Every single week this winter, followers have witnessed nice highschool basketball video games. Some nights have had epic buzzer-beaters, others have featured theater in different distinctive respects.
In an unorthodox twist, Wednesday’s highly-anticipated Boston City League semifinal between Charlestown and Latin Academy someway managed to ship each.
Freshman star Jaylen Hunter-Coleman completed with 22 factors, and hit three game-ending free throws with no time remaining on the clock, as Charlestown (18-3) punched its ticket to the BCL boys basketball championship for the primary time since 2011 with a surprising 68-65 time beyond regulation victory in opposition to the Dragons.
“Earlier in the year, I saw Worcester North play Lawrence,” stated Charlestown coach Hugh Coleman. “It was an amazing game, a battle. But for us, that is one of the best games I have ever coached. And I had the pleasure of coaching my son Jaylen.”
The packages traded baskets from the opening possession. Osman Aden registered 10 factors within the first half, serving to Latin Academy (13-7) construct a 31-26 lead by the break.
“Sometimes I think this season, we’ve beaten ourselves more than other teams have beaten us by turning the ball over, by not doing what we do well,” stated Coleman. “I urged the kids to do what we do. Play with a little bit more intensity, play with a little more fire, and try to make some plays and that’s what we did.”
With 4:37 to play within the third, Latin Academy discovered itself clinging to a 39-36 benefit. From that time till the early levels of the ultimate stanza, Charlestown benefitted from a 16-5 scoring run, seizing a 52-44 lead.
Yet, the Dragons had one ultimate gasp. After the Townies turned the ball over with 13.8 seconds remaining, Latin Academy senior Michael Corriea Johnson drilled a game-tying layup in transition with six seconds to play, sending the sport to time beyond regulation deadlocked at 55-all.
With issues tangled up at 65-65 within the waning seconds, the Townies tried to piece collectively a game-winning sequence. After bleeding a couple of seconds, senior Ricky Cabral drove to the rack. There was no house accessible, so he fired a move to Hunter-Coleman. The freshman was struck as he launched his try with no time left on the clock, and awarded three foul photographs. He proceeded to empty all of them, and the Townies have been headed for the title bout.
“I already knew I was going to make (them),” stated Hunter-Coleman. “I’ve been working on it for hours, shooting a hundred free throws every week, every day. I knew I was going to make (those).”
Victor Soto additionally helped propel the Townies with 16 factors. Aden completed with a team-high 20 factors for Latin Academy, whereas Brennan Shapiro turned in 19 factors for the Dragons himself.
In the opposite semifinal, Jaeden Roberts turned in a heroic efficiency, ending with 23 factors as Burke (15-4) clinched a visit to the league championship for a second straight season with an exhilarating 57-52 win over rival Tech Boston.
“I think it’s a big thing for our city,” Burke coach Sean Ryan stated. “There’s some bragging rights, because there are some good programs with a lot great history. We’re all trying to get (to the title game). For us to get there and just worry about ourselves, it’s a huge goal.”
The recreation centered across the identical sample, with Burke developing an honest lead, solely to observe Tech Boston chip away. The essential sequence got here on the conclusion of the third quarter, as Roberts hit a contested layup on the buzzer to offer Burke a 44-34 edge. While Tech Boston tried to rally down the stretch, the hole was just too giant to beat.
The Bulldogs additionally obtained a 14-point increase from Matt Drayton.
Hassan Jenkins completed with 22 factors to energy Tech Boston, eclipsing 1,000 factors for his profession with a free throw within the second quarter.
“I want to go back to back,” Roberts stated. “It feels good to be winning this, and going right into the championship. We’ve got to handle business.”
In the BCL ladies semifinals, Destinee Ogarro scored six of her 12 factors in time beyond regulation as Tech Boston (16-5) defeated Fenway 48-42. Jovanah Costin added 19 for the Bears, whereas Sierra Cherrie led the best way for Fenway with 17.
Tech Boston will face New Mission (13-8), a 47-30 winner over Latin Academy. Tamia Darling and Jourdan Ferreira tallied 14 apiece for New Mission, whereas Amiah Noel and Kiara Collins every had 11 for Latin Academy.
Source: www.bostonherald.com