LOWELL – Taconic boys basketball coach Bill Heaphy has seen his bench step up all season lengthy and Saturday was no completely different as the highest seeds survived a fierce cost from undefeated David Prouty to win the Div. 5 state championship, 53-51, in a wild one.
“I was just praying that the clock would tick a little faster, but we managed,” stated Heaphy, who noticed three starters foul out within the ultimate quarter. “The (bench) has been like that throughout the tournament.”
Christian Mateurvitch (11), Tayvon Sandifer (13) and Maimoudou Bamba (12) had been all left to look at from the bench as Prouty’s last-second shot to tie, rolled off the rim guaranteeing Taconic its first outright title in class historical past. The Thunder shared the crown within the Covid-shortened season in 2020.
“The first one we didn’t really get to get there because of Covid,” stated Sandifer, who scored seven straight factors in a pivotal third quarter for Taconic. “We came here and we finished the mission.”
Trailing 51-42 with 5:01 left, the Panthers bought within the bonus and closed on a livid 9-to-2 run a lot to the delight of their boisterous and deafening crowd. The decibel stage on the Tsongas went by means of the roof when Judelius Neiray scored off a improbable feed from Braeden Cashman to drag the No. 2 seeds to inside two with 37.5 seconds left.
“They’re a tough team and we knew we would have to keep fighting,” stated Sandifer. “I knew my teammates were going to step up, that’s what they are built for.”
Neiray completed with a game-high 15 for Prouty (24-1) and Braeden White, who exploded for 40 within the semis towards Holbrook added 11. Alex Fournier added 13 earlier than fouling out late. Steve Patch (3 treys) added 13 for the state champs.
“White scared the heck out of me,” stated Heaphy. “He’s a good player, but I thought we did a good job on him.”
With a definite dimension benefit throughout the board, Taconic (23-2) led 18-14 after one and 31-25 on the break because the Thunder feasted on the offensive glass.
“Coming into the game we knew we had way more height than them and we just had to put in the work,” stated Mateurvitch.
It regarded just like the Thunder would possibly run away and conceal within the third as Taconic capitalized on eight of Prouty’s 17 turnovers and a number of other twisting drives from Sandifer to take a 49-38 lead.
“These kids worked hard for this and to accomplish what we set out to do that’s pretty big,” stated Heaphy.
Source: www.bostonherald.com