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THE SUPER TEAM

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

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

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

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

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

BEST OF THE REST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BOSTON -- Correspondent James Walsh has highlights from last night's emotional MIAA Division 1 Eastern Mass Final between Brockton and Charlestown. Brockton overcame a late deficit to beat Charlestown in overtime, to advance to Saturday's state championship.




Brockton seniors Sayvonn Houston, Jamal Reuben and Jerrod "Bubba" Shelby also spoke with ESPN Boston High Schools Editor Brendan Hall following the contest:

BOSTON -- A lesser team might have evaporated in the heat.

Brockton trailed Charlestown by seven points at the TD Garden with a tick more than four minutes left in Monday’s Division 1 state semifinals. Charlestown’s Tyrese Hoxter had already netted nine straight points in the fourth quarter, and the smooth lefty was threatening to shove Brockton tumbling into its grave.

The Boxers shoved back.

They rattled off the next seven points, eventually forcing overtime, and William Baker drilled two free throws with 3.6 seconds left in the extra session to ice Brockton’s 67-64 win and send the Boxers to Saturday’s state finals.

“Just stay calm,” explained Brockton star Sayvonn Houston, who scored a team-high 22 points to go with 13 rebounds. “If you panic, you lose.”

The Boxers didn’t panic. They made adjustments. Hoxter had been torching them with dribble penetration, so coach Bob Boen called for a 1-3-1 trap.

Outside shots weren’t falling, so Brockton attacked the glass. Houston had a putback hoop to cut the deficit to 55-50 with four minutes left. Jaylen Blakely (15 points) was fouled in transition after receiving a great outlet pass from Houston and hit one of two free throws.

Jamal Reuben, who started slowly, snatched a missed Blakely three and followed with his first field goal of the game. His second didn’t take so long to arrive. Reuben stole a cross-court pass on the very next possession and finished a lay-in on the break, tying the score at 55-all with two minutes left.

The teams played the rest of regulation to a draw, with Charlestown’s Tyrik Jackson swatting Baker’s baseline drive at the buzzer to keep the score 57-57.

Reuben started the overtime period with a bucket just five seconds in and followed with a strong baseline take a minute and a half later, giving his team a 61-57 advantage.

The talented small forward finished with 10 points after scoring just two during the first 28 minutes.

“Even when I’m struggling, coach and my teammates just want me to keep doing what I do, because they know it’s going to come eventually,” he explained.

Charlestown responded strongly, pulling within one at 63-62 with 16.9 seconds left. But Omar Orriols missed the second of two free throws and Houston sank two charity shots at the other end to push Brockton’s lead to 65-62. When Baker rebounded a Fernandez miss on the ensuring possession and was fouled with 3.6 seconds left, he needed just one make.

He got two, making the tally 67-62 before Iser Barnes (12 points) added a meaningful bucket as the clock ran out.

It didn’t take long for Houston to realize he was headed to Worcester’s DCU Center on Saturday to play for the state championship.

“Oh, that sunk in. That sunk in as soon as the buzzer went off,” he said.

But some of Houston’s teammates wanted to wait before moving on from Monday’s triumph. After changing in the locker room, Blakely and junior guard Tyler Kim took turns laying on the Celtics logo at midcourt, almost as if doing snow angels in the very circle where Kevin Garnett jumps center.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kim said. “So why not?”

Designated Shooter: Drew Fiske missed his first two three-point attempts, but Brockton’s designated sharp-shooter isn’t one to become gun-shy. His mentality –- which goes something like, “If you’re hot, keep shooting, and if you’re not hot, shoot until you are” –- resulted in two crucial makes.

The backup guard sank back-to-back three-pointers to even the score at 44-all to end the third quarter, unleashing a primal scream after drilling a three in front of Brockton’s bench to beat the quarter buzzer.

The first three came from behind the NBA arc.

“It was deep. Coach usually yells at me for shooting so deep, but I can hit them,” said Fiske.

“That’s the new game in high school. Shoot that ball deeper, deeper, deeper. I tell them, ‘We can get it to you at the line, you don’t have to be way out there,’” Boen said. “But he’s a tremendous shooter. He does that in practice all the time –- bang, bang, bang. And it’s great, because it teaches us to cover three-point shooters like Charlestown has. We say in practice, ‘You can’t let him have that shot.’”

Hoxter’s Hot Hand: After Fiske knotted the score to end the third quarter, Hoxter pieced together a personal 9-2 flurry to give Charlestown a 53-46 lead with 5:35 left.

Elusive in the half-court offense and explosive in the open court, the point guard continuously paraded into the paint.

“He was doing a nice job clearing out. They have two three-point shooters who you can’t leave, so we were having trouble giving help on [Hoxter],” said Boen. “He was killing us. He was going here, there and everywhere. Those right-handed shots he made were fantastic, because he’s a lefty. Every one he made was all net. I kept thinking, ‘That’s not a good shot,’ and swish, swish, swish.”

Brockton switched to a 1-3-1 trap a couple possessions later and the Boxers’ comeback ensued. Hoxter managed just four points the rest of the way.

“It got to the point our offense wasn’t doing anything, and we really had to change the tempo of the game,” Boen explained. “It worked. I’ll assume [Charlestown coach Edson Cardoso’s] players are such good players that if they hadn’t been surprised by it, they would have torn it apart. Because you usually can’t do that when the other team has a couple great shooters like he has.”

Once the game tightened, Brockton switched from the trap because Boen feared Charlestown would adjust. But the coach still had a trick up his sleeve to slow Hoxter: guard Will Baker.

“He was dribbling the ball and hurting us,” Boen said of Hoxter, “and Baker’s probably our best on-dribble defender. And he did steal that one from him, which was a great steal.”

The steal Boen referred to came with the score knotted at 57-all and less than a minute remaining in regulation. Hoxter dribbled out front as Charlestown had a chance to seize the lead, but Baker hounded him, drew a steal, and even drew a foul on Hoxter during the scramble for the ball.

Baker missed both the resulting free throws, but redeemed himself by sinking the finishers in overtime.

BOSTON, Mass. — Brockton will make its much-anticipated return to the Garden floor as the top-seeded Boxers displaced No. 2 seed Madison Park (19-3) with a 57-48 victory last night in the Div. 1 South finals at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston.

The Boxers (22-2) held the Cardinals to 15 field goals at a 27.8 percent clip for the game, and clamped down hard in the final minute to set up a date with Charlestown, which knocked off Lexington in tonight's Div. 1 North final in Lowell, on Monday night.

“We’ve been waiting for a team like this to play defense against,” said Boxers head coach Bob Boen. “My big guys are getting tired of covering those 3-point players. They were very happy that they could stay in that lane and help out in what I call ‘normal’ defense with ‘normal’ help positions, instead of chasing guys out on the 3-point line.”

Sayvonn Houston had 13 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks while holding Cardinals’ big man Dakim Murray to eight points — seven of those coming in the first half.

“I just had to keep my hands up,” said the 6-foot-6 Houston. “They have a lot of size and rebounders, so I knew I had to get in position, box out and rebound.”

Will Baker, Jaylen Blakely and Jamal Reuben took care of the perimeter defense as they got in the passing lane on sever plays in the final two-plus minutes of regulation.

“We just wanted to get to every ball,” said Baker. “Coach told us to work hard and we just wanted to play aggressively. That’s what coach told us right before the game and that was the game plan.”

Stewart in Foul Trouble: David Stewart has meant so much to Madison Park on the defensive and offensive ends of the court this season, and in the biggest game of the season he could only sit and watch for the majority of the game with foul trouble.

He picked up two fouls in the first half and picked up two more in the third quarter a good 80 feet from his own basket to slow down any kind of flow he had with his game.

“Foul trouble and a couple of chippy fouls," said Cardinals head coach Dennis Wilson. "I wasn’t happy about that.”

Boen was planning on taking on both Murray and Stewart for the majority of the game, especially after seeing the success the two had against Franklin in the first half of the previous round.

“They needed both of their big guys,” said Boen. “Both big guys together were giving us a lot of trouble. When one or the other was out we relaxed a little, and we relaxed a little bit too much I think.”

When Stewart was able to stay in the game he made all the difference for Madison Park to keep things close. Stewart had 10 of the Cardinals 11 points in the third quarter and he finished with 16 in the second half after only having a single free throw in the first half.

Baker Steps Up: Baker might be the second point guard that comes into the game for the Boxers, but the ball was left in his hands in the second half as his team was trying to stave off the Cardinals.

“He got the game moving. We got off to a good start, we slowed down and then William came in and got us rolling again.”

Added Baker: “That’s what my role is. My role is to get opportunity for teammates when they are open.”

Baker -- who also added seven assists and four steals — picked off a pass on the opening possession of the second quarter and put it off the glass on the other end. Baker also set up Drew Fiske for a 3-pointer off a good dribble penetration and found Houston a couple times in the second half as he was able to create off the dribble.

BROCKTON, Mass. -- Brockton head coach Bob Boen saw the MIAA Division 1 South boys basketball tournament bracket and felt a touch of anger. After defeating Central Memorial at the buzzer earlier this season, Boen considered a playoff rematch inevitable.

But so soon?

“When we played each other at your place, I said we’d meet at UMass-Boston,” he told Catholic Memorial coach Denis Tobin Saturday when the two skippers opposed each other in the district quarterfinals, referring to the site of the finals and semifinals. “I don’t want to meet you here tonight.”

Although the matchup arrived earlier than he hoped, Boen’s troops were prepared and rose to meet the challenge Saturday evening at Brockton High School. Sayvonn Houston dominated inside with 22 points and 12 rebounds, Jamal Reuben pitched in 20 points, and Brockton led throughout a 76-63 victory.

“To me, those were the best two teams in the bracket playing tonight. We lost a few games we shouldn’t have lost, so we got matched up with them,” Catholic Memorial star Matt Droney said after pouring in a game-high 23 points. “We would have had to beat them at some point anyway, though, and we didn’t. I’ll be very surprised if anyone does.”

Despite landing in a big hole early, Catholic Memorial managed to rattle Brockton’s nerves during the fourth quarter. Droney consistently scored throughout the full 32 minutes, and fellow senior Dan Powers (nine points) surged to life in the second half.

Using a 2-3 zone defense to limit Brockton’s transition opportunities, Catholic Memorial (17-5) clawed back from a 15-point deficit to pull within 53-49 with six minutes remaining.

“I was worried a little bit,” said Houston.

But Brockton (20-2) plugged the holes quickly and the leaking stopped. Over the next four and a half minutes, the Boxers ran off 14 unanswered points to build a 67-49 lead and effectively end the game.

“We heard all the ‘you got lucky’ talk, that we were supposed to lose. We wanted to prove a point that we’re the better team, and we did,” said Houston.

The two teams previously met in an instant classic during mid-February. Despite leading by a comfortable margin for most of the game, Catholic Memorial watched as Will Baker drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer from well beyond the three-point arc to give Brockton an 88-87 win.

“Honestly, I heard that we were lucky from a lot of people," Reuben said. "But we knew we were the better team coming in. We knew we just had to play hard, play our game...They said CM was going to beat us. We’ve seen a lot of stuff that indicated that people thought CM was going to win. We just used that to our advantage, used it to work harder."

Brockton wasted no time capitalizing on that motivation Saturday evening. After the Boxers seized a 22-15 lead by the end of the first quarter, Tobin told his Catholic Memorial team in the huddle that the start was expected.

“We knew they would come out like gangbusters,” he told the Catholic Memorial players, knowing that the excitement of playing a home postseason game can act like a gallon of 5-Hour Energy.

But Tobin did not foresee the barrage of three-pointers – Brockton hit four in the first quarter and two more in the second – that eventually propelled Brockton in front, 43-28, just before halftime.

“They had guys hit shots who we didn’t think were good shooters. All their guys stepped up tonight, kudos to them,” Tobin said.

“That was probably the opposite of the game plan,” explained Boen. “The game plan was more to try to attack the basket and go to the big guy down low.”

Long-distance shooting would come in handy again later for Brockton. Chris Siggers went on a personal 5-0 run in the final 10 seconds before halftime to make the score 43-33 at intermission, and the Knights scored the first seven points of the third quarter, holding Brockton scoreless for four consecutive minutes to draw within 43-40.

The Boxers were on their heels due to Catholic Memorial’s zone defense, failing to attack the hoop like they had in the first half.

But just when Brockton’s offense looked it’s most stagnant, Reuben drilled back-to-back threes from the right wing.

“We were a little hesitant. We wanted to be aggressive, we knew we needed to be aggressive. Coming out on the court, coach drew up a play to get me open. And I just hit it,” said Reuben. “Coach doesn’t want us just standing around the three-point line, but we have a lot of shooters, and coach knows it.”

The triples made it 49-40, but CM wouldn’t allow itself to be buried easily. The Knights again dug in defensively, cutting the deficit to 53-49 before Brockton applied its finishing kick.

“We kind of got tired. Them jumping out early caught up to us in the fourth quarter. We wore ourselves out trying to catch them,” said Tobin.

An upsetting end: Houston held his younger sister in his arms at midcourt after the game, with a smile on his face, knowing that his high school career would extend at least one more game. Brockton moves on to meet Newton North in the semifinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at UMass-Boston.

But for Catholic Memorial’s seniors, Saturday’s defeat marked the end.

“It’s going to be tough. I’ve been with them for six years. They’ve been such a pleasure to coach and contributed so much to the program. It’s going to be tough saying goodbye,” said Tobin of his seniors, some of whom had been involved with the school’s basketball program since seventh grade.

The coach’s sentiment was reciprocated.

“He’s been everything for me. I almost went to prep school every year, but stayed – mainly because of him, but also because I wanted to win a state championship. I wouldn’t have done it any different though,” said Droney.

Along with Powers, Droney made a strong impression on Boen during their time at Catholic Memorial.

“Those two kids, they’re the best two shooters you’ll ever see, those two kids for Catholic Memorial,” the Brockton coach said.

Blakely The Aggressor: Jaylen Blakely doesn’t always play with the speed Boen prefers. But on Saturday, the ultra-quick point guard controlled the tempo and created easy looks for his teammates.

The junior finished with eight assists to match his eight points, committing very few mistakes while carving apart Catholic Memorial’s man-to-man defense.

“We’ve been telling him – Baker does what we want – get the ball and get it upcourt. Tonight Blakely did that much better. He got the ball and got it up court as fast as he can,” said Boen.

After Brockton’s lead dwindled to four points in the fourth quarter, Blakely took control. During a one-minute span, he assisted on a Reuben fast break layup, set up Houston in perfect position underneath the basket (Houston got fouled and made both free throws) and hit a runner in the lane, spurring Brockton’s game-sealing 14-0 run.

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."

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. -- There would be one last chance. Six seconds to cement it as an instant classic.

Both coaching staffs knew it. They each had words with the referees: one to get more time put back on the clock, the other making sure it stayed the same.

And in the end, the Brockton Boxers needed every shred of those six seconds, escaping the Ron Perry Gymnasium with a thrilling 88-87 win over newly-anointed No. 1 Catholic Memorial (13-3), courtesy a buzzer-beating three from Will Baker that won't be forgotten any time soon in the City of Champions.

Moments earlier, Brockton (13-1) had the ball in the hands of its sharpshooting guard Jaylen Blakely with the team down 86-83. As the ball came over halfcourt, everyone in the gymnasium was thinking the same thing: there is no way he wasn’t taking the shot.

Sure enough, Blakely had the ball mere feet away from his own bench, trying to dribble and maneuver to get the defender to commit even slightly to one direction. His shot hit off the rim but went right to to Jamal Reuben, who put the rebound in for the score.

There was under 10 seconds left on the clock when Brockton coach Bob Boen called a timeout. Six seconds were left. His assistant coaches and the Brockton faithful yelled at the referees to put more time on the clock. Catholic Memorial coach Denis Tobin wanted to make sure the clock didn’t change, realizing every second -- or lack thereof -- was precious in a late-game scenario like that.

Meanwhile, Boen was hard at work discussing contingency plans with his team. It was obvious his team had to foul as soon as possible on the ensuing inbounding play. But what would they do after that? What if the Catholic Memorial player missed one of his shots and made the next?

What about if he made both, which would make it a three-point game again, this time with a handful of seconds on the clock? They had one timeout left, so when would they take it? Would they take it at all?

After answering those hypotheticals, the teams broke the huddle. Catholic Memorial’s Matt Droney set up to throw the inbounds pass, as his four teammates set up on the Brockton foul line, stretching the width of the floor. The referee handed him the ball, and Armani Reeves -- inserted into the starting lineup for the suspended junior point guard Chris Siggers -- took off down the left sideline.

It seemed only fitting that Reeves, an Ohio State football commit, would be the one to catch the outlet pass that appeared more appropriate for a football field than a high school gymnasium. Reeves had two steps on Brockton’s Jerrod Shelby and caught the pass in stride, and from there it was a race to the basket.

Reeves took a few power dribbles and went up for the layup. Shelby jumped to block the shot, but the referee ruled he contacted Reeves.

In visible disagreement, Shelby walked toward the Brockton bench, not waiting around for the referees to tell him it was his fifth foul of the game. Regardless, there was still only 3.7 seconds left on the clock. Reeves was headed to the free throw line with the opportunity to make it at most a 3-point game.

He missed the first. An audible jolt of optimism shot through Brockton and its fans.

What happened next was the culmination of many things.

Brockton was out-rebounding CM all game (47-23). In the huddle during the timeout moments earlier, Boen had drawn up a play for what he expected would be the final shot his team would get to win or tie. Blakely had hit three 3-pointers in the game, so his long-range game was well known.

Reeves missed the second shot. Brockton’s Sayvonn Houston came down with the rebound and passed ahead to William Baker. Crossing over halfcourt, he saw that Blakely, who the play was designed to get the ball to, was well-covered. The shot became his and only his to take.

He elevated and sent the ball in the air. The buzzer sounded with the result of the shot still unknown. It passed through the mesh, and in an instant, Baker became a hero.

“The play was to get it to Jaylen, but honestly, they were covering him,” he said. “There was a guy sort of near me, but I wasn’t trying to worry about him. I was just trying to get up in the air as much as I could. I had to double-pump a little bit in the air, gave it a little flick of the wrist, and it went down.”

“Truthfully, they probably thought it was going to be either Jaylen or Jamal (Reuben) to take the shot, but they were both covered, and I had to put something up. Hit a miracle.”

The visiting stands emptied as a mob of players and supporting students engulfed Baker, merging this real-life sports movie moment with a little bit of NCAA Tournament magic.

“The last few games we’ve had have ended like that: it’s come down to a last-minute shot,” said Boen. “I’ve been lucky enough that I think we’ve made four of the last-minute shots. Two years ago (CM) made a few last-minute shots to beat us. That was an amazing shot. It was kind of a lucky shot you gotta say.”

Days, weeks, even months from now, no one will remember, or even care that he scored four points up until that point. They won’t care that his team was playing from behind for the whole second half until that very moment.

All that will matter and be remembered is the end result.

Boxers make late push: Perhaps the biggest aspect of the game that made it so dramatic was that until the last few minutes of the game, the Knights appeared to have the game well in hand.

After Matt Droney hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give CM a 38-36 halftime lead, the Knights came out in the second half showing why they were ranked No. 1 in many of the local polls. Droney himself had a double-digit scoring effort in the third quarter, which helped CM take a 68-57 lead into the fourth. He ended the game with 24 points.

“All the sudden, I turned to my assistant coach (in the third) and said, ‘What just happened? Where did that tie game just go?” said Boen. “(CM) has great shooters, so they’re a natural team to go on runs. If you just rest for a minute on those shooters they have, there’s going to be a run because they’re going to bang down two or three 3’s in a row on you and then you’re in trouble.”

After being outscored 30-19 in the third, Brockton (13-1) came back and erased that deficit and more over the final 8 minutes. While Brockton was able to have more success scoring in the fourth, CM kept it an eight-point game until the final two minutes of the quarter.

“All week Coach told us all week in practice this was going to be a tough game,” said Baker. “With the small gym here and the runs they could make, it was going to be tough. He said, ‘Don’t lose your heads,’ and we all calmly came into the fourth quarter and did what we had to do and hit some tough shots and came out with the win.”

Controlling the glass: Lost in the shuffle of the game is the play of Houston and Reuben. Catholic Memorial struggled to control Houston’s size and power at both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-6 senior was able to set up in the post and clean up on the offensive glass. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

“He did his usual job,” said Boen. “He’s a good, strong rebounder. He gives us some good defensive presence in the middle. He’s been that way all year. That’s what he’s given us all year. He’s a good, strong player who gets us a lot of easy baskets.”

After being quiet for most of the first half, Reuben exploded in the second half and was one of the main reasons why Brockton was able to come back. His 28 points (including four 3-pointers) and 14 rebounds were overshadowed by what happened in the final minutes of the game.

Early struggles: It is not often a team can overcome a double-digit second-half deficit without shooting efficiently from the free throw line, but that is what Brockton was able to do. It was 11-of-25, or 44 percent. Meanwhile, CM was 11-of-16, or 69 percent from the line.

“We had a streak where we missed four or five straight when we were down 6 points (in the fourth),” said Boen. “You gotta make those and keep it close. That is what put us in trouble. If we make those in game, then it’s a much easier game for us. Not tonight though. It would have been just as hard tonight because it was close, but most nights, if you make those, it’s a much easier game.”

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. –- Brockton jumped out to an early 6-0 to start the game and led throughout the match to top No. 15 Brighton 71-65 to win the championship game of the 38th Rotary Club of Brockton Holiday Tournament.

Both teams relied heavily on outside shooting, but neither teams’ sharp shooters were on target tonight. In the fourth quarter, Bockton got a boost from senior Sayvonn Houston, scoring 8 of his 14 points in the fourth. Houston shrunk 4 out of his 6 free throw attempts in the final quarter and shot 50 % (6-12) from the line on the night.

“We realized that their big man was out, so we thought about our big man,” said Brockton sophomore Jaylen Blakely.”Our big man kept calling for the ball and he deserved the ball, how he was fighting for it, so he kept getting the ball and he kept getting and ones. He kept scoring so we keep feeding him the ball.”

Ashed Tres: The three point shot is a neat invention. For a few extra feet distance with accuracy, you can earn an extra point for a bucket. But when the failing three is used constantly, as when teams do not have aggressive post scorers, so a natural option is mid to long range jump shots. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don’t. Blakely scored 6 out of the 14 points in the first quarter on three point shots.

“I started swinging the ball and realized that they were leaving me open, letting me see if I would shoot, so I just them off, sad Blakely. “It felt good so I just kept shooting, and they were falling.”

Blakely ended up with 17 points, 2 rebounds and two assists.

Opportunity, Four: During the fourth quarter, Blakely shot 4-4 from the free throw line and added a field goal to his tally. The sophomore was not deterred that his shot, and those of his teammates, were not falling regularly but that there was hope in the next stroke of the wrists. Despite the many attempts, only one Boxer made a three pointer in the fourth quarter and that was tournament MVP Jamal Reuben.

Houston grabbed 10 rebounds, including four in the fourth quarter, and blocked two shots. The senior bounded up and down the court in the fourth like a bull in the ring, driving the ball in the paint, waiting to be stopped or to be fouled. With Brighton’s big man Prince Unaegbu on the bench, fouling out with 3:57 left in the game, Houston took the opportunity to challenge some of Brighton’s non-traditional big men.

"They were coming back on three point shots and second chance opportunities from getting the box out,” Houston said. ”We were able to get them down low because they didn’t have any size on us, so I just took over down there.”

In the fourth, Brockton went to the free throw line for fourteen shots, the Bengals had no opportunities from the free throw line in that same period of time. With Houston creating an inside game, Blakely and Jarrod Shelby took the opportunity to be aggressive as well, taking the ball to the hoop, drawing contact and making 11 out the 14 opportunities lucrative.

(Video courtesy of Lucas Shapiro)


DORCHESTER, Mass. -- What do you tell your star player after he goes 2-for-9 in the opening stanza of a game where buckets were hard to come by?

Keep going.

BC High junior forward and captain Jameilen Jones started the night off sour, but finished strong, totaling 16 points and six rebounds as the No. 8 Eagles downed rival Brockton, 56-41, in its season-opener in front of its home crowd at McNeice Pavilion.

Jones, a 6-foot-3 combo guard considered one of the top pure scorers in the Catholic Conference, got off to a rocky start. Facing tight man-to-man pressure in the lane from Brockton (1-1), and met immediately by his man when he brought the ball up, Jones was forced into some poor shooting decisions to start the night off. But he adjusted to the pressure well as the game endured, finishing the night nearly perfect through the final three quarters, going 7 of 8 from the field.

"I told Jameilen, we need you to shoot the ball," Eagles head coach Bill Loughnane said. "Even if it doesn't go in, it's a good shot for us. And it'll help other people along in the long run."

Said Jones, "Coach was telling me to just be confident with the ball and take the shots. I've got to bring it so that everyone else can get their confidence, too. I was just trying to keep shooting, don't let it get me down in the first quarter."

But it wasn't just about what he did with the ball that kept the Eagles ahead on a physical night where points were tough to come by. It was about what he did off the ball as well, creating open shots for teammates with his movement around the perimeter and across the baseline.

Trailing 29-18 at the break, the Boxers opened the third quarter on a 9-2 run to cut the Eagles' lead to 31-27, capped by a rare five-point play. Brockton's Jamal Reuben was knocked into his own bench as he nailed a three-pointer from the baseline; his ensuing errant free throw was scooped up by Sayvonn Houston (12 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks), and Jean Thomas was there for the put-back when the 6-foot-6 senior missed.

But the Eagles immediately responded, closing out the quarter on a 12-4 run. Jones came back on the next possession with a 12-foot leaner in the lane, and then followed up on the next possession down with a nice dish to Jared Collins from the elbow, setting up an easy 10-footer.

Closing out the run with a big block was Standy Merizier, leading to a silky transition three from Charles Collins (nine points).

"He's gonna see a lot of that this year, people keying on him," Loughnane said of Jones. "One of the things, he's very unselfish. If he has it, we want him to go. If he doesn't, he's willing to let a teammate go. That's one of his strengths."

Football mentality on the blocks: One of the Eagles' strength is its communication in the defensive end. BC High confused the Boxers at times with its 3-2 zone, efficiently trapped ballhandlers in the corners, and played some stifling rotations in man-to-man.

Dictating that physicality down low are forwards Oderah Obukwelu and Justin Roberts, no strangers to an elbow or two after playing key roles in the Eagles' Division 1 football Super Bowl championship run. At both ends of the court, they made things difficult for Houston, Reuben and forward Jerrod Shelby; in one key first-half possession, Roberts spun in front of two Brockton defenders and cleared out a wide-open 15-foot shot on the baseline for Pete Timmons, which he sank.

"They're really rough down there, real rough," Jones smiled. "They just finished playing varsity football, so they're still in that kind of football mode. It's good, because if they're tough down low and they've got the big man worried about the [physicality], then we're going to straight going to the basket."

Boen not satisfied: Brockton head coach Bob Boen came away disappointed with his team's play, calling it "bad from every part of the game", specifically with the effort down low.

"We got ourselves in a hole early by not boxing out and rebounding well," he said. "We played pretty good defense, but they got so many second shots that we were in a big hole at halftime. Offensively, they confused us with their zone defense again."

Boen did credit Shelby, a star wide receiver on the football team, with giving the Boxers some lift off the bench.

"I think he's going to help us out a lot, with his rebounding and his work on defense," Boen said.

Central provides tune-up: Loughnane conceded that a preseason scrimmage with Central Catholic last week helped them get prepared for tonight's physical tone. Central, which begins the season at No. 1 in ESPN Boston's statewide poll, is considered one of the state's best defensive teams; the Raiders also looked exceptionally efficient in a scrimmage last Sunday with St. Peter-Marian, one of the top teams in the Central Mass. region this winter.

"Central's a real physical, tough-minded team, and I really thought that helped us for a game like this," Loughnane said.

Said Jones, "That was a tough one, but we learned from it. We weren't too down about it, because they're a top team. It helped us out."

Courtesy of Bay State Games media relations director Peter Cohenno:

BASKETBALL

Boys Scholastic 11/12 Grade
Emmanuel College – Boston, MA

Southeast 103, Metro 77
Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) poured in 37 points to propel Southeast to a 103-77 win over Metro. Jaleel Moise (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) added 20 and 19 points respectively for the winners. Metro had three players in double figures led by Kenny Ramos’s (Mattapan, East Boston HS) 14 points. Adam Zakaria (Arlington, Arlington HS) and Paul Brooles (Arlington, Arlington HS) chipped in with 12 apiece.

Coastal vs Northeast
Coastal declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.

West 78, Central 54
West ran away with a 78-54 victory over Central. For the winners, Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) led all scorers with 26. Casy White (Easthampton, Easthampton HS) and Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 14 apiece. Central’s Matt Kneece (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) paced his squad with 16 points.

Coastal 104, Southeast 97
Chris Green (Taunton, Taunton HS) tallied 30 points to help Coastal edge Southeast, 104-97, in a fast-paced, offensive battle. Nelson Baptiste (Falmouth, Falmouth HS) contributed to the assault with 22, and Andrew Kenyon (Swansea, Case HS) put up 20. Southeast big man Sayvonn Houston (Brockton, Brockton HS) led all scorers with 33. His teammates, Damien Lugay (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) and Jon Perez (Weymouth, Weymouth HS), added 18 and 14 points, respectively.

Northeast vs Central
Central declared winner due to a Northeast forfeit.

West 109, Metro 63
West had two players score more than 20 points as they destroyed Metro 109-63. Metro kept the game tied at 18 through the first quarter. However, West came alive in the second, scoring 36 points, and went into halftime leading 54-33. In the second half, West forward Jose Allen (Amherst, Amherst HS) netted 21 of his 23 points and was the game’s leading scorer. West guard Jesse LeCroix (Orange, Mahar HS) added 22 points of his own. Metro’s Mo Magras (Medford, Medford HS) tallied 12 points and led the team in scoring.

Boys Scholastic 9/10 Grade
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA

Metro 65, Southeast 62
Metro defeated Southeast 65-62 in a close game that went down to the final minutes. Metro scored early and had an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Southeast pulled within two at the half. Going into the fourth quarter they were tied at 48. Southeast guards Jonathan Joseph (Brockton, Brockton HS) and Andrew Reardon (North Easton, Oliver Ames HS) combined for seven of the team’s final 13 points. Guard Lutjy Mondesir (Brockton, Brockton HS) led the team with 10 points, while Metro’s Tyler Sullivan (Arlington, Arlington HS) led all scorers with 16 points.

West 65, Northeast 40
West played a balanced game and limited its mistakes in a 65-40 win over Northeast. West forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) scored a team-high 12 points while guard Kamil Stasiowski (Palmer, Palmer HS) added another nine points in the second half. Northeast shooting guard Jordan Mendez (Salem, North Shore Tech) led all scorers with 18 points, 15 of which he scored in the second half.

Coastal 67, Central 46
Coastal’s defense limited Central to five first quarter points on their way to a 67-46 win. Coastal’s defense, anchored by center Owen Murphy (Plymouth, Plymouth North), played strong the entire game and only allowed 12 first half points. Coastal’ offense was led by guard Andrew McGill (West Falmouth, Falmouth), Murphy and forward Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) each scored 12 points. In the second half, Central finally started to find the net, scoring 17 points in each of the final two quarters.

Southeast 76, West 74
Southeast is going for the gold after defeating West, 76-74. Southeast was up 12-7 at the end of the first quarter, though West pulled within three, 27-24, at the half. The game remained tight into the fourth quarter when things really got interesting. With West down and seconds remaining on the clock, forward Justin Crosby (Westfield, Westfield HS) drilled a three to send the game into overtime. Despite allowing the game to be tied, Southeast played aggressively in overtime and West found themselves down again with just five seconds remaining. However, there wouldn’t be any miracles this time. West bobbled a pass and the ball went out of bounds. Southeast guard David Harrison (Weymouth, Weymouth HS) led all scorers with 28 points, while Crosby scored a team-high 22 points for West.

Central 75, Northeast 26
Guard Isaiah Tatum (Worcester, Holy Name) led all scorers with 16 points as Central beat Northeast, 75-26. Central was ahead 37-17 at the half and never looked back. Central guard Jesse Meresca (Sterling, Wachusett) added another 12 points, while Northeast point guard John King (Swampscott, Swampscott HS) led the team in scoring with 10 points.

Coastal 76, Metro 72
Coastal held off a late charge by Metro to secure a 76-72 win. Coastal’s Tucker Bouchard (Kingston, Silver Lake) and Metro’s Matt Woods shared the honor of game’s high scorer with 22 points apiece. Jesse Bunting (Plymouth, Plymouth North) chipped in with 15 for the winners, while Kevin Foley netted 16 in the losing effort.

Girls Scholastic
Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA

Northeast 66, Metro 41
Northeast opened up a huge halftime lead and never looked back on the way to a 66-41 decision. Northeast got scoring from its entire roster with Carlene Kluge (Reading, Reading HS) tallying the most points with 13. Metro’s Gena Restiano (Revere, Revere HS) notched a game-high 15 points.

West 55, Southeast 42
Forward Alexis Chappell (Springfield, Sabis HS) was the only West player in double figures, netting 14, but her team was still able to come out on top, 55-42. Kayla Corshia (Medway, Medway HS) and Ashley Snyder (Foxboro, Foxboro HS) each scored 12 for Southeast.

Central 81, Coastal 70
In a high-scoring affair, Central hung on for an 81-70 victory over Coastal. The bulk of the winner’s points came from Sammie Battaini (Leominster, St. Bernard's Central Catholic) and Raegan Muhlerin (Baldwinville, Narragansett Reg HS), who dropped 25 and 23, respectively. Coastal’s Jen Rock (Byfield, Triton) nailed five 3-pointers to finish with 21 points, and Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Taunton HS) was in double digits with 13.


FIELD HOCKEY
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA

Metro/Northeast 2, Central 1
Metro/Northeast defeated Central, 2-1, on Saturday morning. Junior Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) scored both of Metro/Northeast’s goals to propel her squad to victory. The lone goal for Central was scored by freshman Justine Sheehan (Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury HS) with an assist from junior Haylie Dolan (West Brookfield, Quaboag Reg. HS).

Southeast 2, West 0
Southeast earned a 2-0, shutout victory against West on Saturday morning. Junior Katy Cronin (Franklin, Franklin HS) broke the game open for Southeast with an unassisted goal. Southeast extended its lead, when sophomore Brenna Spolidoro (Franklin, Franklin HS) scored with an assist from junior Mackenzie Hudson (Stoughton, Stoughton HS). Sophomore Carolyn Cook (Medfield, Medfield HS) and junior Katie Kelley (Walpole, Walpole HS) combined for the shutout in goal for Southeast.

Metro/Northeast 5, Coastal 2
After falling behind by a pair of goals, Metro/Northeast scored five unanswered including two from Erika Kelly (Watertown, Watertown HS) to upend Coastal, 5-2. Brittany Oliver (Chelmsford, Chelmsford HS), Nicole Woods (Beverly, Beverly HS) and Alexa Baumgartner (Newton, BB&N) each potted a goal. Maggie Johnson (Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard Reg HS) netted both scores for Coastal.

West 2, Central 0
Emiko Barker (Hatfield, Smith Academy) and Emily Medeiros (Wilbraham, Minnechaug Reg. HS) each scored a goal to pace West in its 2-0 win over Central. In net, Sarah Cote (Athol, Athol HS) and Jill Newton (Feeding Hills, Agawam HS) combined for the shutout.


LACROSSE

Boys Scholastic
Wentworth Institute of Technology – Boston, MA

Northeast 10, West 7
Northeast survived a barrage from West to take a 10-7 victory. The undefeated Northeast squad took an early 4-0 lead before West came storming back in the second and third quarters with seven goals to take a 7-5 advantage. Northeast, unaccustomed to trailing, awoke from its slump and scored five unanswered in the fourth quarter to salvage the win and remain undefeated. Brian Walsh (Lowell, Lowell HS) was the top scorer for the winners with three, and Brendan Gilgun (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) and Cole Connolly (Woburn, Woburn Memorial HS) added two goals apiece. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) potted three for West in the losing effort.

Coastal 16, Central 6
Coastal dominated the entire contest on the way to a 16-6 win. James McCleod paced the offense with five goals and Ethan McCullough (Brewster, Nauset Reg. HS) contributed four markers for Coastal.

Coastal 14, Metro/Southeast 7
Coastal took a 10-2 advantage into halftime and never looked back on the way to a 14-7 win. Brett McAvay had an outstanding game for Coastal with seven goals scored. James McCleod added four tallies. Metro/Southeast got four goals and an assist from Ryan McCarthy (Medford, Medford HS). The two teams will play again on Sunday in the bronze medal game.

West 16, Central 2
West earned a berth in the gold medal game Sunday against Northeast with an impressive display against Central that resulted in a 16-2 victory. Junior goalie Tyler Walsh (Northampton, Northampton HS) was the cornerstone in the strong defensive showing. Brady Aitken (Pittsfield, Pittsfield HS) led the offensive charge with five goals.

Girls Scholastic
Waltham High School – Waltham, MA

Metro 18, Northeast/Central 11
Metro routed Northeast/Central, 18-11, in a high-scoring, offensive showcase on Saturday morning. Junior Michelle Kudlate (Waltham, Waltham HS) and freshman Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) led the Metro squad to victory with seven and six goals, respectively. Junior Katie McKenna (Danvers, Danvers HS) was the top scorer for Northeast/Central with four goals.

Southeast/Coastal 11, West 6
Southeast/Coastal played tight defense and got balanced scoring to defeat West, 11-6. The winners had four players with two goals including Hope Kelley (E. Walpole, Walpole HS), Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy), Madison Hughes (Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard Reg. HS) and Alexandrea Bergamo (Plymouth, Plymouth North HS). Alexa Allen (East Longmeadow, East Longmeadow HS) had a pair of tallies for West.

Southeast/Coastal 17, Northeast/Central 4
Southeast/Coastal outgunned a gutty Northeast/Central squad, 17-4. Natalie Devine (East Walpole, Fontbonne Academy) was the game’s high scorer with five goals. Jackie Connors (Ashland, Ashland HS) added three scores, while Megan Kiley (Braintree, Archbishop Williams HS) and Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Ursuline Academy) each chipped in with a pair of tallies. Northeast/Central’s Isabella Gitto (Leominster, Leominster HS) netted three of her teams goals.

Metro 11, West 10
Metro edged out West, 11-10, in a tightly contested match-up in the final game of the day. Shannon Fitzgerald (Newton, Newton North) continued her stellar performance in the tournament with three goals for Metro, and Bridget Wack (Waltham, Waltham HS) and Jordan Sullivan (Malden, Mystic Valley) had a pair of tallies each. West’s Ashley Owen (Westfield, Westfield HS) netted two goals in the losing effort.