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Springfield Central principal Tad Tokarz officially announced that the school has hired legendary former Charlestown and Salem coach Jack O'Brien as its new head boys basketball coach.

O'Brien, who has won six MIAA state championships over a career spanning three decades, takes over for Mike Labrie, who stepped down last spring after seven years and one Division 1 state title.

"We're excited, the school is excited, the kids should be excited," Tokarz said. "We got a guy with a tremendous reputation and a proven track record. We're very excited to give him everything he needs to be successful here. He's done it before, he's got a tremendous track record. He changes kids' lives, and that’s the biggest thing with us. It's not about wins and losses, it's how to get kids into college and give them opportunities outside of basketball. He convinced all of us that he's the best person to make that happen.

"For us it gives the kids the ability to learn from somebody that has all the experience, the knowledge, to get our kids not only to teach them about basketball, but to teach them about life. We're very excited about the opportunity to build on what Coach Labrie has built here."

O'Brien, a Medford native, won his MIAA state championship in 1990 at Salem High behind McDonald's All-American guard and 10-year NBA vet Rick Brunson, before taking over at Charlestown in 1993. From 1999 to 2005, O'Brien's Townies squads won five state titles in a span of six seasons; the 2002 squad finished the season ranked No. 16 in USA Today's national Super 25 poll.

He took over at Lynn English in 2006, but abruptly resigned hours before the first practice of the season. Since that sudden departure, he had remained out of coaching until now, though his name had been linked to a handful of jobs over the years -- most notably Somerville, in 2008, where he was a finalist.

Asked if there was any concerns regarding that departure, Tokarz said there weren't any.

"Not necessarily," he said. "Things happen and to be quite honest, we didn't really talk much about it. We talked about our program and what he could do for our students, that's what we were concerned about. What happened in the past [is in the past]."

O'Brien currently works in the physical education department at West Roxbury High, and plans to maintain that job while coaching the Golden Eagles. He understands what a difficult commute this will be -- the schools are nearly 85 miles apart -- but says that this was too good of an opportunity to turn down.

"It's not gonna be easy -- I'm on my way back right now -- but you know what? There's too many good things about this job to say I'm gonna let that get in the way," he said. "It's something I've gotta deal with, it's something I thought out. I saw a report somewhere that the average drive to work is 65 minutes. This is a bit further obviously, but I'm OK with that."

The Golden Eagles won the Division 1 state title in 2012 under Labrie -- their first since 1991 -- and reached the Division 1 West Final last season, where they lost to eventual state champion Putnam. Central graduated two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection Kamari Robinson, but expected to return a very competitive nucleus between guards Cody and Ju'an Williams, and promising 6-foot-8 power forward Chris Baldwin.

And while there is talent returning, that wasn't the primary factor in why he took the job.

"It's a large urban school, there's great support from the administration, and from the standpoint of helping them off the court, it's something I enjoy doing and want to do again," he said. "I don’t know much about the kids, in terms of any individuals, I've never seen any of them play, but that didn’t move me either way to tell you the truth. The kids we had at Charlestown were kids that developed as we went on.

"[Brighton coach] Hugh Coleman was my last kid to make JV as a frehsman, and by senior year he was one of the best players in the state. You don't know kids' heart until you get to know them as a person."

O'Brien is known for his unique brand of uptempo, running style of basketball, and plans to implement that same frenetic pace at Central.

"I wanna play fast, play a lot of kids and go up and down," he said. "I think it's fun, we've had great success with it. I think kids like playing that style. It's conducive to playing a lot of kids, and when more people contribute...When you have good athletes and you can play them, press them up and down, they're gonna contribute well."

Mike Labrie resigned this afternoon as head coach of the boys basketball program at Springfield Central, he confirmed to ESPNBoston.com this evening.

The Golden Eagles have been a steady power the last few years under Labrie, including a second-straight appearance in the MIAA Division 1 West Final this past season. He'll most be remembered in his time at Central for the 2011-12 squad, which went unbeaten in the state of Massachusetts and won their first state championship since 1991, blowing out Brockton in the second half before a spirited crowd at Worcester's DCU Center.

Labrie, a Granby resident, has been a fixture on the Western Mass. basketball scene for over three decades. Prior to taking over the Central job in the fall of 2006, he spent 23 years as the head coach at Chicopee High. Nestled in between those reigns was a short stint at American International College, during the 2005-06 season.

In addition to his coaching duties, Labrie is a partner at Chicopee law firm Labrie, Pouliot, LaRocque & Guiel, P.C. He cited an increased workload at his firm as a contributing factor to his decision to step down.

Labrie announced his resignation in a letter drafted to Principal Thaddeus Tokarz, Assistant Principal Keith Worthy, and Athletic Director Michael Martin:

Tad, Mike & Keith:

It is with a great deal of trepidation and emotion that I inform you of my decision not to reapply for the position of boys varsity basketball coach at Central High School for the upcoming 2013-2014 season. Normally I reflect on my decision each year throughout the summer, however, I am confident that the time is right that I move on.

The evolving nature of the business of practicing law, specifically the challenging direction that my law practice has directed me (being senior partner of an extremely busy firm); along with the ever increasing rigors of coaching in today’s basketball culture, have left me no choice but to step down as your basketball coach at this time.

I have spent most of my life and all of my adult life dedicated to serving the youth of the community and it has been a tremendously rewarding experience. Coaching, at its core, is about relationships. I am extremely proud of the lifelong relationships I have developed with my former players; many of whom I count among my closest friends. My assistant coaches and the administration I have worked with, including the three of whom I address this letter to, have also become close friends and tremendous confidants.

As you know, my family has been of the utmost importance to me and it is my time to devote my all to them and my business responsibilities as my children pursue their college degrees and beyond.

I am proud of what we have accomplished at Central High School, especially beyond the league titles, Western Mass Championships and the 2012 Massachusetts State Championship. I hope, with your help, we have made a positive change to your school, your athletic program and the community at large.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Sincerely,

Coach Mike Labrie

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –- Some say the hardest thing to do in team sports is beat the same team three times. For Springfield Central, this task was made that much harder by a scrappy Holyoke team that refused to go away for 31 minutes and 39 seconds, before the reigning MIAA Division 1 State Champions finally closed out their 52-48 D1 West semifinal win at American International College.

The Golden Eagles got a balanced effort from their starting unit with Kamari Robinson, Chris Baldwin and Cornelius Tyson notching 11 points apiece while cousins Ju’uan and Cody Williams dropped in 10 and nine respectively. Holyoke’s Justin White had 18 points and seven rebounds to pace Holyoke.

The game was ugly early on, at least from Central’s point of view, as Holyoke jumped out to a 9-1 lead thanks in large part to five turnovers by the Golden Eagles.

“When you play a team for the third time, especially when it’s a league opponent, it’s going to be ugly it’s not going to be pretty,” Central coach Mike Labrie said. “That certainly was not pretty.”

The two teams combined for 13 first-half turnovers with nine of them coming from Central. Holyoke featured a zone defense that kept the ball out of Baldwin and Robinson’s hands and allowed the Purple Knights to lead for all but 4.2 seconds of the half.

On the last possession of the half, Tyson drove the lane, drew a foul and made the layup to give Central their first lead with 4.2 seconds remaining in the first half. The basket capped a 13-5 run that gave Central a 26-25 lead at the break and showcased Tyson’s big-game ability.

“We don’t know [what changes],” Robinson said of Tyson’s ability. “In the regular season he’s a completely different person then when big games come around he smartens up and plays more like him. He just calms down a little bit.”

Tyson’s big-game ability took center stage again later in the game when, after missing three consecutive free throws, he rebounded to hand out two assists on back-to-back plays. The first, a three by Ju’uan Williams, gave Central a 46-45 lead with 1:39 to play while the second, a two by Cody Williams, gave the Golden Eagles the breathing room they needed at 48-45.

A Cody Williams steal with 1:05 to play led to a one-and-one opportunity for Baldwin, but he would miss the front end and give Holyoke lift. Luis Vazquez would miss what would have been the game-tying three and two free throws from Ju’uan Williams appeared to ice the game.

However, on the next possession Guillermo Godreau-Rivera drove the lane and drew a trip to the line for what should have been two shots but became just one after Baldwin blocked the ball off the backboard on the way down and forced a goaltending call.

Godreau-Rivera made the free throw, closing the gap to 50-48, but two free throws from Robinson meant Central would return to the Western Mass. Championship.

“Perseverance,” Labrie said. “We persevered down the stretch against a tough opponent for the third time this year.”

All-Springfield Finale: For the second consecutive season the final game of the Western Mass. boy’s basketball schedule will be between two Springfield schools. After besting Springfield Commerce last year at the Curry Hicks Cage, Central will take on a formidable Springfield Putnam squad in the Western Massachusetts Championship on Saturday.

Putnam advanced to the final by beating West Springfield 64-42 in the first game of the semifinal double-header. With Central’s tough non-league schedule, the two schools did not meet during the regular season making Saturday’s game a winner-take-all battle.

“I know they’re just as hyped about the game as we are,” Kamari Robinson said. “We’re psyched to play each other and to see who’s better and settle all the mouths and the beef...and all the talk. We’ve got a chance to play each other and we have to play good.”

In January, Central played Manchester (Conn.) and West Springfield at the Hoophall Classic for two of their non-league contests. The other two came at the IAABO 130 Classic last month, where they lost to Central Catholic and Lynn English. With so much on the line –- the sectional championship, bragging rights, city supremacy –- Saturday’s contest should be an instant classic.

“I think it should be a great ball game,” Labrie said. “They work extremely hard, they match up well with us size wise. It may not be pretty, but it should be fun.”

The Confident Cousins Williams: Cody and Ju’uan Williams are most at home on the football field, starring for back-to-back Super Bowl finalists at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. But this season they have become two of the most important players on the court for Central on the basketball court as well.

The biggest reason for their emergence: supreme confidence.

“They don’t know what pressure is. They make a mistake it’s over. It’s done. It’s passed,” Labrie said. “They’re very confident in their abilities and I’m very happy to have them on the team.”

The cousins Williams combined to score seven of Central’s last nine points for the game with none bigger than Ju’an’s three with 1:39 to play. The three came after back-to-back misses from three and was just the second he hit for the game.

Cody made his impact with a baseline jumper that stretched the lead to three and a steal on the next possession that almost iced the game for the Golden Eagles. Ju’an’s pair of free throws with 25.7 seconds to play snapped a cold streak from the line.

“We work as a team all the time and we have the No. 1 and 2 players in Western Mass. but if other people need to get called to step up that’s what we need to do and we did that tonight,” Cody said.

Cody and Ju’uan have already won one Western Mass. championship this year. What’s one more for the confident cousins?

LAWRENCE, Mass. -– Erick Rosario was asked about his flammable night in the IAABO Board 130 Classic, a career-high 38 points on 13-of-19 from the field in a surprise 81-73 upset of No. 10 Springfield Central in Central Catholic's Memorial Gymnasium, and the shy Lynn English sophomore mumbled a few terse clichés.

But when the 5-foot-10 guard was asked about the team’s frenetic pace, and whether it was tiring (it wasn’t), his head coach Mike Carr couldn’t help but chime in from beyond his shoulder.

“Tell them about the stairs,” he said with a smile.

Rosario let out a giggle. “We go hard,” he said of the daily post-practice routine, an intense 10-minute session involving sprints up and down the four-story steps of his high school.

At times, the Bulldogs’ pace became more chuck-and-duck than run-and-gun. Other times, it was just plain blitzkrieg. All of it overwhelmed the Golden Eagles (15-3) more and more as the game wore on, turning a 35-31 halftime lead into double-digits as the forced turnovers and ensuing fast breaks continued to mount.

In all, the Eagles committed 37 turnovers for the game, unable to cleanly break the full court man-to-man press of the Bulldogs (14-5). Things began to unravel late in the third quarter, after Central’s Ju’uan Williams darted through the lane with a euro-step and completed a three-point play to tie it at 44.

The Bulldogs took a 54-51 lead into the final frame, and shot out of the gates with a 12-4 run to build a comfortable cushion. Fueling the run was the play of Rosario and junior Freddy Hogan, who combined for 10 steals in the final frame.

One particular sequence at the start of the fourth put them over the top. First, Central’s Josh Malone was trapped near the scorer’s table by Rosario, who then lobbed the ball downcourt to Hogan for an easy lay-in. The next time down, Hogan came up with a steal near the volleyball line and threw a quick dish to Rosario.

The next time down, Rosario shimmied a defender with a euro-step and foul, completing the three-point play. That was followed up with another Rosario strip-and-rip fast break layup, followed by an unforced error from Central for a 67-55 English lead with 5:03 to go.

“If we’re not playing that style, we’re not a very good basketball team,” Carr said. “I think we wore them down in the first half, with that style I don’t think they’re used to it, the up and down. We’re growing, we’re getting better as a team. We’re young. I just think it’s our style, it’s starting to make us a better basketball team.”

Central head coach Mike Labrie conceded that the pressure -– in particular, the on-ball pressure from Hogan and Rosario – was at a level they’re not accustomed to.

“We haven’t faced that kind of pressure all year,” he said. “So, I think this is a good experience for us. It’s kind of embarrassing, frustrating, but I think we’ll be better for it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team that’s committed that many turnovers in a game. But you’ve got to give credit, they kept after it too. They didn’t get tired. We weren’t strong with the ball at all. We shot over 60 percent from the floor, so when we got shots up we were in good shape.”

Senior center Ben Bowden was the only other Bulldog in double-figures, with 16 points. Hogan turned in an impressive stat line otherwise, tallying seven steals and four assists, while sophomore guard Stevie Collins and junior forward Danny Lukanda pitched in with eight points apiece.

Central, dressing just nine players, had four of its five starters in double-figures. Senior wing Kamari Robinson led the Eagles with 22 points, while Cornelius Tyson (15), Ju’uan Williams (13) and his cousin Cody Williams (11) all played significant hands.

The Eagles’ fifth starter, 6-foot-8 sophomore phenom Chris Baldwin, had just seven points on 3-of-5 from the field, but was big on the defensive end. He totaled 15 rebounds -– all of them defensive -– and blocked five shots.

Running –- to a stand still: At times, the Bulldogs’ tempo resembled something from Paul Westhead’s famous “seven seconds or less” squads at Loyola Marymount, heaving long outlet passes upcourt immediately after a basket and wasting no time on the shot clock.

Other times, surprisingly enough, they were patient with the ball, running the clock down and working to get an open look. For all the talk of steal after steal, and frenetic speeds up and down the court, English also demonstrated patience in the half-court.

“It’s something we talk about, too. We run the flex quite a bit, and it’s a methodical offense,” Carr said. “It takes a while. Sometimes during the course of the season, because we’re so up and down, the first pass in the flex they shoot it. The last couple of days we’ve improved on that, and they did a great job today coming off screens.”

Running –- to a marathon: After each practice, Carr has his team run up and down the four flights of stairs in the school building, adding on to an already-heavy concentration on conditioning.

“Even our basketball drills, our first hour is up and down the court,” Carr said. “Every drill, we do man-to-man defensive drills…It’s just constant, we don’t stop for an hour, then we get our shooting in.”

That grueling routine paid off in games like tonight’s, where the backcourt looked like it could run all night. Hogan and Rosario were relentless in the Bulldogs’ full court man-to-man pressure, picking up their man immediately, staying on their hip and denying clean passes.

“This style, you give up layups, you give up open looks,” Carr said. “It’s more that we feel we wear teams down as the game goes. I feel we’ve had some success with that.”

Coming on strong: On paper, the Bulldogs figure to be a preseason favorite in 2013-14, with the graduation of just one player – Bowden, who is signed with Vanderbilt’s baseball program for next year. But lo and behold, since their Jan. 9 loss to Danvers , they have won 10 of their last 11 games, the lone blemish a one-point loss to Beverly.

That Danvers loss put the Bulldogs at 4-4 on the season. One month later, they’re looking at potentially a No. 6 seed in a loaded Division 1 North bracket, good enough to earn a first-round home game.

“I couldn’t be more proud of where we’ve come from the beginning of the season to now,” Carr said. “I said at the beginning of the season, we’re a young team and we’ll get better. Over the last week or two, it’s been a steady progression. I think our tempo, and everyone’s understanding of what we want, is why we’re starting to have success.”

Up Next: With the win, Lynn English moves on to Monday's finals against St. John's Prep, which survived a late rally from Central Catholic in the nightcap before a capacity crowd, 64-62. The boys final goes down at 7:15 p.m. and will conclude the two-day tournament. Springfield Central will face Central Catholic in the consolation game, at 3:45 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Springfield Central relied on the towering presence of Chris Baldwin and Kamari Robinson to notch the team’s 10th straight win, defeating city rival, Cathedral 76-59 at the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield on Tuesday night.

Robinson added another double-double to the books with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Baldwin, the 6-foot-8 sophomore, flirted with a triple-double -– 25 points, 18 rebounds and eight blocks.

Central (12-2) started off with great outside shooting, but focused the ball in the middle more in the second quarter to take a 36-23 lead heading into halftime over Cathedral (10-4).

The Golden Eagles held a 13-point lead before junior guard Ju’uan Williams went to the bench with his fourth foul midway through the third.

The Panthers responded with a 7-2 run, cutting the lead to single digits. The third quarter surge was led by senior Cullen Burke, who scored five straight points before finding Neil Begley for an easy two.

From that point on, Baldwin and Robinson scored the next 16 Central buckets, pushing the lead back up to double-digits.

“We tried to be more aggressive on the offensive boards and just tried to go down low as much as possible,” said Baldwin.

The two forwards scored the majority of their points around the rim or from the free throw line, using their size to finish at the bucket or get second-chance opportunities from offensive rebounds.

“We feed off each other,” said Robinson. “When we get going the team gets going.”

Robinson scored his 26 points in the final three quarters after being held scoreless in the first. The guard play gave Central an early lead, thanks in large part to Williams’ three 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Central held a 19-13 lead heading into the second quarter. Robinson’s baseline jumper (his first points), Baldwin’s layup, and a Robinson putback gave Central a 6-2 run to start the quarter.

“Frankly I’m happy we played them here,” said Central head coach Mike Labrie. “This place kind of neutralizes their (Cathedral’s) shooting. They can shoot the hell out of the ball.”

Williams had 11 of his 13 points in the first quarter while Cornelius Tyson dished out seven assists. Darrick Boyd led Cathedral with 19 points with a pair of assists. Burke chipped in 15 while Lou Garcia, the team’s second-leading scorer, was sidelined with foul trouble.

Central at full strength: It was clear that this team was going to take a few shots early on. That this team shouldn’t be written off in December because they’ll be there come March. That’s how it’s starting to shape up for Mike Labrie’s team.

“This is the first time we were at full strength tonight,” said Labrie. “We were a little rusty.”

Tyson was the hero from last season’s state championship game, is now back on the floor, rejoining the team on Feb. 1. The 6-foot-1 senior could be the season hero this year, adding a lift to the backcourt.

“It feels good to be back with the team,” said Tyson. “(It was tough) at first. I think we’re playing pretty well.”

“It’s great,” added Baldwin. “He’s finding us. He’s another scoring option for us.”

With Tyson on the floor, it takes most of the ball handling duties off of Ju’an Williams, who played very well in his time running the offense. Williams helps stretch the floor as he did on Tuesday with a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Despite the double-figure win, Central rarely had its starting five on the floor due to both Tyson and Williams dealing with foul trouble.

Old Central, new Central: Numerous times in 2011-2012, Central changed the game with second half runs propelled by pressure defense from three talented defensive guards. As Tyrell Springer graduated this past June, the team has transformed from a perimeter-oriented team to one that plays through the post.

“This is a totally different team,” said Labrie. “That’s what we’re trying to focus on– pound it inside offensively, crash the offensive boards, get quality stops on defense and limit them to one shot.”

Labrie had traded in the pressure defense and fast break points for second chance opportunities and offensive rebounds, coming from his 6-foot-8 sophomore and his 6-foot-5 senior captain.

Central will need the ability to control the boards, especially with city foe Putnam Vocational Technical Academy showing how tough they are inside with their own two-headed monster – Kayjuan Bynum and David Murrell.

However, with Tyson back in the lineup, shades of last year’s team could reemerge for the Golden Eagles.

We don’t have the pressing team we had last year,” said Labrie. “With Corny, we may be able to do a little bit more than that.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Is Springfield Central finally turning the corner?

Is the defending Division 1 State Champion living up to the expectations put on it coming off last season, even after starting the season 2-2?

After systematically defeating Manchester (Conn.) 67-57 Saturday at the Hoophall Classic, it just might be.

“We were a bad team three weeks ago,” said Central (8-2) coach Mike LaBrie. “I think we’re pretty good right now. We have room to grow.”

Central’s offense slowly developed in the first quarter. In its first few possessions, it took its possessions down to the final seconds of the shot clock while the team tried to find a flow to its offense. That lethargy showed up on defense as well, which allowed Manchester (7-2) to get open looks at the basket and score effectively on transition.

As the quarter continued, Central started to get out and run itself, and was only down 13-12 by the end of the first frame.

In the second, Chris Baldwin (23 points, 18 rebounds, eight blocks) started to assert himself as a dominant force under the basket. Central’s halfcourt offense almost always involved feeding the ball to him down low, and letting him work against Manchester’s smaller post players.

Occasionally, he would even step out along the baseline and hit a short jumpshot. When a big man can work inside as well as Baldwin can, and then step out and hit a short jumper, it is a matchup nightmare for most teams.

“(Friday) we tried to get the ball in his hands, but then we were fading away from it a little bit,” said Kamari Robinson (15 points, 8 rebounds). “This game, it was all towards him. This was his game to eat. I got MVP last night, and he got it tonight, so it was a good game on both our parts.”

As a senior leader on the Central squad, Robinson told the sophomore big man that he was going to be a big part of the team’s success, and did his best to get his teammate as focused as he could be.

“I knew they were scouting our game yesterday (against West Springfield) when I had 35 points, so I knew they were going to focus on me more and lay off him a little bit and play him one-on-one,” he said. “I told him, ‘They’re probably going to be on me, so it’s your time to shine. Once they come on me, you just do your thing. I really don’t care, as long as we win.”

They came away from the Hoophall Classic with their second win in as many days, showing the rest of the state that it is a different Springfield Central team from the one that won the state title last season, but it is still a team to take seriously in Division 1 basketball.

Scouting Manchester: For not being familiar with the Indians, Central was able to make effective defensive adjustments throughout the game to slow down its offense. Manchester started the game strong, finding its shooters clean looks from the outside and moving the ball well in transition.

Senior guard Christian Walker came into the game as a notorious long range sharpshooter, and he showed why early on. He was 4-of-7 from the field in the first half, but finished the game with 16 points and 7-of-22, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.

“We ended up chasing (Walker) a little bit, but we didn’t leave him at all” said LaBrie. “They have so many shooters. They’ve got some weapons.”

Central made the most of its other opportunities as well, going 20-of-31 at the free throw line, while Manchester was 8-of-13.

Height comes through: Coming into the game, Central felt it would be able to use its size to its advantage against the smaller Manchester team. It established the 6-foot-7 Baldwin early and often offensively in the post, and he made his mark defensively with eight blocked shots.

“I thought we had a size advantage, so we tried to get the ball inside,” said LaBrie. “On the offensive boards (8, with 10 defensive rebounds), he was a monster. He had eight blocks. He alters the game. No one wants to drive on him.

“He was a factor last night (13 points, eight rebounds in Central’s 76-67 win over West Springfield) even though he didn’t play great offensively. On defense, I thought he did a great job because he was altering everybody’s shot. He didn’t score points like he normally does, but he was a factor.”

Manchester had trouble going inside against Baldwin at all. It’s tallest player, Baylen Eason, is listed at 6-foot-5, but he did not start and played only 15 minutes Saturday. He finished with 2 points and 5 rebounds. Courtney Deberry, Manchester’s 6-foot-2 starting center, was matched up with Baldwin for the other part of the game. He had a quiet night, finishing with four points and five rebounds.

For Springfield Central to have the success it wants this season, it needs Baldwin to be the force it knows he can be. That player showed up in a big way Saturday on both ends of the floor, which was not always the case Friday night. Could his game be rounding into form at the right time, just like the rest of his team’s?

“I felt like I was more aggressive tonight,” he said. “I tried to establish myself inside.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The No. 1 Springfield Central Golden Eagles passed another test. Just like Monday night’s season-opening victory over Agawam, Central struggled at times, but in the end was good enough to prevail. The Golden Eagles took down city rival Sci-Tech, 67-56, at home Friday night –- their 26th consecutive win over an in-state opponent.

Central (2-0) entered the half clinging to a 32-29 lead. The Golden Eagles had turned the ball over 10 times and even worse, shot a dismal 18-for-35 from the free throw line.

To start the second half, Central turned the tables on Sci-Tech (0-2). The Golden Eagles forced five Sci-Tech turnovers, to jump out to an 8-2 run. The Cybercats, who were plagued with foul trouble, sent two seniors –- Keith Caston and Marcel Brown -– back into the game with three fouls each. After two quick Cybercats buckets to cut the lead to six, Caston picked up his fourth.

“We always talk about the first four minutes,” said Central head coach Mike Labrie. “The first four minutes of the half are so crucial.”

Despite the foul trouble, Sci-Tech would carry momentum into the fourth quarter, when Angel Montez scored on a fast break layup to cut the Central lead to single-digits at 54-45. Central and Sci-Tech traded baskets to start the final quarter, but on back-to-back possessions Brown grabbed two Sci-Tech offensive rebounds for put backs, forcing Central to call a timeout with a 56-51 lead and 6:43 remaining.

“I was seeing that they were starting to get hot and we needed someone to step up,” said sophomore center Chris Baldwin. “We needed to step up the intensity.”

For the next five minutes, Sci-Tech didn’t score, while Baldwin led an 11-0 Central run with his play in the post, more specifically on the glass. The 6-foot-8 Baldwin ended the game with 18 points and 23 rebounds.

Sci-Tech was controlling the game early, beating Central to loose balls and on the boards. After the first quarter, the Cybercats led by one with a tough defense that didn’t allow Central to get in a rhythm offensively.

Then the fouls started to occur. Midway through the second quarter, Central continually got the ball inside, which gave the Golden Eagles opportunities to go to the line. Central trailed 17-13, but scored seven straight points from the free throw line. The Golden Eagles would go on a 10-1 run to take the lead, which they never gave back.

“It’s about getting to spots,” said Sci-Tech head coach Paul Scoville. “Our guys have to learn, it’s not the park. There are three guys out there, with stripe shirts, who will call fouls.”

Luckily for Sci-Tech, Central missed almost half its first half free throws, something Labrie attributed to not following through on their free throw attempts.

Kamari Robinson led Central with 22 points. Brown had 22 points and eight rebounds, while Caston added 12 points and eight boards for Sci-Tech.

Central’s third option: Central once again got great performances out of the frontline stars, Chris Baldwin and Kamari Robinson. It’s expected for those two to consistently have games like that this season, but Central hasn’t found a third option besides the two men in the middle.

“We’re going to get help from different areas,” said Labrie. “It’s not going to be the same guy every night.”

Monday night, Central was lifted with Josh Malone’s 15 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Tonight junior point guard, Ju’an Williams had 10 points, three assists, no turnovers and five steals. Elliott Johnson, who started Monday, came off the bench for seven points and added a spark defensively.

“We lost eight of our top nine guards, including our top three guards,” said Labrie. “I’m not making excuses, but it’s going to take time. I think it’s going to come from several different areas.”

More importantly, Central is beginning to get healthy. The Central football team missed the first week of tryouts due to the Super Bowl victory over Longmeadow. Friday night, Travis Cusson started, while Cody Williams came off the bench for seven points and T.J. Smith played well in spurts.

“They just came back from football,” said Robinson. “They just won the Super Bowl. Their minds aren’t exactly in basketball mode right now. They’re still hyped off that (football). Once they do, they’ll bring that toughness.”

Could Cybercats be trouble down the stretch? For the first 12 minutes, Sci-Tech looked like the better team. They didn’t let Central get anything easy offensively and we out hustling the Golden Eagles.

Then the fouls started to add up, which gave Central the lead going into halftime. And once Central got out to an 8-2 run to begin the second half, it was an uphill battle for the Cybercats.

“They wanted it more than us in the first half,” said Labrie.

Sci-Tech finished last season at 6-14. This year with the return of Keith Caston and Marcel Brown, providing both a presence in the paint and on the perimeter, the Cybercats have the foundation to be a solid team.

“We’re a tournament team,” said Scoville. “But we have to start playing like one, we’re not right now.

"We need to execute, get into sets, play defense, communicate. [There are] a lot of little things that this team has to do better at. They haven’t had much success over the last two years and I’m trying to break as many bad habits.”

Sci-Tech has a tough schedule with games against Northampton, West Springfield, and East Longmeadow all in the next month. Match that with a league schedule that includes another matchup with Central and two more against Springfield Cathedral.

Still, Sci-Tech has the potential on the roster and for portions of the game had talent on the floor. Now it’s a question of whether or not they can put it all together.

“It’s might take one quarter or one half to get the team going and when we start rolling, watch out,” said Scoville.

WORCESTER, Mass. -– Much of what followed halftime smelled like fiction, yet it was all true.

Almost two hours after Central entered the halftime locker room in the DCU Center with a 27-20 deficit, Central coach Mike Labrie walked out of the same locker room with an undone tie, disheveled hair and water still dripping from his face.

A split second later, the Massachusetts Division 1 state champion Golden Eagles followed him out the door.

The Golden Eagles came back from a seven-point halftime deficit to blindside Brockton 67-46. After trailing 35-34 with four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles scored 30 of the game’s next 38 points en route to outscoring Brockton 47-19 in the second half.

The final two quarters displayed everything Labrie has come to expect from his troops –- swarming defense led to offense, offense led to momentum, and momentum led to the theft of another opponent’s heart. But at halftime, with defeat hanging in front of Central’s face, Labrie needed to remind his team of its capabilities.

“We’re going to have a spurt,” he told his players. “We’ve never played a game without a spurt. We just have to ride the spurt.”

And ride it they did, like a wave that never ended, straight into Central history alongside ex-NBA player Travis Best. It was Best who led the school to its last state title in 1991.

This time, it was a junior reserve named Cornelius Tyson, who came off the bench to score 16 points, all in the second half. Tyson’s first bucket, a three, gave Central its first lead of the second half at 32-31. He followed with a no-look assist to Kevin Johnson on Central’s next possession, and added another triple before the end of the third quarter to give Central a 39-35 lead.

“The basket just started looking bigger,” he said.

And it wouldn’t stop growing. Tyson drove to the hoop and finished with his left hand to extend Central’s advantage to 46-39 early in the fourth quarter, sank a fade-away jumper off one foot to push the score to 50-39 a minute later, and then drilled two consecutive long bombs two minutes after that as Central’s lead ballooned to 62-42.

Said Central star Tyrell Springer, who scored 14 points, “He amazed me, man. It was so shocking. Not shocking maybe –- I knew he could do it. It was just a matter of him showing it. And he did. I’m so proud of him. Everybody here’s so proud of him.”

Brockton barely mentioned Tyson on the team’s scouting report, but Houston tried to warn his teammates.

“I played AAU basketball with Cornelius, so I know he’s a great shooter," Houston said. "I tried to tell my teammates to watch out for him."

But his urgings fell on deaf ears.

And why wouldn’t they? Tyson’s season high entering Saturday night’s finals was seven points. He averaged fewer than four points per game. The guard spent most of his 2012 season attempting to nudge his way into Central’s crowded rotation and hardly played any minutes against St. John’s in the state semifinals.

There were no warning signs that he would become a hero during the school’s biggest win in more than 20 years.

“Throughout the whole season, everybody was doubting him, saying he’s not that good, that he hasn’t been living up to his name,” said junior forward Kamari Robinson (12 points, eight rebounds), referring to a reputation Tyson built during the AAU and summer circuits. “He came out here today and balled. When the lights are on, it’s time to perform. And I really appreciate what he did today. That was a grown man performance right there.”

Labrie walked out of the locker room after the game, a state champion for the first time, and said he was shocked his players could still surprise him after so many years in coaching. He was referring to the water dousing that left him such a mess walking to the bus –- one player distracted him with a hug while the rest poured a bucket of water on Labrie’s head -– but he also could have been speaking about the Golden Eagles' play:

Central finished a 24-1 season undefeated in the state of Massachusetts, and saved its greatest trick for last.

Going Small Provides Big Returns: Without injured starting center Jevaughn McMillian, one of Western Mass.’s finest shot blockers, the Golden Eagles feared they would struggle to match up with Houston.

The first half did nothing to prove their fears wrong, as the 6-foot-6 Houston dominated the interior with nine points and 10 rebounds. But when Trevor Bacon, McMillian’s replacement in the starting lineup, got into foul trouble early in the second half, Central tried a new strategy -- a small lineup.

Though he would still finish with 17 rebounds, Houston failed to score a single point after halftime. Robinson and Kevin Johnson took turns as Houston’s primary defender. Both performed admirably in the role, and they had plenty of help.

“It seemed like I got triple-teamed every time I got the ball," Houston explained. "They were harassing me as soon as I touched it. I tried to find my teammates but nobody was getting open, so I tried to attack. It didn’t work."

“What happened with our speed on defense is that they were rushing their shots. We were closing out on them a lot better with the small guys. I was just really concerned about losing the board battle with that lineup, but they just gutted it out,” Labrie said.

Central often uses Springer as a free safety, and he created havoc when Houston caught the ball in the post. On one possession, he sneaked behind Houston and poked the ball away. On another, he dug down on Houston and swiped the ball off the big man’s leg.

“Springer was crucial in the post," Labrie noted. "They don’t have many weak guys, but we try to put him on their weakest guy so he can roam and help in the paint, and he did a terrific job."

Central’s small lineup seemed to overwhelm Brockton athletically, and the Boxers scored just 19 points after halftime. Thirteen of those belonged to Jamal Reuben, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Reuben repeatedly slashed to the hoop for good looks, but his teammates had less success.

“Our offense wasn’t flowing,” Reuben said, “and we weren’t running the plays the way they were designed. They came out energized and that’s what we needed to do.”

As usual, Central’s defense fed its offense. The more stops the Golden Eagles achieved, the more efficiently they scored.

"Once we locked up the big man, everything open up," explained Springer.

West Is (At Long Last) Best: Central’s title represented the first time a Western Mass. school won the Division 1 boys basketball state championship since 2004, when Commerce accomplished the feat.

During the entire state tournament, the Golden Eagles felt like they were playing for more than themselves.

Said Labrie, “We’re representing Western Mass. We’re representing the Valley League. We’re representing Central High School. We’re representing the students. It means a real lot. I think it’s been eight years since Western Mass. won it, and it just shows everyone that Springfield is back on the map.”

“I’m just happy I’m a part of it,” Robinson added. “We have some freshman and sophomores on the team, and even they were so hyped about it. They have more years to go, but some of them were still shedding tears.”

Lee Turner, who scored eight points, didn’t know how to react.

“As soon as that two minutes came and we were up 20, I shed tears,” he said. “I was laughing, I was crying, it was crazy.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Last year’s speed bumps, this year’s dominance, everything paved a road of tribulation and reward which led to this: Springfield Central, the No. 1 team in the state, trailed St. John’s 44-38 with 6:23 remaining in the state semifinals Tuesday night at the MassMutual Center.

Central coach Mike Labrie called timeout and reminded his team of a drill they used so many times in practice. He calls it “animal” –- a coach throws the ball to the basket, no fouls are called, anything goes, and the objective is for one side to score 10 points first.

Labrie knows his squad thrives when games become muddy, even possesses a unique ability to control chaos.

“Let’s play animal with them,” he told his players. “Who’s going to win an animal game? We will.”

St. John’s didn’t score again until less than a minute remained, and only scored three points the rest of the way. Tyrell Springer -– who finished with 18 points, 11 steals, eight rebounds and five blocks -– hammered home a put-back dunk with 2:30 left to give Central its first lead of the fourth quarter, 45-44, then captured another offensive rebound and tip-in on Central’s very next possession.

When Central’s mesmerizing scramble ended with the final buzzer, the Golden Eagles had seized a 52-47 victory, securing a title bout with Brockton in Saturday’s MIAA Division 1 state finals at the DCU Center in Worcester.

“We kept it away from the chaos until about four minutes to go, but then they turned us over a few times down the stretch,” St. John’s coach Bob Foley said. “They’re tall, they’re athletic, they’re everything.”

They’re everything, yet without the aptly-named Springer, they’d probably be an everything sitting at home on Saturday. When asked about the lefty kangaroo’s surreal stat line, Labrie just nodded.

“I’m used to it,” he said.

Used to someone briefly flirting with a quadruple-double? Dominating on both ends? Sprinting in for a putback dunk just when Central needed a bucket most? Working his way inside to clean up a teammate’s miss again on the next play, despite being just 6-foot-2?

“That’s what he does. And what’s nice about it is that he could score 30 a game. But that wouldn’t be what’s best for us. He lets the game come to him, and he kind of determines, ‘What’s better tonight?” Labrie said.

“‘Am I going to defend?’ Obviously he defends all the time. ‘Am I going to share the ball? Am I going to make people involved? Am I going to take it to the hole? Am I going to take the outside shot?’ And tonight he just decided to take over.”

Springer explained, “This game just meant so much. I was just trying to do as much as I could in every aspect of the game."

Central trailed 44-43 when Chris Prophet missed a three with 2:30 left. The ball hung suspended in the air about six inches above the rim, a level in the stratosphere very few high school players -– much less do-it-all guards –- can reach.

Springer sprung, grabbed the board and slammed it through the hoop, giving the Golden Eagles a lead they would never surrender.

“I jumped my highest. Even if it went off to the side, I knew I was up high enough to grab it,” he said. “That put-back pretty much sealed the deal. After they saw that –- I looked at them and saw it, they just didn’t want to play as much.”

“They had a lot of momentum on that tip dunk, slam, whatever you want to call it,” said St. John’s center Matt Palecki, who finished with eight points. “I thought we did a good job trying to control things after that, but sometimes it’s just not your day.”

For Central, this journey began last year. With almost the exact ensemble as this season, the Golden Eagles finished 12-8, falling to Westfield in the Western Mass. quarterfinals.

To some observers, the season was a disappointment. But to Labrie, it was a necessary step toward reaching the mountaintop.

“Last year we got better and better. We look at this year, everyone’s talking about this year. But it was last year when we made significant improvements throughout the season. It’s those years where you’re 12-8 that really make the difference, and all of a sudden you’re 23-1,” he said.

Without last year’s lessons, perhaps senior guard Lee Turner would not have finished with 14 points, including a critical five-point flurry in the third quarter.

Perhaps Prophet would not have shaken off four straight missed free throws to can two in the fourth quarter, bringing Central within one point.

Perhaps Kamari Robinson and Jevaughn McMillian -- the latter of whom left during the second half with an injured ankle -- would not have done combined for 11 rebounds and four blocks while doing such an impressive job limiting Palecki inside.

Perhaps the Golden Eagles would have folded after giving up five straight points to begin the fourth quarter. Instead, they tightened their defense and turned once more to their good friend -- chaos.

“Mostly, we just gutted it out,” said Labrie. “With our veteran core, you just hope you can control the last four minutes. And we did.”

No update on McMillian: Labrie didn't have an update on the McMillian's status following the game, stating simply, "I'd like to get Jevaughn healthy by Saturday."

The 6-foot-7 McMillian is considered one of the premier shot blockers in Western Mass., and has proven a terrific compliment to the 6-foot-5 Robinson in the frontcourt. Brockton's Sayvonn Houston, arguably the state's premier center, would stand to benefit if McMillian is out of the lineup or less than 100 percent during the state finals.

Advanced Scouting: Labrie spent all season preparing for St. John’s.

Knowing that Central might meet the Pioneers in the state semifinals –- they entered this season having won the last four Central Mass. sectional titles –- Labrie and his coaching staff scouted St. John’s six times throughout the season.

“That’s a pretty interesting thing that they did that because Holy Name and St. Peter’s, going into the year, were the teams to beat," Foley said. "We consider that to be the ultimate compliment that they came and saw us six times."

He added, “We’re hard to scout because we don’t run plays. Well, we have one, but for the most part it’s just motion, cutting.”

Central still benefited from seeing St. John’s so often, with Labrie noting that he spent plenty of time devising the best way to stop Palecki.

“He’s a tremendous worker,” Labrie said. “But we knew we could play behind him, as long as he doesn’t post up under the hoop. He goes right all the time and we have shot blockers, so I was comfortable with that matchup.”

A Successful Journey: Despite winning the past four Central Mass. sectional titles, perhaps only a few observers (Labrie obviously excluded) expected St. John’s to reach the state semifinals again this season.

The first few games of the season did little to change anyone’s opinion. St. John’s started 3-4 as the team’s starting lineup, which features two sophomores and a freshman, struggled to mesh.

Even in defeat on Tuesday, the Pioneers realized how special their turnaround was.

“We took the bumpy road to get here. It wasn’t easy, we started the year 3-4, but from there we just rattled off a big winning streak,” Palecki said, referring to the 16 straight wins St. John’s earned before falling to Central.

“Our confidence just improved game after game. I’m just proud of the way our guys played tonight. It was a full 32-minute effort, and you can’t ask for much more than that against probably the No. 1 team in the state.”

Noted junior Ken Harrington, after netting seven points, “Nobody even expected us to make the playoffs this year. We slowly started coming back, under our captain Matt Palecki and Coach –- everyone bought into everything Coach said. Every game we got better, every practice we got better."

“These kids just kept on winning," Foley said. "Then we hit the districts –- and we talk about the dirt road. You saw who we had to play in the districts. We had to go through Milford, No. 5, and then Holy Name, No. 1, and then St. Peter’s, No. 2. It was no easy street there and these kids took them all on. Those are the memories we look at."

“For what it’s worth, we won the state championship in 2000. Yay, you get a plaque,” he added with an edge of sarcasm. “The biggest thing I remember about that year is we beat Holy Name with Neil Fingleton, who was 7-feet-6. That’s the game I remember. I don’t remember the state championship. You look at the plaque once in a while, but the biggest plaque was the district championship. And these kids can go back to Worcester County and know we did a heck of a job this year with what we had.”

This wasn’t the most talented St. John’s team; Palecki admitted as much. But in yet another season that featured a masterful coaching job by Foley, the St. John’s name still matters.

“It means something special. When you talk about high school basketball in Massachusetts, you’re talking about St. John’s,” Labrie said.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- No. 5 Springfield Central knew emotions would rise like smoke inside the Springfield Commerce High School gym. But rowdy environments and scrappy opponents are becoming Central’s shot of adrenaline.

As if Western Mass. teams need any additional incentive to knock Central off its lofty perch, Commerce entered Wednesday night’s city rivalry knowing that guard Alex Lopez needed just four points to reach 1,000 for his career. Anticipation of the milestone collided with the natural excitement of facing Western Mass.’s best team, leaving a Commerce gym that bounced with excitement.

Central strutted into the lion’s den and exited with another impressive victory, souring Lopez’ big night by a score of 52-43.

“This season’s been great. It’s been a coach’s dream. We don’t even talk about playoffs," Central coach Mike Labrie said. "We don’t talk about two opponents down the road. It sound like a cliche, but all we do is focus on our next opponent. It’s really easy for me to coach because they don’t care about anything but the next game."

The night did not make for a clinic in shot-making, as both teams combined to miss a number of decent looks. A fierce pace almost left steam coming from the players’ sneakers, but the scoreboard did not reflect the mounting number of possessions. Central’s defense challenged each Commerce shot and its offense -- missing starting power forward Kamari Robinson, out for undisclosed reasons -- struggled to make outside shots.

The Golden Eagles led 13-7 when Lopez was fouled with 1:41 remaining in the first quarter. The senior toed the line and drilled both free throws for the 999th and 1,000th points of his career, becoming the first Commerce player to reach the milestone since 2007.

“It feels great. It’s a mark that not very many people get,” Lopez said.

“Alex has meant an awful lot to this program over the last four years. He's our leader. He's our best all-around player, and even though he scored 1,000 points, they were a very unselfish 1,000,” Commerce coach Gary Mindell added. “He's really just about trying to win the game. Unfortunately, on his special night, we couldn't win the game for him."

It was Commerce’s third consecutive loss, after opening the season with 11 straight victories.

Central finished the first quarter with a 15-9 lead, then applied a blanket that smothered Commerce’s offense until halftime came. Commerce scored just four points the entire second quarter, missing a lot of shots in and around the painted area, especially during a six-minute drought in which Central increased its lead from four to 12.

“We missed a lot of easy baskets right around the rim, and it really hurt us,” said Lopez, who finished with 14 points to lead the Red Raiders.

“It’s easy for us to say those are easy,” said Mindell. “But when you’re out there with two 6-foot-7 guys jumping and extending their arms at you, short looks aren’t necessarily the easy ones.”

Central’s lead slowly grew as Commerce’s offense stalled, thanks to eight first-half points from Chris Prophet (who ended with 12) and a quick scoring burst from Lee Turner. The senior guard Turner, who chipped in 14 points, went on a personal 7-0 run as Central opened a 25-13 halftime lead.

Turner’s quick spurt included one ridiculous three-pointer. He jumped out of bounds to save a loose ball, and, in mid-air, turned toward the hoop and fired a shot that split the rim as he fell into the first row of bleachers.

“I practice those shots in practice -- a lot, a lot, a lot,” Turner said. “So when I caught it, I gathered myself, looked at the hoop and just shot a regular shot. I just fell out of bounds and it went in, and I just felt like it was practice. I knew it was going in. I came to my bench and my team was like, ‘Yeah, I knew it was going in, too.’”

Does Turner really practice shots like that?

“He shoots insane shots like that in practice all the time, so we’re just used to it,” said Central star Tyrell Springer, who paced the Golden Eagles with 15 points. “We started getting a little flow, and as soon as he caught it and shot it up, I threw up my three fingers and knew it was going down.”

Lopez and Shadiar Thompson (13 points) tried to bring Commerce back after halftime, cutting the deficit to seven points during the third quarter, but Central quelled every run and the margin was at least eight for the entire fourth frame.

“We have a lot of the same guys as last season, but we have more of a brotherhood now,” Springer said. “On the court, off the court, we’re with each other all the time. We communicate with each other a lot more. We even help each other with our homework. We’re just with each other 24/7.”

The brotherhood is now 13-1, undefeated in Massachusetts play.

“And I don’t believe we’re going to take anyone lightly,” said Labrie.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Intimidating? The No. 8 Springfield Central High School boy’s basketball team won’t admit it, but the Golden Eagles are growing an armored layer of invincibility with every convincing Western Mass win.

Some old-timers say there hasn’t been a better high school team in the region since Springfield Cathedral won the state title in 2002. Others say this Central team is the school’s best since former NBA guard Travis Best lit up the scoreboards.

“They win most games before they even step on the court. They just intimidate the piss out of people,” said Springfield Cathedral coach Justin Dalessio before his team lost 87-78 at Central on Monday night.

But there was nothing scared or timid about Cathedral.

“We know you don’t put fear into those guys. They come to play hard every night, especially against us,” said Central coach Mike Labrie.

The players in the cross-town rival know each other well. They had tied for the Valley League title last season. Many of the players play AAU basketball, summer league basketball or pickup basketball with each other. The level of familiarity bred a certain amount of respect. But it also brought a scrappiness that was evident in both teams.

“We knew exactly what we were going into. I call [Central] my brothers. I love them to death on and off the court,” said Jordan Monts, who led Cathedral with 27 points. “But on the court, I want nothing more than to beat them.”

On Monday, Monts would not be so lucky.

The two teams raced back and forth so quickly in the first quarter that spectators seemingly resembled like tennis fans, their heads whipping back and forth to follow the ball. Central hit four threes in the quarter, but Cathedral countered with quick ball movement to beat the famed Central press, and the Panthers trailed just 21-19 after one.

Central had been steam-rolling teams from Western Mass., its closest game entering Monday out of nine in the region being a 19-point victory against Putnam a week and a half ago. The Eagles were beating Western Mass teams by an average of 34.8 points heading into Monday’s meeting against Cathedral, although they did lose to Connecticut power Windsor High School by six points in the Hoophall Classic.

“The scores we’re beating people by are intimidating them. It’s not us. It’s the scores,” said guard Chris Prophet, who led Central with 20 points. But when pressed, he added, “We have great guard play, when we get Tyrell Springer going he’s a great player and Kamari (Robinson) -- our whole team is really good.”

The Eagles weren’t perfect Monday night, but they were good enough. Cathedral primarily uses five players and brings very little depth off the bench (although Cullen Burke did provide a lift Monday, especially in the second half), and the second quarter saw Central’s depth begin to make its impact.

The Eagles held Cathedral to just two points in the first five minutes of the second quarter, forcing turnovers and turning them into transition buckets to open a 41-32 halftime lead. But Cathedral would not go without a fight. Almost literally.

The game turned into a whistle-fest. Five technical fouls were called, including a double technical foul that occurred when Marquez Collins (who scored 21 points for Cathedral) finished an and-one, screamed in a Central player’s face and then got shoved for his antics. Cathedral shot 23 second-half free throws. Central shot 28.

“The refs really favored us,” said Prophet.

“The game lost its flow,” added Dalessio, “and my players -- we have four senior starters -- need to have more composure.”

Central led by as many as 18 points after halftime, and Cathedral never cut the lead closer than six. But every time it seemed as if Central would put the game in its back pocket, Cathedral revived itself with a run.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Cathedral trailed by ten points when the crowd started chanting for Springer, who had been mostly kept in check before then.

“Ty-rell, Spring-er” came the home crowd chants, and the jumping jack Springer, as if on cue, bounced into action. He leapt and caught a pass, then streaked in for a two-handed tomahawk slam. Central stole the following inbounds pass and Springer exploded to the hoop, catching a bounce pass and rising in one motion for his second dunk in ten seconds. When Cathedral was called for a technical foul 20 seconds later, Springer hit both free throws for his fifth and sixth points in a 30-second span, and the 52-36 lead seemed insurmountable.

“I didn’t notice the crowd until someone pointed it out. When the game is going, I’m not focused on anything but the court,” said Springer, who finished with 14 points but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.

Even after Springer’s surge, the win wouldn’t come easy. Monts and Collins attacked the hoop repeatedly as Central’s taller defenders struggled to stay in front of Cathedral’s five-guard lineup. Cathedral would cut the lead to single digits, Central would seize control again and Cathedral would dig itself out of yet another grave.

The Panthers made one final charge to cut a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to 79-73 with two minutes left. But on the ensuing possession, Lee Turner drilled a three-pointer from the corner and Central could finally put Cathedral into its rearview.

“Nothing comes easy against Cathedral,” said Prophet. “They just play really hard.”

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Inside the bowels of Blake Arena, Newton North coach Paul Connolly stood flanked by his most promising young player, joking how hard he can be on him.

There are times Connolly yells, there are times he stomps. He constantly demands more. Then he’ll yell and stomp again. Ruefully poking a rolled-up box score into Aaron Falzon’s stomach, Connolly smiled, recalling how he’s gotten under the freshman forward’s skin at times.

“And he just keeps working,” Connolly said. “He’s made me a better coach.”

No surprise, Falzon’s quickly making Newton North a better team.

His team on the verge of an upset at the Hoophall Classic, Falzon scored eight of his game-high 19 points in a span of 67 seconds in the fourth quarter Sunday, rallying Newton North past Springfield Central, 58-56, on the campus of Springfield College.

Luke Westman added 11 points for the Tigers (7-2), who played without their leading scorer, Mike Thorpe. The junior guard stayed home Sunday with flu-like symptoms, which left ball-handling duties against the pressing Golden Eagles to Westman, among others, and the scoring load on whoever wanted it.

Falzon filled the void. The freshman shot 8-of-12 from the field, grabbed five rebounds and when needed, muscled up inside, a major area of improvement for a 6-foot-8 player Connolly said “would love to just go out and shoot 3-pointers all day.”

He got the chance later Sunday in the Hoophall’s 3-point contest. Beforehand, he did his work inside, scooping in four lay-ups -- two on designed inbounds plays -- to turn a 50-46 deficit with 2:01 to play into a 54-50 lead Newton North rode to the win.

“Obviously it’s a big stage,” Falzon said. “I wanted to do well. [But] it just fell that way. My teammates found me on fast breaks, down low. It just came all together.”

So is Falzon’s game. Blessed with size but still building muscle, Falzon has floated in and out of the starting lineup as the Tigers have battled sickness and injury, most notably to Falzon’s brother, senior Tevin, who hasn’t played yet due to a wrist injury. He’s scheduled to return in early February, but in the meantime, Aaron has risen into a reliable player, averaging around eight points per game.

That was until Sunday, when he became the go-to option with the Golden Eagles buzzing around to the tune of 23 forced turnovers. Down by as many as 11 points in the third, Springfield Central turned up the pressure, gradually cutting into Newton North’s lead before exploding for 12 unanswered points bridging the third and fourth.

Now down, 44-39, midway through the final period, Newton North responded with its own 6-0 run before giving up four straight themselves. Falzon responded, taking a nice feed over the top from Korey Mui (10 points), banking in two inbounds passes and finishing a press-breaker with an easy lay-up with 54 seconds to play.

“He’s definitely exceeding at least my expectations,” Westman said of Falzon. “He stretches out the defense from other teams. He’s a big guy so we look for him inside, but he’s tough to guard from other teams. He can open up a lot for the other players.”

Springfield Central hit two late threes, but they were meaningless after Newton North iced the game at the line.

“He’s going to be a good one,” Springfield Central coach Mike Labrie said of Falzon. “I thought we did a good job on their perimeter game. In fact, they had no threes in the second half. However, they ended up beating us inside. … I think that killed us. The biggest factor was the size [difference], other than the foul discrepancies, 26-12.”

For Newton North -- ranked 17th in ESPN Boston’s MIAA poll -- the victory is a sign it’s turning the corner. Long accustomed to being a force in the Bay State Carey and a regional Massachusetts power, the Tigers returned just four players from last season and have spent the last two months trying to meld a young team together.

It seems to be working, thanks to the times they’ve survived adversity (like Sunday) -- and their own practices.

“These guys will tell you, I’m not easy to play for,” Connolly said. “When we get out of practice and we’re hanging out, I can be fun to be around. But for those two hours, I can be tough on them.”

As he said that, Falzon nodded with a smile.

“He asks a lot out of me,” he said. “I’ve played hard before but not like this. This is the hardest I’ve ever played.”