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The MIAA will crown six state champions in boys and girls basketball on Saturday at Worcester's DCU Center. Here are my thoughts on how those six games will play out:

DIVISION 3 GIRLS: PENTUCKET (22-4) VS. SABIS (21-5)
Pentucket Players to Watch: Tess Nogueira, Jr. C; Leigh McNamara, Sr. F; Sarah Higgins, Sr. F; Nicole Viselli, Jr. G; Alex Moore, Jr. G; Kelsie McNamara, Fr. G
Sabis Players to Watch: Jazmine Collins, Jr. G; Janaiya Sanchez, Fr. G; Shyanne Washington, Jr. F; Madison Sinkfield, Fr. F; Casie Thurber, Soph. C.
Analysis: After coming close the last couple of years, Sabis finally got over the hump in their competitive Western Mass. bracket, to land here at the DCU Center. Plain and simple, these Lady Bulldogs are on a mission; and led by a core that includes the dynamic Collins, this is a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately (and this will be the operative word for many of my picks), they run into a Pentucket team that is quite simply swarming on defense. The Sachems' lineup =is among the best in Division 3, and they're on a roll. Pentucket is also motivated -- the last time they were here, in 2010, the Sachems were penned as a favorite, only to run into a gritty Lee team that, quite frankly, pressed like kamikazes. Hall's Pick: Pentucket over Sabis

DIVISION 3 BOYS: DANVERS (20-4) VS. ST. JOSEPH CENTRAL (20-5)
Danvers Players to Watch: George Merry, Sr. C; Nick McKenna, Jr. G; Nick Bates, Jr. G; Eric Martin, Jr. G; Jon Amico, Sr. G.
St. Joe's Players to Watch: Taverick "Tank" Roberson, Jr. G; Mike McMahon, Sr. F; Joe Wiggins, Sr. F; Lavante Wiggins, Jr. G; Jon Bianchi, Jr. G
Analysis: Credit to St. Joe's for playing an ambitious non-league schedule, which included a rockfight of a bout with Holy Name back in December, and get ready to be introduced to the spunky power that is Roberson -- in my opinion, he's every bit of a tank as his nickname suggests. But after putting in arguably its best performance of the year Monday night in the Eastern Mass. Finals against Wareham, I'm convinced Danvers will come out on top in this one. the 6-foot-7 Merry can step out on the perimeter and facilitate offense for shooters like McKenna and Bates, as much as he can take it inside. Danvers coach John Walsh goes with some of the same offensive principles as his cousin Watertown head coach and two-time D3 state champ Steve Harrington. And if you thought Harrington's four-out, drive-and-kick, dribble drive-oriented motion offensive was frustrating enough, imagine what it's like with size.
Hall's Pick: Danvers over St. Joseph Central

DIVISION 2 GIRLS: READING (24-0) VS. TYNGSBOROUGH (23-1)
Reading Players to Watch: Olivia Healy, Jr. G; Morgan O'Brien, Jr. G; Melissa DalPozzo, Sr. F; Katie Clements, Sr. G; Katherine Callahan, Sr. G.
Tyngsborough Players to Watch: Lauren Iadarola, Jr. F; Amanda Hogan, Jr. G; Helena Hamilton, Sr. F; Morgan Mitchell, Jr. C.
Analysis: The Mid-Wach C champion Tigers avoided a clean sweep of Central Mass. on Wednesday with a dominant 50-35 win over Palmer out in Springfield, getting quality production out of Iadarola, Hogan and Hamilton along the way. But Reading has had the tougher route here, putting away stalwarts Wachusett, Bishop Feehan, Arlington Catholic (twice) and Scituate to get to DCU Center floor. Look for Healy to get hers, but most crucial in the Rockets' overtime defeat of Scituate on Tuesday night was the play of O'Brien, who scored 33 points. Look for her to be the X-factor in this one.
Hall's Pick: Reading over Tyngsborough

DIVISION 2 BOYS: BRIGHTON (21-4) VS. MAHAR (21-3)
Brighton Players to Watch: Malik James, Soph. G; Theo Oribhabor, Jr. G; Daivon Edwards, Jr. G; Prince Unaegbu, Jr. F; Jerard Mayes, Sr. F; Tre Dowman, Sr. C
Mahar Players to Watch: Travon Godette, Sr. F; Jesse LaCroix, Sr. G; Phil DiPhillipo, Sr. G; Josef Whitman, Jr. F; Nate Martin, Sr. C; Darwin Duncan, Sr. F.
Analysis: The relationship between Brighton coach Hugh Coleman and his mentor, legendary Charlestown coach Jack O'Brien, is well-documented. There are ripples of O'Brien's system and tactics sprinkled throughout the Bengals; and we can assure you, there are tons of coaches in Eastern Mass. rooting for Coleman, as good a guy as they come, on Saturday. That aside, the Bengals figure to be favorites in this one. Godette, DiPhillipo and LaCroix combined for impressive whipping of St. Bernard's on Tuesday, but they haven't seen anything like Brighton. Hardened by a brutal schedule, the Bengals lost their best player, sophomore Nick Simpson, before the playoffs, yet somehow haven't dropped off. There's plenty to like -- a frustrating extended 2-3 zone, a swarming press, and a gifted shooter in Edwards -- and I think this will be another big one for promising sophomore point guard Malik James.
Hall's Pick: Brighton over Mahar

DIVISION 1 GIRLS: ANDOVER (26-0) VS. HOLYOKE (22-2)
Andover Players to Watch: Nicole Boudreau, Sr. G; Ally Fazio, Sr. G; Devon Caveney, Sr. G; Angelice Gonzalez, Jr. G; Jackie Alois, Jr. F; Rebecca Alois, Soph. F.
Holyoke Players to Watch: Monique Heard, Sr. G; Alison Littles, Sr. C; Kirsy Segarra, Jr. G; Nyomi Walker, Jr. F; Selena Yates, Sr. G.
Analysis: Our friend and Pioneer Valley legend Adam Harrington is getting giddy over this "dream matchup", Western Mass.'s premier point guard versus, quite frankly, the best female guard to come through Massachusetts in over a decade. We think the crowd on hand will be impressed with Heard, but the Golden Warriors -- despite usually being undersized -- have proven again and again to be unstoppable. It just seems whatever the score is going into the fourth quarter, the Warriors simply turn around and take ownership of it. When you have a team of athletes that get up and down as quickly as these girls, plus a superstar with NBA range, that's a vicious combination.
Hall's Pick: Andover over Holyoke

DIVISION 1 BOYS: BROCKTON (23-2) VS. SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (23-1)
Brockton Players to Watch: Jaylen Blakely, Jr. G; Drew Fiske, Sr. F; Jahleel Moise, Sr. F; Jean Thomas, Sr. F; Will Baker, Sr. G; Sayvonn Houston, Sr. C; Jamal Reuben, Sr. F; Jarrod "Bubba" Shelby.
Springfield Central Players to Watch: Tyrell Springer, Sr. G; Lee Turner, Sr. G; Chris Prophet, Sr. G; Kamari Robinson, Jr. F; Jevaughn McMillian, Sr. C; Trevor Bacon, Sr. F; Cornelius Tyson, Sr. G.
Analysis: This might be the best matchup of the day. I picked Springfield Central to win it all before the tournament started; and since the Eagles are still in it, I'm sticking with the pick. The X-factor here might be the health of McMillian, a game-changing 6-foot-7 shot-swatter who injured his ankle in Tuesday night's thrilling semifinal win over St. John's (Shrewsbury). If he can't go or is less than 100 percent, that could make the matchup down low with Brockton's 6-foot-6 Sayvonn Houston -- by many accounts, one of the state's most efficient true five -- very interesting. Yet it seems the Golden Eagles thrive on adversity -- in the Western Mass. Final, with Springer and Prophet fouled out -- Robinson held his own to stave off a furious Commerce comeback bid. On the flip side, the Boxers have been on a mission since getting trounced by nearly 20 by Charlestown right before the start of tournament play. Blakely has been one of the best point guards of the tournament, and the Boxers have gotten crucial shooting out of Baker, Fiske and Reuben. Look out for Moise, an athletic shot swatter with quality defensive skills.
Hall's Pick: Springfield Central over Brockton

BROCKTON, Mass. -- Jamal Reuben curled around to the left wing, watched his three-point attempt sail through the net, then turned and saluted the near-capacity crowd behind him.

After trailing for all but a few moments early in tonight's pivotal showdown with Big 3 rival New Bedford, the newly-anointed No. 1 Brockton Boxers were in the midst of running off 15 straight points to end the game and avoid the upset. Reuben's three-ball gave them the lead for good with 2:11 left in the game, as the Boxers rolled to a 67-57 win that makes it 13 straight since losing to BC High in the first week of the season.

"It's our crowd, it's Senior Night, and they came to see us, so yeah I did it," the senior forward smiled when asked about the gesture to the crowd. "Man, I love when our crowd shows that support. It's a good feeling."

Momentum began to swing with 3:58 to go in the game, when New Bedford's Mark Finn was called for his fifth foul on Sayvonn Houston (16 points, 12 rebounds), who went up and under through traffic and picked up the hack on the way up. Houston converted the three-point play to knot it at 57.

Following Reuben's trey that made it 60-57, New Bedford (12-5) fumbled the ball away to give the Boxers (14-1) the ball back. Will Baker -- he of the buzzer-beating heroics in Friday's thriller over previous No. 1 Catholic Memorial -- made good on the turnover, hitting an 18-footer from the top of the key in which he pump-faked and pivoted 360 degrees before landing what turned into a high-risk shot.

The Whalers' next four field goal attempts were all three-pointers, all either hitting iron or nothing but air. Houston and Jahleel Moise were able to come up with the rebounds and feed it quickly to junior point guard Jaylen Blakely (17 points), who iced the win with a series of free throws.

That finished off a 15-0 run for the Boxers, who trailed for all but 2:25 of this contest. New Bedford didn't score a basket for the final five minutes of the contest.

It also closes what has to be one of the most impressive four-game swings performed by any team in the state thus far -- an overtime win over No. 6 Newton North on Super Bowl Sunday, a 20-point thrashing of Division 1 South darkhorse Mansfield last Tuesday, a buzzer-beater over previous top dog CM, and now a season sweep of a dangerous rival that has traditionally been a thorn in their side.

The difference?

"The big difference is chemistry," Houston said. "Hard work pays off. We work hard in practice, we all come hard ready to play each game, we want to make a statement. We want to win the whole thing this year. That's our goal."

Cameron Walker led the way in scoring for New Bedford with 12 points, while Steve Wynn added 10.

Houston, no problem: As one of the state's few truly elite centers, this isn't the first time the 6-foot-6 Houston has seen a double team. The Whalers routinely harassed Brockton's powerful big man with multiple defenders, yet he fought through it all night to the tune of 16 points, 12 rebounds.

The difference with players like Houston or, say, Acton-Boxborough center Kevin LaFrancis, is discipline. Whereas some big men across the state will lift the crowd with their leaping ability and overall high-energy play around the rim, they sometimes get caught flat-footed or out of position, leading to foul trouble.

Tonight, Houston maintained proper defensive positioning and didn't get caught behind the play too much, instead using the attention from Whaler defenders to create spacing for scorers like Blakely, Reuben, Baker and Moise.

"I felt like I was working inside and it was important to get other people involved," Houston said. "Obviously I had a big game at their house (last month), so I figured the pressure would be there. They took it to me, double-teamed me, so other people had to pick up the ball. That was important."

Reuben didn't hesitate to throw glowing praise on Houston, saying, "He brings it every night."

"Honestly, I think he's the best center in the state, from what I've seen," Reuben said. "He's big, he knows what he's doing, and when it's crunch time, he wants the ball."

Houston's best quality?

"He's strong, that boy is strong," Reuben said. "He's smart, he knows what he's doing. Sometimes we may question him, but at the end of the day he knows what he's doing."

Poor shooting to start: High energy and physicality are customary to Big 3 games, and this one was no different. On the offensive end, that led to a slew of missed shots. New Bedford shot just 32 percent for the first half to take a 28-23 lead at the break, while Brockton shot just 28 percent.

"We were way to wound up to begin the game tonight," Brockton head coach Bob Boen said. "We were completely out of control for most of the first half. We were trying to do things that we had no business trying to do -- dribbling the ball too much, everyone trying to win the game playing one-on-one. We were just too excited about tonight's game -- Senior Night, last home game, Big 3 title -- just too, too excited."

Target on their back: In a season where the top spots in ESPN Boston's statewide MIAA Top 25 poll have becoming a revolving door, Brockton is the latest top dog to dodge a bullet.

With the gauntlet of a schedule they've endured for the last week and half, there is no question about who is the top team in the land right now. The Boxers have a trip to Dartmouth tomorrow night, followed by a matchup with Cambridge in the first round of the Comcast Tournament this Saturday, before things could get dicey.

They'll likely face the winner of BC High and Charlestown in Sunday's final if all goes as planned, followed by a trip to Wachusett on Feb. 21.

Not easy being No. 1.

"Rankings are good and all, anyone would be happy to be No. 1, but at the end of the day it's all about bringing your A-game every game," Houston said. "I'm not worried about No. 1. I just want to keep winning, keep my teammates involved, and hopefully we can keep this going."

February is that time of the season when you find out what teams are truly made out of. In Sunday’s matchup between Brockton and Newton North, both teams showed why they could each be dangerous teams when March comes around.

Brockton won the contest, 71-65, in overtime. After digesting the game, here are some observations about both of these teams, who will both likely enter the Division 1 South Sectional as favorites.

Brockton’s Defense

Defense is arguably Brockton’s best asset. Jahleel Moise’s jumping ability and Sayvonn Houston’s size make it nearly impossible for players to drive in the lane. This was especially true at the start of their game against Newton North. Brockton’s defense forced Newton North to be a jump shooting team and since the Tigers’ shots were not falling, they took an early lead.



Defense pushes teams far in the playoffs. However, basketball is played on two ends of the floor. While Brockton’s defense is superb, there offense leaves a lot to be desired.

Brockton’s Offense



After watching this clip, one would think there is nothing wrong with Brockton’s offense. It is not so much that they are a bad team offensively. Obviously, they were good offensively in this game because they won. It is more about how they are scoring.

They do a wonderful job of scoring in the paint, getting put backs, and burning defenders off of isolation plays. The only issue: that is the only way they score. There are never any plays run for a basket or jump shots made for that matter.

Newton North is not a big team or an athletic team, so Brockton can get away with this type of scoring. When they play a more athletic or bigger team, this type of offense simply will not work in March.

X-Factor: Jaylen Blakely

In March, it is critical to have players who can create off of the dribble. Jaylen Blakely is that type of player.



Blakely does a great job of getting looks for his big man and making big shots. That being said, Blakely’s biggest weakness is his decision making.



Blakely turns the ball over at a high rate and takes bad shots often. If he can focus on playing under control, he has the capability of pushing Brockton far in the playoffs.

Newton North Offense

Newton North always has talented go-to options, which is why they are always a dangerous team in March. They might not have the Anthony Gurley or Greg Kelley on their roster this year, but the duo of Mike Thorpe and Luke Westman are not too shabby. They are two players who compliment each other well and play smart all of the time.



The Tigers rely on those two to do most of their scoring along with many of their sweet shooting role players. When their shots were not falling, Newton North struggled. The key for them will be for role players to knock down open shots when they get them.

X-Factor: Tommy Mobley

In the third quarter, one role player did exactly what Newton North needs in order for their offense to be effective. Freshman Tommy Mobley knocked down three outside shots. This was the point in the game where Newton North came back and made it a close game.



Mobley has an unusual yet highly effective shot. He might only be a freshman, but he does a good job of moving without the ball and knocking down tough shots. This type of role player is key, especially when fighting while down.

The only issue is that he is a freshman and makes the mistakes that all freshmen make. To rely on a young player is always a risky proposition for teams looking to make a deep run in March.

Conclusion

Brockton and Newton North are dangerous teams for very different reasons. The Boxers do a great job of beating teams with their size and athleticism. They are great on defense and make teams have to play their tough brand of basketball. The key for them will to force teams to turnover the ball and score in transition.

As for Newton North, they don’t have the size or talent of past years but they have a team of players that play well together. In this game, they finally showed their main flaw: defense. They are not a bad defensive team, but when they play bigger or more athletic teams, they run into serious problems.

Neither team is perfect, but both have assets that can push them far in March.

BROCKTON, Mass. -– The Brockton Boxers wasted no time sprinting out of the gates in their contest with visiting Mansfield, with an 18-2 run to start the game.

Fueled over that span by eight points from Jahleel Moise and seven from Jean Thomas, they never looked back, knocking out the Hornets, 69-48.

“We played great at the start of the game,” said Brockton head coach Bob Boen. “We came out and played tough defense, we got the very big lead, I think we maybe made Mansfield lose a little bit of confidence there. They are a very good team. After that, it was kind of a struggle, back-and-forth, pretty even game. But we never let them get back in striking range.”

Brockton (12-1) again received a solid effort from 6-foot-6 senior center Sayvonn Houston, who recorded his second straight double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. When Mansfield (10-6) pulled to within 11 in the second quarter, Houston showed off his elite talent by heaving a full-court pass to a streaking Moise, who slammed it home.

“What really worked for us was inside and playing tough defense on them,” Houston said. “We know that everyone on that team can shoot. We had to get out and harass the shooters and get back on defense.”

After Houston’s court-long pass to Moise, he recorded a block on the other end, and then he went on to score the game's next six points to extend the lead back to 19.

“Sayvonn has been big and strong all year,” said Boen. “Again tonight [he] was able to clear himself some space, rebound the ball, and put it back in even he’s being pumped, and pushed and guys are landing on him. He’s strong enough that he can take a hit and still put the ball in the basket.”

The Boxers were able to convert offensive boards into points. Their athleticism showed at the other end, totaling eight blocks, but it really shined through in their transition game. The Hornets were never able to get a break, while the Boxers consistently pushed the ball.

Moise finished with 14 points and three blocks, while Thomas added eight boards.

“Jean’s very active,” Boen added. “He was able to get to a couple balls that maybe Sayvonn got a finger on and they were loose. Jean was able to jump up and get them and lay them back in. I think he got one that he flipped up a quick shot and missed, and Jahleel got it and he missed, and Sayvonn got it and laid it in. Between the three of them, they did a very nice job on the offensive boards.”

Confidence boost: Just two days removed from a thrilling overtime victory over previously-unbeaten Newton North, the Boxers were facing another Division 1 South tournament-bound team. Not only was Brockton able to take down the defending South champions, they were able to take the game by a comfortable margin.

“Well it’s a big game to beat these tournament teams,” said who. “We’re in a stretch here were we’re playing four tournament teams in a row. Each one does something a little different. I told these guys that Mansfield has been to the Boston Garden the last two years so their sort of the top program south of Boston. You have to go and beat them and show people we can beat anybody.”

Houston echoed the sentiments of his coach.

“It’s a really big win and confidence booster,” Houston said. “We knew we had to come here ready to play, you know what I mean, don’t let up. We’re going to keep working hard.”

A Bright Spot: Mansfield was coming off one of its worst shooting performances of the season Friday night against Hockomock rival King Philip. Although the shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, the Hornets were able to keep pace throughout the rest of the game, even outscoring the Boxers in the third quarter.

Mansfield’s Greg Romanko is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points a game, and finished the game with 14 points –- tied for the team-high with freshman Brendan Hill.

Now the Hornets will return to league play with a chance of securing the Kelley-Rex season crown with wins over Attleboro and Franklin.

BROCKTON, Mass. — Brockton’s lack of free throw shooting was a big reason that Newton North was able to erase a 15-point first half deficit, but when the Boxers absolutely needed a pair from the stripe they got it.

Sayvonn Houston hit two clutch free throws with 16.3 seconds left to force overtime, and the Boxers (11-1) rushed away from the Tigers in the extra session to seal a 71-65 win at Staff Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.

“It was necessary,” said Boxers head coach Bob Boen. “I don’t know if that’s what I have to tell him, but we need him to make those shots. Yes, we had shot very poorly and you wouldn’t have want to bet that we were going to make those two the way that we had been shooting. But he made two big shots and we had to have them.”

Houston was fouled after a free throw from Michael Thorpe gave the Tigers a 61-59 lead in the waning moments of the fourth. The Boxers big man had good form on both free throws and they were no-doubters to tie the game.

“I had to calm down and knock down my free throws,” said Houston, who scored 12 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

Houston was 2-for-6 from the line before making his final two, and the Boxers finished 50 percent from the line in the game and went 15-of-30 in the second half to let the Tigers get back into the game.

The Tigers had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but watched as a rushed 3-pointer in the corner from Tim Stanton hit off the rim with only 1.1 seconds left to get it off.

Jamal Reuben scored five points in the extra session and the Boxers held the Tigers to one field goal and two free throws in the final four minutes of play to run away with the game.

Boxers' Athletes Stand Out: It’s easy to see that the Boxers are probably the most athletically gifted team in Div. 1 South — which will be one of the deeper divisions in all of the tournament.

Houston is a force inside that many teams won’t be able to matchup with, but Jahleel Moise brings a knack for being a menace to anyone coming down the lane. The 6-foot-3 Moise is an athletic wing and he had a complete game with eight points, nine blocks and six rebounds in the victory.

“I said to someone the other day that Jahleel is the most amazing shot blocker that I’ve ever seen at Brockton High,” said Boen. “I’ve been here 29 years now as a JV coach and varsity coach. He gets about that many blocks every game. He gets off his feet so quick and really sees the ball well. He’s the best shot blocker that we’ve ever had by far.”

Tamed Tigers Wake Up: Paul Connolly wasn’t quite sure what team he was looking at in the first quarter — and most of the first half. His Tigers needed a heave at the buzzer by Luke Westman to score seven points in the first quarter and fell down by as much at 15 in the second.

But Connolly’s bunch clawed its way back into the game when it looked like it just wasn’t possible.

Thorpe scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and freshman Tommy Mobley hit three big 3-pointers — including the one in the beginning of the fourth quarter that gave the Tigers their first lead.

“We were down 15-4 to start the game,” said Connolly. “That’s not the team that I’ve coached in the last 14 games. I was disappointed early in the game, as disappointed as I’ve been coaching. But now as I sit here I’m really proud of my guys because we battled.”

The Tigers are now 14-1 on the season.

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- There was no messing around for Brockton boys' basketball in a rematch of last year's Division 1 South Sectional quarterfinals on Tuesday.

A season removed from letting a one-point lead slip to rivals New Bedford in the final minutes of their tournament run, a matured Boxers team grabbed control in the fourth quarter and never surrendered it. Led by a dominant performance from senior Sayvonn Houston, Brockton shipwrecked the Whalers, 52-45, to open the first half of its conference schedule undefeated.

“We learned that we cannot come in here and not be ready to play 100 percent like last year,” said Brockton coach Bob Boen. “Our whole game plan was to get Houston the ball. We would have given him the ball every play if we could have.”

Brockton's offensive rhythm reflected the success of Houston, who scored 22 points and brought down 11 rebounds. Playing especially strong at the two ends of the game, the 6-foot-6 center scored nine points in the first and 12 in the fourth.

The two teams traded punches throughout, but Brockton (7-1, 2-0) maintained a lead for the entire fourth quarter as Houston had a response to any New Bedford (7-3, 1-0) scoring.

“I had the size advantage and just needed to put the man on my back,” said Houston. “Since the guy is smaller than me, I have to get as low as him without falling over, then post up and put the ball high. We were looking for mismatches.”

Entering the final quarter up 34-32, Houston opened with six straight low-post points. However a backline trey from junior Josh Pontes and a top-of-the-paint jumper by senior guard Cameron Walker brought the score to 42-40.

Controlling the paint and shooting over his opponents, Houston buried an assist from Jamal Reuben then tipped in a rebound to spread the lead to 46-40. A smooth three-pointer at the top of the arc by junior Rylin Collazo with 1:30 remaining proved the Whalers' last breath, as the Boxers' center again quickly answered with a putback.

“We wanted to push (Houston) out and not let him get the ball under the basket,” said New Bedford coach Tom Tarpey. “In the second half, we let him do what he wanted and we are just to small so it becomes a layup for him.”

The Boxers jumped out early in the game with a 10-5 lead, but struggled without Houston who along with teammate senior Jahleel Moise scored Brockton's first 14 points. Walker scored eight first half points, including a fade-away alley-oop of an inbound to help send New Bedford into half up 25-22.

Walker lead his team in scoring with 12 points and nine rebounds.

“Cameron can score from all over the floor, so he is tough to stop,” said Tarpey. “We were pushing the ball in the first half. We have to make hard cuts and we were not doing that in the second.”

Brockton, who dropped the conference and a 69-65 postseason loss to New Bedford last year, now has the upper hand in the Big Three. This is the second straight conference win for Brockton, who defeated a 3-7 Durfee team 80-61 last Friday. The two teams will rematch at Brockton in exactly four weeks.

“There were no second-chance opportunities this time around,” said Houston. “This was an important confidence boost for our team after a hard week in practice.”

BROCKTON, Mass. -– Catholic Memorial came within a few breaths of upsetting No. 17 Brockton, but the Boxers were able to outlast the Knights, pulling out a 96-84 overtime victory. Freshman guard Jonathan Joseph, despite catching a leg cramp during the extra minutes, scored seven of his seventeen points during the overtime.

“There’s a lot of pressure in OT, coach is depending on you,” said Joseph. “He believed in me. He put the ball in my hands and I did well with the rock.”

“Jonathan’s a scorer,” said Brockton coach Bob Boen. “He’s a very cool kid for a freshman; he was not bothered by the pace of the game.”

Brockton (11-4) won both the opening tip-off and the overtime tip-off. The first three points in overtime came from junior center Sayvonn Houston (10 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks). He made one free throw, and on the back end of a Joseph steal, he grabbed the rebound on the missed shot and put it back in.

“I knew that this was going to be a tough game, CM is a really good team,” Houston said. “Matt [Droney, 20 points], Dan [Powers, 39 points] are really great shooters and I had to get rebounds and blocks as much as possible.”

Jahleel Moise scored the next three points, dunking on a CM defender, scoring the bucket, and making the free throw on to complete the three point play, putting Brockton up 83-77 with 3:13 left in the game.

With three pointers from Jamal Reuben and Joseph thereafter, and Jonathan adding two free throws and a layup, the icing on the cake was Moise’s block and outlet pass to senior captain Shane Smith, who finished the scoring for the game.

“On this team, I’m the real defensive person,” said Moise, who had four steals and five rebounds to go along with his 12 points. “Everything is all about defense.”

The Knights (10-6) led by three at the end of the first quarter, but Brockton outscored them 29-11 in the second quarter, going up 46-13 at the half, with 16 of those points coming from seniors Tevin Leonidas and Carl Joseph.

Carl Joseph drained two three-pointers (four for the game) in the quarter and two field goals, on his way to a 20-point outing, while Carl Joseph ended the quarter with two treys of his own.

“Coach [Boen] always tells us when we’re on the bench that we always have to be ready to get in the game at anytime,” said the 6-foot-5 junior. “I focused on when I get in the game, I’m going to handle my business and do what I’ve got to do, so it’s pretty natural. Got good passes from my teammates, and I put it up, followed through and made the baskets.

At halftime, CM head coach Denis Tobin told his team that he wasn’t happy with the play, so they came out in the second half and closed the lead down to seven at the end of the third and tied it up at the end of regulation.

Draining three-pointers that may have been “four feet” behind the three point line, according to Boen, Powers scored 23 of his 39 points in the third and fourth quarter, including the one that tied the game at 77 with 1:31 left in regulation. In overtime, he was only able to produce a pair of one-and-one free throws and a layup at 1:13, with the other three points coming on free throws from Droney (20 points).

With 2.4 seconds left after a Brockton turnover, Droney took a deep three, but the ball went in and out of the rim.

“We spent all of our energy in the comeback,” Tobin said. “When that last shot didn’t fall, I don’t think we had anything left in the gas tank for the overtime.”

SHORT IN STATURE, LONG ON WILL

Being the sole freshman and shortest guy on the varsity roster at 5-foot-8, Joseph feels that there is a strong bond between all of his teammates that gives them the strength to pull up against a highly skilled team like Catholic Memorial.

“At first, we were strangers, now we’re a family,” added Joseph. “I believe in each and every one of these dudes.”