three years haven’t been too kind to Hugh Coleman and his Brighton High basketball team whenever his team goes on the court against Boston City League rival New Mission.

In their previous five attempts in that timespan, the Bengals have been on the opposite end of the scoreboard. The old saying is that the third time is a charm, well in this instance Coleman and the Bengals needed to double it.

Brighton finally snapped the streak with a 60-58 victory over New Mission (5-3) last night at the Tobin Community Center. Theo Oribhabor’s late lay-in was the game-winner and a defensive stand with 19 seconds helped the Bengals hold on to the lead and run their record to 7-1 on the season.

“We just had to gut it out,” said Coleman. “We knew we had the capabilities and we had to climb the mountain. That’s the first step. It’s only a regular season game, but for our guys moral and the fact that we know we are capable it was big.”

The players — and the entire crowd at the Tobin for that matter — were into this one from the tipoff, and for Nick Simpson, who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, this victory was a statement win in a condensed division inside the city limits.

“It means a lot,” said Simpson. “Last year we had a good team, but this year we had a better team and we tried to prove that to them. We came out and did what we did. We crashed rebounds. … We played stronger as a team and we came out with the win.”

The Comeback: Things weren’t looking good for the Bengals early on after a horrid first quarter offensively that saw them only score 5 points and shoot 2-of-15 from the line.

The second quarter brought better results with better shot selection and a spirited eight-point effort from Simpson. The Bengals were 0-for-9 from deep in the first quarter and Daivon Edwards’ 3-ball, the lone one of the half, brought the score to 30-25 in favor of New Mission before the break.

“We settled, and there were a lot of jitters because of the energy of the game,” said Coleman. “Once we got settled in then we started getting a couple of layups and shots like that.”

Defensive Switch: Coleman had his team come out in a 3-2 zone, with some of his bigger, more athletic wings manning the top of the zone to keep the Titans from getting good outside looks. After falling down by 15 in the second quarter, the Bengals head coach decided to make a change to a press defense to try and hurry up the Titans.

“I felt like they were getting comfortable (with the 3-2),” said Coleman. “I was telling my coaching staff that we need to pick up the pressure for our sake. We were getting too complacent and I wanted us to pick it up a little bit and it worked.”

That pressure paid off late in the game when Oribhabor picked off a pass in the Titans backcourt setting up Malik James’ tying drive to the hoop for the 58-all score. Oribhabor would post the game-winning bucked with a drive and move to his left hand with under a minute left to go in the game.

New Mission head coach Cory McCarthy confirmed that his promising freshman point guard, Greg Bridges, will be out at least two weeks to a month with a high right ankle sprain.

Through the first seven games of his high school career, the 5-foot-6 Bridges was averaging 14.6 points and six assists for the 5-2 Titans, who began the preseason as the No. 3 team in ESPN Boston's statewide MIAA poll and have remained in the Top 5 all season.

Bridges injured the ankle four days ago in practice, McCarthy said, and is still having trouble putting weight on it. The injury couldn't come at a worse time, as a matchup with the Titans' Boston City North archrival Brighton is on tap Wednesday. Mission swept the Bengals in all three games last season, including the Division 2 North final at the Tsongas Center; but Hugh Coleman's troops are off to a hot start, sitting at 6-1 and No. 15 in ESPN Boston's poll.

BROCKTON, Mass. -– No. 15 Brighton pulled out a less than stellar 69-60 victory of No. 12 Brookline last night to open up the 38th Annual Rotary Club of Brockton Holiday Tournament.

“I think we were able to get it together a little quicker than them, and I think that made the difference,” said Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman, who noted that that both teams were slow out of the gate after taking the holiday break off from game play.

The teams volleyed single-digit leads throughout the first half, with turnovers and missed shot opportunities abound. With the score 29-28 going in the break, it was anyone’s game, as neither team had shown they were ready to seize the opportunities that the other was affording them.

That changed in the third quarter when Brighton was able to pull up for a 10-point lead with 2:47 left in the quarter. They stretched the lead to as much as 13 (47-34) with 1:51 left in the quarter, but themselves could not put on a significant offensive run after early third-quarter contributions from sophomores Mark Mojica (5 points) and Nick Simpson (18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists), and entered into a nearly shot-for-shot contest for the rest of the match. Brookline was able to close it down to within seven early in the fourth at 53-46, but extended slowly until the Bengals were back up by 13 with 1:09 left in the game.

Mental Toughness: Although he didn’t have a triple double, or a double anything, Brighton’s Prince Unaegbu was a presence for the Bengals in the post, grabbing five rebounds, taking one steal and scoring two points. By the look of those statistics, the numbers are not impressive, but what he brought to the Brighton game tonight cannot be counted by numbers, but from a mentality and access point of view Unaegbu was a force.

“Really raw in talent, but athletic,” is the way that that Coleman described the 6-foot-5 junior. Unaegbu played football this past fall for the Bengals, and Coleman believes that Unaegbu’s antagonism is going to be key in his career for the Brighton basketball team.

“For him to get in there, take up some space and be aggressive, I think it’s important for the other team to see that, for him to get in there and bang around," Coleman said.

Bench Depth: Late in the game, Brookline had some opportunities to score off of Brighton’s missed shots, passes that didn’t make it to their intended targets and rebounds that were simply taken out of the Brighton players’ hands -– but they could not score off many of these opportunities.

This tactic, of putting in bench players such as seniors Tre Dowman and Anderson Teneus, as well as underclassmen like Mojica and Nate Hogan, is a building exercise and is a risk that Coleman carefully calculated.

“We’re trying to balance, making sure that we get our guys in and making sure that we’re developing guys that are on our bench. We can’t expect to go deep into the season or in the playoff and not have a solid bench and role players to get in there with confidence,” Coleman said.

Déjà Vu: The last loss Brookline took was at the hands of BC High, 53-58, on December 19th. During that game, as with tonight’s loss, the Warriors were unable to play well in the third quarter and never recovered.

“Brighton took it to the basket more during that stretch and our guys didn’t responds as well as I’d like to see,” said Brookline coach Mark Fiedor. “After the third it ended up playing out even."

Unfortunately for the Warriors, when you are behind you need to play better than the other team to overcome them, not as good. Brookline boasts a mostly junior squad, and suited up played three seniors tonight. Fiedor hopes that this scenario does not become a regular showing for his team as they are preparing for league play.

BOSTON -– “South Side” was the call of the day from fans and players alike at Northeastern University’s Cabot Gynamsium, after the Boston South swept the North in the Boston City League All-Star Classic. O'Bryant head coach Gertrude Fischer led the girls to a 48-26 victory, while Brighton's Hugh Coleman commanded the boys to an 83-68 win.

The boys game started with the North taking a 17-13 lead in the first quarter which ended with a long three pointer from Walter Lewis), draining it at the buzzer. The South came out on a 12-1 run in the second quarter and never looked back there. Coleman attributed the first quarter run by the North to nervousness on his team’s behalf; but as for the rest of the game, Coleman gave it up to team play.

“I tried to have a couple of practices with these guys so they would build up some chemistry together,” said Coleman.

They were able to turn it around in the second quarter with that chemistry, leading at the half by six, 34-28.

In the fourth, down by 16 at 61-45, the south went on a 15-4 run and came within five with 4:40 left in the game, but New Mission's Samir McDaniels (12 points, 10 rebounds) felt that when they were down both times that his team would open it up and bring home the victory.

“We’ve been practicing all week, getting to know each other, getting the feel of playing with each other,” said McDaniels. Although the win was good, McDaniels enjoyed the intangible feeling of taking part in a once in a life time event with a unique group of players.

In the fourth, East Boston’s Jeff Amazan had the lane open on a fast break, but he slowed down, threw the ball off the backboard and up came cross town rival Akosa Maduegbunam of Charlestown, to slam in the alley-oop. Eastie coach Malcolm Smith (viewing from the stands) was surprised to see that collaboration, but Amazan said it had been planned prior to it happening.

“It’s all about team work,” said Amazan. “There’s no point in going out there and being selfish, it’s an all-star game. Me and him had planned that. He told me to throw it off the backboard if he was behind me trailing… It was a good environment. Every came and showed out, had fun and had a good time.”

“Just the feeling of playing with these dudes..I’m never going play here with these guys again because most of us are seniors,” said McDaniels. “The feeling of playing here, that was real deep feeling."




In the preceding game pitting the North and South girls squads, there was no leading scorer for the winning South, as three players had eight points apiece -- Burke’s Fredericka Lawson, Boston English's Ashley Jean-Louis and O'Bryant eighth grader Araion Bradshaw.

“In the beginning of the game, I told them that everyone was going to play the same amount of time and I wanted them to be very aggressive, whatever time they were in there and they all bought right into it," Fisher said. "That is a testament to what great athletes they are.”

“I had to put my game face on,” said Lawson, who ran through the Winning 101 vocabulary list. “No playing around, team work, motivation, defense wins games."

The North was led in scoring by half of the New Mission delegation to the event-- Tajanay Veiga-Lee and Kayla Cox, who scored eight and seven points respectively.

More Than A Game

Last year, Dr. Joseph D. Warren, a former staff member at Northeastern University and father of Newton Mayor Setti Warren, passed away. In his time in the Boston community, Dr. Warren worked hard to open the doors of Northeastern to the entire community of Boston, including bringing the city’s all-star games to the Cabot Gym. From this day and hereon, the event has been renamed “The Dr. Joseph D. Warren Boston City League Basketball All-Star Classic”.

“To know that we’re here on the shoulders of a great man, that’s definitely a honor,” Coleman said. “We want to continue our legacy and do our part to make sure that we open up the doors and we push these young men and these young women to higher standards as well and more opportunities.”

“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him,” said Ryan FitzGerald, Director of Recreation, Sports and Fitness at the BCYF. “The university had been here for many, many years, but he was the guys who said it was really important that people from the surrounding neighborhoods, especially at risk youth, from Roxbury, Mattapan and all the surrounding areas, have access to enjoy all it has to offer, maybe open their eyes to what they could achieve."

“I think people are taking priority with city kids now and they deserve it,” said Charlestown head coach Edson Cardoso, who coached the North team. “They go through a lot, they sacrifice, they’re asked to be grown men at a young ages and I think they deserve the best every time they go out there."

The Boston Scholar Athlete Program and the Boston Centers for Youth and Families have announced the teams and award winners for the 2011 Boston City League Basketball All-Star Classic.

The game will take place this Saturday at Northeastern University's Cabot Center, with the doors opening at 1:30 p.m., the girls' game starting at 2 p.m. and the boys' game following at 4 p.m.

Below are the rosters and award winners for the North and South divisions:

BOYS

North
Jose Alfonseca, Sr. G, Snowden
Jeff Amazon, Sr. G, East Boston
Jonathon Deane, Jr. G, Latin Academy
CJ Dowdell, Sr. F, Charlestown
Rony Fernandez, Jr. G, Charlestown
Tyrese Hoxter, Soph. F, Charlestown
Khayree Hudson, Sr. C, Madison Park
James Jones, Sr. F, Fenway
Kwamaine Lane, Sr. F, Latin Academy
Walter Lewis, Sr. G, East Boston
Akosa Maduegbunam, Jr. G, Charlestown
Paul Maurice, Jr. G, Snowden
Tyrell Pugh, Sr. F, South Boston
Johan Vizcaino, Sr. G, South Boston
Stan Winn, Sr. G, East Boston

Coach of the Year: Edson Cardoso, Charlestown
Sportsmanship Award: Troy Bowens, Snowden

South
Dominique Boyd, Sr. F, Dorchester
Jared Butler, Soph. C, O'Bryant
Jakari Christopher, Jr. G, Burke
Darius Davis, Sr. G, New Mission
Jason Hall-Sergenton, Sr. F, West Roxbury
Dwayne James, Sr. G, Burke
Samir McDaniels, Sr. G, New Mission
Jesse Noel, Sr. G, Hyde Park
Kachi Nzerem, Sr. F, New Mission
Roger Paul, Sr. G, West Roxbury
Chris Shelton, Sr. F, Burke
Bernadin St. Vil, Sr. C, Brighton
Andrew Toney, Sr. F/C, Brighton
Alex Villanueva, Sr. G, Boston English
Kevon Young, Sr. G, Brighton

Coach of the Year: Hugh Coleman, Brighton
Sportsmanship Award: Jakari Christopher, Burke

GIRLS

North
Sara Centeio, Fr. G, Charlestown
Kayla Cox, Jr. G, Fenway
Maria Delvecchio, Jr. C, East Boston
Kaila Duarte, Soph. C, Fenway
Amber Edwards, Soph. G, Madison Park
Krystal Edwards, Soph. G, Madison Park
Makeeba Farguarson, Sr. C, Charlestown
Brittani Hardy, Sr. F/C, Snowden
Davetta Kinner, Sr. G, Latin Academy
Jovanna Sandifer, Jr. G, Snowden
Maya Scott, Sr. F, Latin Academy
Cleusa Sequeria, Sr. G, Fenway
Daitannah Smith, Fr. F, South Boston
Tajanay Veiga-Lee, Soph. G, Fenway
Elaina Wright-McCarthy, Fr. G, South Boston

Coach of the Year: Carla Hands, Madison Park
Sportsmanship Award: Maya Scott, Latin Academy

South
Araion Bradshaw, 8th G, O'Bryant
Robbie Cardoso, Sr. G, New Mission
Kiana Dailey, Soph. F, O'Bryant
Pierline Durand, Sr. G, O'Bryant
Khadijah Ellison, Sr. G, Burke
Ashley Jean-Louis, Soph. G, Boston English
Tianna Johnson, Jr. G, New Mission
Raven Kelsey, Fr. F, O'Bryant
Jazala Laracuente, Fr. G, New Mission
Fredericka Lawson, Sr. F, Burke
Trayana Mair, Soph. G, Boston English
Rachelle Pierre, Jr. F, Hyde Park
Marissa Serrette, Soph. G, West Roxbury
Shantal Solomon, Sr. G, Brighton
Aaliyah Williams, Jr. F/C, Dorchester

Coach of the Year: Gertrude Fisher, O'Bryant
Sportsmanship Award: Pierline Durand, O'Bryant

LAWRENCE, Mass. -- Describe Brighton’s win in one word?

Speedy. No, aggressive. Rebounding, maybe?

One word: complete.

The eighth-seeded Bengals took control from the opening tip, churning out an 18-3 run in the first six minutes against a Burlington squad still trying to establish tempo.

After 32 minutes of play, what appeared inevitable after one quarter became reality, as Brighton took down the No. 12 seed Red Devils, 68-46, with scoring from 10 different players, and double-digit contributions from four.

All told, the one statistic that encapsulates this Division 2 North semifinal was the rebounding margin. Brighton (14-5) surpassed Burlington, 58-18, in seizing missed shots.

Leading the way on the glass were senior forwards Bernadin St. Vil (11 points) and Mike Arnead, who hoarded ten rebounds (five offensive) and eight, respectively. In addition, senior forward Edward Toney (nine points, three blocks) amassed seven boards, while senior shooting guard Ronald Mack (10 points) grabbed five.

“It dictated everything,” Brighton head coach High Coleman said. “Defensive rebounding allowed for us to fast-break. We had a lot more fast-break points in this game than I think we had most of the season. Offensively, it allowed us to get second chances and it took a lot of the pressure off of us.”

The Bengals brought down 17 offensive rebounds to just five from the Red Devils (14-9). Subsequently, Brighton awarded itself more shot attempts, totaling 25-for-61 (Five three-pointers) from the field, compared to Burlington, who went 17-for-58 (One three-pointer).

By and large, senior point guard Kevon Young played frontrunner for the victors, tallying a game-high 15 points -- 13 in the first half -- to accompany his ten rebounds and four assists. Young’s vision and ball handling were instrumental to Brighton’s up-tempo style.

“Our coach told us, ‘rebound and box out,’” Young said. “That’s a big part of the game. And we pushed the fast break. When we got the rebound, we’d go.”

For a Burlington squad faithful to its 2-3 zone, installing full-court pressure and a man-to-man defense in the second half -- an effort to disrupt Brighton’s offense and force turnovers -- was a decision Burlington head coach Tom Lyons said he was reluctant to make.

“[Zone defense] has worked all year,” he said. “That’s what these kids know. For us to play man-to-man, it’s difficult.”

Nonetheless, the Red Devils did force 22 turnovers on the contest.

And that turnover statistic is an issue, albeit one of minimal importance in regards to this particular contest, Coleman said.

“I’m almost like a perfectionist,” he said. “I’m a point guard at heart, naturally, so I want us to take care of the ball. But I thought that today, the turnovers were overshadowed by the fact that we were rebounding and we got more points. So I really didn’t notice the amount of turnovers.

“It bothers me to an extent, especially in a tight game, obviously, and even in a game like this, so that we don’t get complacent. So when we get into a tight game, we stress taking care of the ball.”

For the Red Devils, offensive production came predominantly from the dribble penetration of senior guard and tri-captain Ryan Putney. The soon-to-be two-time Middlesex League All-Star also posted a game-high 15 points while pulling down five rebounds.

“[Putney] is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever come across,” said Lyons. “He’s one of these kids that I constantly yell at, but I know he can take it. He was a league all-star last year. He should be again this year. He’s had a great career at Burlington.”

Alongside Putney, Burlington welcomed eight points from junior guard and tri-captain Connor Gallivan and seven from seven from freshman substitute Shane Farley.

Moving forward, Brighton’s Coleman wants his squad to maintain it’s simple, yet oh-so-vital modus operandi when it faces New Mission -- who took the two regular season contests with Brighton -- in the sectional finals: box out and gain control of errant shots.

“I’m very happy that we rebounded well tonight,” the former Charlestown guard said. “One of the reasons I wanted to emphasize rebounding is because of New Mission. They are big and they pound the boards. So we have to box out and rebound."

And limiting New Mission’s production in the paint?

“Can you eliminate that in some way?” Coleman joked. “Good luck...we’ll just try and do what we’ve been doing all year. Try to have a mix of inside-outside and see what happens. I think it’ll be a really good game.”

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. -- Forgive Roger Paul if he wants to grin a little bit. Heck, the last time his West Roxbury Raiders were in the Boston City League Championships, Dubya still was in office, and people couldn't shut up about some whiz kid named Gerard Coleman.

"When I was a freshman, that's all they used to talk about -- Gerard this, Gerard that," the senior laughed when asked about Coleman, currently a freshman guard at Providence and one of the MIAA's most electric scorers during his three-year run with the Raiders. "Ever since my junior year, that's all people want to talk about, we'd never be the same once Gerard left. Now we're back in City's, and everybody's forgotten about Gerard."

That last point's debatable, yes, but you get the general idea. In punching their first ticket to the Boston City Championships since 2008, thanks to a 72-60 win over Brighton on their home floor -- their second win over the Bengals in three days -- the Raiders have made a whole lot of followers quit dwelling on the past, and embrace the present.

Because as things currently stand -- sitting at 14-5 overall, seasoned by a competitive non-league schedule, and rounded out by a young but cerebral backcourt -- the Raiders look as good as just about anyone else in the wide-open Division 1 South.

"I still don't think we've put together a full game this year," Westie head coach Martin Somers said. "So, I believe if we do, we can beat anybody. So I'm just waiting for that game to happen, where we put four great quarters together."

This afternoon, the Raiders managed to put together three such quarters, taking a 62-39 lead into the final stanza before the Bengals (11-4) opened up the fourth on an 11-0 run to make a game of it again. Five-foot-5 sophomore Nate Hogan (10 points), playing in his first varsity action, provided plenty of spark off the bench, running the point in place of Kevon Young (suspension), who is expected back Friday.

Edward Toney (14 points, seven rebounds) provided mettle down low, and the Bengals caused a handful of turnovers with a full-court 2-2-1 press to spark the fourth quarter run. But in the end, just like their 73-70 overtime loss Monday to these same Raiders, there was too much to overcome.

"(They're) very well-disciplined," Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman said of Westie. "They're young, but they're mature. Mature, disciplined, they took their time running their sets, they did a great job. Great job."

Paul (15 points, five assists) and Jason Hall (11 points, eight rebounds) did their part in directing traffic in the half-court, running patient sets that wore down the Bengals' 2-3 zone. The Raiders hit four of their first five 3-point attempts, and shot 51 percent overall from the field in the first half while notching assists on 10 of their 14 first-half field goals.

Shoring up the other other end was the loose yet heady play of starting freshman guards Damion Smith (14 points, five rebounds) and Mike Rodriguez (10 points). The backcourt tandem came into the season with some hype, and has lived up to the billing these last few weeks.

"They each play their own part," Hall said. "They both complement our team real well, and I'm glad that they came here."

Said Somers, "They're seasoned guys even though they're young. They play on the AAU circuit, the national level, they've played in big games. They're not nervous out there, they've bought into the program, and I'm really proud of the freshmen. They've stepped up, and really given us big minutes."

ROXBURY, Mass. -- The capacity crowd at the Tobin Community Center having dispersed minutes ago, Samir McDaniels slouched in the bleachers, head bowed, casually sipping a Poland Spring bottle as he took in some relaxed deep breaths after two hours of congestion. He needed a minute after this one.

Battling the flu all day, the New Mission senior guard was advised by head coach Cory McCarthy to sit out tonight's pivotal Boston City South rematch with No. 13 Brighton. Ten minutes before tip-off, though, McCarthy was told otherwise.

"Cory wasn't going to let me play, but I told him I was going to play regardless of whether he let me or not," McDaniels said. "No disrespect, but I've got to be there for my team."

Same for fellow senior guard Darius Davis, who was battling similar symptoms and had a temperature of 102 degrees at game time ("No excuses," he said). Both he and McDaniels went the full 32 minutes, and put in double-doubles as the No. 5 Titans fought off a late Brighton surge to win, 65-58, and sweep the season series with the Bengals -- a win made even more intriguing when considering they'll be missing the third wheel of the much-hyped backcourt, senior Kachi Nzerem (hip pointer), at least another two weeks.

"It's kinda scary," McCarthy said. "Because, you know, there would have been no excuses, but guys were dragging. You could tell, you can look in their faces right now, they're dragging. But, you know, they love the game, and they want to protect our house. They want to protect Mission Hill. They want to protect the neighborhood, the school, what we're about."

When these two teams battled last month in Brighton's gym, a New Mission win, McCarthy characterized the game as "ugly basketball" -- granted, a style the Titans often tell reporters that they embrace.

And while the second installment featured far less pressing and more organization in the half-court, it wasn't a symphony, either. Both teams shot less than 40 percent from the floor for the game, and coupled with a slew of unforced turnovers on both ends, things boiled down to physicality as the Titans threw six different zone looks to try and confuse the Bengals' young lineup.

"We started off way too sluggish, way too casual," Brighton head coach Hugh Coleman said. "We didn't attack until late, we didn't play aggressive until late. You can't do that against a good team like that. But again, we're young, with alot of room to grow, so to me that was more immaturity and youth than anything else."

New Mission (11-3) opened the game in a 2-3 zone, but didn't stay in it for long as the Bengals' first four field goals were all three-pointers, starting the game off 4 of 8 from deep. McCarthy was unsure how many minutes to expect out of McDaniels (22 points, 12 rebounds) and Davis (19, 11), but both were a force on the boards early, and started fast breaks with deflections on the perimeter. And while the Titans went with a deeper bench, they never left those two off the floor.

A buzzer-beating Davis three-pointer gave the Titans a 17-14 lead over Brighton (10-2) at the end of the first quarter. New Mission used 8-0 runs at the start of the second and third stanzas to take a comfortable 45-30 lead headed into the fourth.

The Titans went a stretch of roughly six minutes without a field goal over the final minutes of the third and start of the fourth, but found spark again when Leroy Hamilton (11 points) stepped up with a three to make it 51-34 with five minutes left. From therein, though, the Bengals made a furious rally behind guards Malik James (19 points) and Kevon Young (20), getting great looks on the perimeter and outscoring the Titans 24-14 over the final four minutes.

In all, the Bengals made nine 3-pointers. But New Mission used its athleticism to its advantage, with McDaniels and Davis drawing contact on hard drives and going a combined 11 of 12 from the free throw line in the second half, to keep this from getting too close for comfort.

"They worked hard. They worked hard," McCarthy said. "That's a tough team to hold down, as you can tell. But I think people came to play. Guys stepped up without Kachi -- that's 18 points a game, you know. That just shows the resolve this team has. They've been fighting adversity all day, all year, and it's showing. We're starting to build that mental toughness that I've been crying about, really complaining about, so they showed up."