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12 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • Friday, February 27, 2009 www.webstertimes.net SPORTS Colonels overpower Hill in fourth RAMS’ RUN IN POSTSEASON CONCLUDES BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER WORCESTER — The South High basketball team was able to stay with Shepherd Hill through three quarters Feb. 23, and then rode a 19- 9 run in the fourth to pick up a win over the Rams in the first round of Division 1 play in the Central Massachusetts tournament. The No. 8 Colonels (13-8) were led by Emmanuel Feraud, who scored a game-high 20 points. Asked about the successful fourth quarter, South coach Patrick Williams said, “Eight minutes, I just told the kids to dig in.” Leading by only one, 51-50, through three quarters, the Colonels employed a tough man-toman defense that limited the Rams to only nine points in the quarter. Good ability driving to the basket also helped South, who scored many points via layups. But the first three quarters were tightly contested, and Shepherd Hill started off strong, leading 20-12 after one period of play. Six steals also played a part in the Rams grabbing an early lead. A Brian Westgate 3-pointer early in the second put Shepherd Hill up 10, but South finished the half on a 15-6 run to trail by only one, 32-31, at halftime. “We did what we wanted to do, but in the third quarter we let them Nick Ethier photos South point guard Hugh Daye tries to make his way through multiple Shepherd Hill defenders. pierce the zone,” Shepherd Hill coach Duane Corriveau said. Even though the Rams were only outscored by two points in the third (20-18), Corriveau noticed how South was able to get easy hoops. The teams exchanged buckets throughout the period, as the lead changed hands eight times. But then the Rams became turnover prone, which changed the course of the game. South finished with 17 steals, most coming in the second half. “I think it was just too much nerves working into the game,” Williams said about his team starting off slowly, but eventually calming down and playing a solid game. Another determining factor in the game was foul shooting. Shepherd Hill only went to the line 13 times, hitting eight shots. South hit 18 of 20 free throws. Another suggestion from Corriveau is with the regular season schedule, as Shepherd Hill plays many Division 2 teams in the Southern Worcester County League, while South plays against D1 teams all year in the Inter-High League. The biggest dagger took place with just under two minutes to go when South point guard Hugh Daye (10 points, all in the second half) drove in for a layup, upping the Colonels’ lead, 66-57. John Jones and Craig Cameron also had good games for South, each netting 16 points. Justice Boateng had a game-high nine rebounds. South now faces top ranked Fitchburg Thursday night. Mike Flynn, one of three Shepherd Hill seniors, scored a team-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Westgate, another senior, finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Reserve senior Matt Murphy also contributed with a fourth-quarter jumper. Junior guard Matt Wells scored seven of his nine points in the first half. “I thought we did pretty well,” Corriveau said of his team that was without leading scorer Ryan Begreen. Shepherd Hill finished its season with a 12-10 record. Brian Westgate surveys the floor while being guarded by South's Craig Cameron (33). Shepherd Hill girls earn top seed in districts BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER The 2009 MIAA Central Massachusetts basketball brackets have been announced, which means that postseason play is upon us. Let’s take a look at the brackets, as many local teams have qualified for district competition. Division 1 Boys Shepherd Hill is the only squad to emerge in this ultra competitive bracket, as they made it in with the No. 9 seed in the 11-team field. The Rams (12-9) squared off with No. 8 South High (12-8) Monday night and were bested, 70-59. Fitchburg earned the top seed with their 19-3 mark. Division 1 Girls The Rams picked up the No. 1 seed in this bracket, compiling a 17-3 record. Shepherd Hill awaits the winner of Holy Name/Algonquin in quarterfinal play Friday. The Rams host the game at 7 p.m. Tantasqua (15-5) is also in this bracket, bringing in the No. 4 seed. The Warriors, like Shepherd Hill, picked up a first round bye. Tantasqua hosts the Gardner/St. Peter Marian winner Friday at a time to be determined. Division 2 Boys The hometown Pioneers, fresh off their impressive Clark Tournament finals appearance, are the top seed in this 15-team field. Southbridge (18-3) will host a game at 7 p.m. Friday, facing the St. Bernard’s/Blackstone- Millville victor. “This is not going to be a cakewalk,” Southbridge coach Bob Fowler said of their first postseason game. “We’re probably playing two of the best teams. That’s no present. It’s going to be a tough road.” No. 8 St. Bernard’s is 13-7, but 12-1 in their last 13 games. No. 9 Blackstone Millville (13-8) is also a very tough team, according to Fowler. Northbridge (17-3) is close behind as the No. 2 seed. The Rams played host to No. 15 Nashoba Regional (6-13) on Tuesday. Defending Division 2 champion Tantasqua will check in with the No. 4 seed. The Warriors (16-4) hosted No. 13 Clinton (11-9) on Tuesday — the same day David Prouty (12-8), which received the No. 11 seed, traveled to No. 6 Lunenburg (14- 6). Division 2 Girls Two Blackstone Valley area teams received bids for this particular tournament. No. 5 Northbridge (14-6) and No. 7 Uxbridge (12-8) both traveled for their games, as the Rams played No. 4 St. Bernard’s (16-4) and the Spartans played No. 2 Groton Dunstable (18-2), both on Thursday. Millbury and their 19-1 mark are the top seed in the bracket. Division 3 Boys No. 7 Whitinsville Christian (13-6) beat No. 10 Murdock (10-9) in this 17- team field to advance to the quarterfinals. The Crusaders will meet either second-seeded University Park and 15th seed Assabet Valley, who tangled on Tuesday, at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 at either University Park (if that school wins) or Whitinsville Christian (if Assabet Valley pulled off the upset). North Brookfield is next, checking in as the 14th seed. The 9-9 Indians had to visit No. 3 Nashoba Tech (17-3) for a game on Tuesday. Bartlett and Quaboag are the final two teams in the bracket. Even though the No. 16 Indians (5-14) and No. 17 Cougars (4-15) finished with losing records, they had winning marks against Division 3 competition, which got both teams a bid. The two teams squared off in Webster Monday night, with the Cougars earning the 72-50 win and a date with top-seeded Sutton Wednesday night. Division 3 Girls As the only undefeated team remaining in Central Massachusetts, Quaboag (20- 0) picked up the No. 1 seed. The Cougars have a bye in the opening round and hosted No. 16 Bartlett Thursday. Bay Path (16-4) earned the No. 6 seed, and hosted a game with No. 11 University Park (13-6) Wednesday. Whitinsville Christian, at 16-6, checked in as the No. 9 seed. The Crusaders traveled to Upton to take on No. 8 Blackstone Valley Tech (15-5) Wednesday. Douglas, Oxford wrap up season in Showcase VISITING TIGERS TOP LADY PIRATES IN OVERTIME Use Some Cash? Collector looking for old paintings, rugs, firearms, furniture, jewelry, Indian items, maps, globes, marine, musical instruments, primitives, architecturals, pottery. Entire estates. For Cash. Discretion Assured. Call Kate at 860-377-4435. BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER OXFORD — Even though both the Douglas and Oxford girls’ basketball teams are not advancing to postseason play, the Lady Tigers and Lady Pirates put on a dramatic, hard fought game to end their respective seasons. Douglas overcame a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime, and ultimately upended Oxford, 52-45, in the Blackstone Valley Showcase Tuesday, Feb. 17. “To end the season like that is a tremendous boost to the kids’ confidence,” Douglas coach Jay Yacino said of his team, which starts a freshman, three sophomores and a junior. Lizz Ferguson, the Tigers’ junior center, was the driving force in the comeback victory. She finished with 19 points and 21 rebounds, both game highs, but scored 15 of her points and collected 16 of her boards in the second half. “She’s a hustler, a scrapper,” Yacino said. Nick Ethier photo Douglas' Emma Piwowarski tries to rush the court, but Oxford's Ashely O'Keefe is able to swat the ball “She sets the tone for the other kids. Tonight was the perfect example of her stepping up when needed and bringing the rest of the kids along with her until they turned it on.” But it took a while for things to turn on for Douglas, as Oxford led 11-3 after one quarter and 26-14 at halftime. Jessica Jorge (17 points and seven rebounds) triggered the early lead for the Pirates by sinking three 3-pointers in the first half. Caitlyn Corey (10 points and six rebounds) and Stephanie Mahota (nine points) were other main contributors for Oxford. Douglas began its comeback midway through the fourth quarter when Ferguson picked up an offensive rebound and put a shot up for two points, cutting into Oxford’s lead, 37-26. The Tigers then installed an impressive full court press, which stymied the Pirates. Kyla Hatch (11 points, five rebounds and four steals) was able to come up with a steal and coinciding bucket, closing the gap even more. Then, with 1:30 remaining, Ferguson came up with a steal and found Hatch for a basket. At that point Oxford was only up seven, 37-30. Marble-Granite-Limestone-Soapstone Tri-State Group, Inc. Custom Fabricatior Of Natural Stone Kitchen Countertops Bathroom Vanity Tops Jacuzzi’s Fireplaces Exclusive Everlife Granite Slabs 15 Year Warranty “Experience… Quality… Beauty” Join us at the Hartford, CT Home Show • 2/27 -3/31 Connecticut Civic Center Winter Yard Sale Vanity Tops Starting at $300 for 36” Including Back Splash • We Have 1000’s of granite remnants in stock 120 Southbridge Road Rte. 20, North Oxford, MA We Accept all Majors Credit Cards (508) 987-9311 Fax (508) 987-9306 Ferguson then scored the next three points on a free throw and layup, cutting it to 37-33. The Pirates kept fighting though, and Corey’s baseline jumper put Oxford up six. But two Douglas free throws, making it 39- 35, followed by a Hatch runner, made it 39-37 with less than 30 seconds to play. After Oxford hit one of two free throws to go up three points, the dramatics set in. With four seconds to go, Douglas eighthgrader Julia Piwowarski found herself with the ball as time began to wind down. Her 3- point attempt from NBA range was nothing but net, and the game headed to overtime. “She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Yacino said. “She’s a smart, smart kid. She already knows the game. There’s nothing but upside to her and her sister.” Her sister is freshman Emma Piwowarski (four points and four rebounds), a starting guard for the Tigers. Douglas was able to win overtime scoring, 11-5, thanks in part to Ferguson (six overtime points) and Julia Piwowarski (nine points), who hit a shot to put the Tigers up for good, 49-45. Even though Douglas finished at 6-14, Yacino can’t wait to see what his team is capable of next year, as the entire starting lineup returns. “I have never looked more forward to upcoming seasons than I do now,” he said. Oxford coach Melissa Paulhus was nothing but pleased with her team all year. “It was a tough season, but I talked to the girls at the end of the game and we talked about all the positive things that happened throughout the year,” she said of her team, which finished 0-20. “They never hung their heads down. They always gave 110 percent on the court. I would rather coach these girls than a team that made states.”
www.webstertimes.net Friday, February 27, 2009 • THE WEBSTER TIMES • 13 SPORTS Pioneers advance to Clark Tourney finals SHEPHERD HILL BESTED IN CLOSE-FOUGHT CONTEST BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER WORCESTER — A team can win in many different ways, and the Southbridge basketball team can attest to that. The Pioneers, a fast transition team that routinely scores in the 70s, were held in check for 49 points last night against a tough Shepherd Hill defense in a large schools Clark Tournament semifinal at the Kneller Athletic Center. But No. 3 Southbridge held No. 7 Shepherd Hill to 46 points, as the Pioneers escaped with a three-point victory. They move on to the final at 7:45 p.m. Saturday against No. 5 Groton Dunstable, who upset topseeded Quabbin, 37-30. “We held the game where we wanted to hold it,” Shepherd Hill coach Duane Corriveau said. We just didn’t hit our shots.” With 12 seconds to play, and Southbridge holding the 49-46 lead, Hashian Rosario (13 points and 11 rebounds) missed two foul shots. Shepherd Hill’s Ryan Begreen, the team’s leading scorer, brought the ball up. His 3-point desperation attempt with only a few seconds to show on the clock was defended by Victor Martinez. Martinez played it nicely, stripping the ball, and the Pioneers celebrated on the court. “That is what you play for,” Southbridge coach Bob Fowler said. “To make it this far … right now we’re speechless.” Southbridge (18-3) plays in the final after two straight years of losing in the opening round, while Shepherd Hill (12-9) prepares for the Division 1 Central Mass. tournament. “It was a back and forth game,” said Shepherd Hill point guard Kevin Pastore (12 points and 11 rebounds). “We just couldn’t finish it off. Districts should be fun.” All four quarters were tightly contested, as the Rams held a 13-10 edge after one quarter. Things got even closer in the second, as Shepherd Hill went into intermission nursing a one-point, 23-22, lead. The scoring picked up in the third, with the lead changing hands 12 times. The largest lead the entire frame was just two points. Rosario’s deep jumper at the buzzer put the Pioneers up, 37-36, heading into the final eight minutes. Southbridge never trailed in the Minutemen get ready for district tournament BAY PATH GIRLS WIN 16 REGULAR SEASON GAMES fourth, with their largest advantage being six points. It got as close as one three different times, but the Rams could never fully close the gap. “Westgate wasn’t on, Begreen wasn’t on,” Corriveau said of his two leading scorers. Westgate did finish with 28 points, but on 7-of-19 shooting. Begreen was held to four points, shooting 1-of-12 from the field and 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. With Southbridge leading 47-43, Mike Agbortoko came up with an offensive rebound and drew a foul. He hit one free throw, but Rosario came up with another offensive board, something Shepherd Hill did a good job of limiting all game. Rosario then hit one of two shots, upping the Pioneers’ lead to six. Westgate hit a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, but Shepherd Hill couldn’t get any closer, with Martinez’s big stop on Begreen being the final blow. “We completely held the defensive rebounds until the next to last foul shot,” Corriveau said of Agbortoko’s and Rosario’s rebounds, which gave Southbridge two extra points. “The kids played well,” Fowler said. “That’s a tough Shepherd Hill team.” Fowler also said it was the toughest of the three contests this season against the Rams. Souhbridge won the other two contests, 68-64 and 73- 54. “Down the stretch we had a couple key rebounds to fall our way,” said Martinez, who scored 13 points. “We’re a little shocked,” he continued. “We came out, did what we had to do, and got a win.” Southbridge point guard Jose DeLeon (12 points) added that a halftime pep talk about making it to the semifinals wasn’t good enough. He wants to win it all. One more victory on Saturday will do just that for the Pioneers. BY NICK ETHIER SPORTS STAFF WRITER CHARLTON — Riding a seven-game winning streak, the Bay Path girls’ basketball team is firing on all cylinders heading into the Division 3 Central Mass. Tournament. The Minutemen, who finished with a 16-4 record, feature a squad with many quality players who excel at all different aspects of the game, rather than having a team with one or two superstars. Come postseason time — which started Wednesday against No. 11 University Park — a well-rounded group is usually more capable of making a deep playoff run. “They are excited,” Coach Jeannine Lambert said of her team’s preparation heading into the tournament. “When we went through the final seven games, they were up for every game. They were very, very aggressive.” A team with an aggressive defense is key for a tournament-bound team, and senior Karla St. Laurent leads that charge. “Karla is my outstanding defensive person,” Lambert said of her player who matches up with the opposition’s top scorer. St. Laurent is one of six players who contribute big minutes for Bay Path, as the six combined for a total of 834 points throughout the season. Cousins Elizabeth and Angela Colon are both players who can shoot the deep jumper, and they both have good playmaking abilities. Lambert also noted the great speed of Angela, a sophomore. Elizabeth is a junior. Sam Parker and Iliana Joaquin, both juniors, bring an inside presence to the Minutemen. “We call Sam the garbage man because she can really rebound and put it back up offensively,” Lambert said. “Iliana can really block shots.” Nicole Primavera, a talented lefty, rounds out the top six. “She can drive to the basket and has good 8- foot, 10-foot jump shots,” Lambert said of the sophomore. Even though those players usually fill up the stat sheet, Bay Path is fortunate to also have a deep bench. Jordyn Philbrook, a junior, usually replaces Parker or Joaquin as an inside threat. She has the potential to be a good scorer and rebounder. Kayla Bicknell and Melinda Perain are both senior small forwards off the bench that have great athletic ability and can outrebound taller opponents. Junior Haylee Brodeur and sophomore Kimberly MacCue are versatile in the sense that they can both play either the guard or forward position. They can also both drain the outside shot. Rounding out the roster is senior guard Christina Colon, a sister of Angela. Christina is a 3-point extraordinaire. Lambert was pleasantly surprised with Bay Path’s regular season record, and looks forward to district play. “In all honesty, after the season got going I thought we would be able to get 11, 12, maybe 13 wins all season,” she said. But the seven-game win streak brought the Minutemen to 16 wins, including five nail-biters throughout the season, which resulted in Bay Path winning those games by four points or less. That type of confidence is very important in district play, as one loss brings the end to the entire season. Lambert looked back on Bay Path’s victory over Monty Tech, where they trailed by as much as 16. After sending the game into overtime, the Minutemen won scoring in the extra session, 8-2. “They were able to come back on several occasions,” she added. The Minutemen should also be confident because of one factor that is instrumental in close ball games, free throw shooting. Lambert’s squad shot 75 percent from the charity stripe this year. Shawn Kelley photos Southbridge's Victor Martinez quickly weaves in and out of Shepherd Hill players. Call Kathy 1-800-353-2476 6 MONTHS Same As Cash! Installation available
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