caption, page 2:

 

 

Celebrating

The Putnam Science Academy Mustangs celebrate their Northeast Prep Basketball Tournament championship surrounded by the student body.  Coach Tom Espinosa credited the student body as the team’s ‘sixth man” for the tourney victory. Courtesy photo.

 

 

Boys’ Roundup

Tourney 

time for

preps

By Ron P. Coderre

The initial tournament of the postseason, the first of many in the next few weeks, took place at Putnam Science Academy last week.  The Northeast Prep Basketball Tournament now in its 4th year featured Lee Academy of Maine, Hyde-Woodstock, Redemption Christian Academy and the host and defending champion PSA Mustangs. 

The title game was the Saturday feature between the Mustangs and the Lee Academy Pandas.  In a very exciting, fast-paced contest the host Mustangs repeated as champions.  This was coach Tom Espinosa’s third title in the four-year history of the event.

Marianapolis is preparing for the NEPSAC-AA tournament, while Pomfret School and Hyde-Woodstock are on the SENE bubble.

The Eastern Connecticut Conference Tournament tips off  Feb. 27 at the home of the higher-seeded teams.  Woodstock Academy, Tourtellotte and Plainfield are qualified with the Centaurs the most likely to get an opening round home contest.  Killingly remains on the bubble with a 7-12 record.

Putnam and Ellis Tech are preparing to turn in their uniforms at the conclusion of their 20-game regular season schedules.

Preps Close Regular Season with Flurry of Action

Putnam Science Academy, ranked 3rd in the nation among the preps, encountered its second loss in as many weeks when they were dropped 79-78 by Navy Prep in a game played in Newport, R.I.  According to coach Espinosa, his boys just didn’t seem ready to play against the Junior Midshipmen despite placing four players in double figures.

Leading the scoring parade was Danny “Up tempo” Upchurch with 17 points followed by Jordan “Man Mountain” Butler with 16, Anthony “Bull” Durham (14) and Chaise Daniels (13).

The Mustangs then started another winning streak, posting three straight victories, culminating with the Northeast Prep Basketball Tournament championship.  In the title game, the Scientists played a spirited Lee Academy team and won 85-65 in a contest that was much closer than the final score might indicate.

The host PSA went to intermission clinging to a narrow 37-33 advantage.  A big second half in which they outscored the Pandas 48-32 was the difference.  The victory didn’t become apparent until about the final three minutes when the Mustangs opened a 12-point advantage and pulled away from the pesky Lee team.  Jordan Butler who was immense on offense and off the boards was named the tourney Most Valuable Player as he led the Mustangs with 20 points, 10 caroms and three blocked shots.  Also selected to the all-tourney team was Upchurch who had 15 points and Durham, who put on a spectacular performance with 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals.  Daniels and Dalique Mingo chipped in with 10 points apiece while Kyle Menard ignited the offense off the bench with nine points.

“Jordan Butler is a very deserving MVP.  He played hard throughout the tourney and carried us off the boards.  He led us in a great team effort to the title,” said Espinosa. 

Coach Espinosa also credited the student body for its enthusiastic and unwavering support throughout the tournament and season.  “These kids were our ‘sixth men’ and without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.  It’s great to see this type of spirit,” said Espinosa.  The Mustangs are 28-4 on the season as they anxiously awaits word on the National Prep Tournament.  

In the opening round of the tournament the Scientists slipped by Redemption Christian Academy 86-76 as five players reached double figures.  Butler paced the offense with 21 points.  He was joined in double digits by Upchurch (14), Mingo (11), Daniels (10) and Menard (18).

In its opening game of the week PSA bested a tough Brimmer & May five 91-71 by placing five players in double figures led by Upchurch with 19 points and Mingo with 18.  Others in the scoring parade included Durham (11), Jalen Terry (16) and Mamadou Diarra (10).

Hyde-Woodstock found consolation in a week where it lost two games by capturing the consolation game of the tourney, 84-81 over Redemption.  Dexter Thompson, who was named to the All-Tournament team, led the way for the Wolfpack with 32 points, followed by Kenny Grant with 21 and Damon Gomes with 17 for the 11-11 Hyde-Woodstock team.

Earlier in the week the Wolfpack was dropped by Masters School 76-65 and by Lee Academy in the opening round of the tourney 91-70.  Grant with 21 points was high scorer in the Master’s game, followed by Fedja Djurisic (17) and E.J. Jordine (14).

Marianapolis I kept its head above water by raising its record to 12-11with a pair of victories.  The Golden Knights opened with a 59-50 win over Master’s and closed with a 71-64 victory against Kimball Union.  Sandwiched in between was a double overtime 103-96 loss to South Kent School.

Eric D’Aguanno with 15 points led the Master’s win, while he received offensive support from Eric Long and Bobby Ahearn with 10 points apiece.  Eric Murdock Jr. with 18 points and Ahearn (17) were the leading Golden Knights scorers against Kimball Union.  Despite 21 points from Ahearn and D’Aguanno (17), Ryan Bernstein (14), Murdock (10) and Devin Springfield (14) Marianapolis was dropped by South Kent in its most exciting game of the season.

Marianapolis II (11-9) lost its only game of the week to St. Thomas More 60-53 and Pomfret School (8-11) was dropped by Cheshire Academy 69-57.

Woodstock Centaurs Close Regular Campaign at 16-4

Woodstock Academy enjoyed a near perfect week beating Killingly 66-41 and Tourtellotte 66-63 before falling to Norwich Free Academy 54-45 in its final regular season game.  Will Bourgeois exploded for 18 points against Killingly leading the way to victory over the Redmen with support from Chris Lowry and Adam Converse who each had a dozen markers.  Nick Hewitt (18) and James Saritelli (12) were high scorers for Killingly.

The Tourtellotte contest was a barn burner that could have gone either way as the Centaurs escaped The Jungle against the Tigers.  Bourgeois (19) and John McGinn (18) were immense for coach Greg Smith in the win.  Trent Peters tossed in 13 and Converse 12 in the win.  Kaevon Safford (30) and Mike Jezierski (24) single-handedly kept the Tigers in the game.  Safford hit from every possible angle, while the lanky Jezierski put on a long range bombing demonstration, hitting eight three-pointers.

Down 36-34 after three quarters against NFA, Woodstock wilted in the final stanza, as the “iron five” was outscored 18-11.  Lowry (14) and Bourgeois (13) were the lone double-digit scorers for the Centaurs.

Tourtellotte responded to the tough loss at the hands of Woodstock by trouncing Stonington 73-48 on the shoreline.  A strong second half was the difference in the outcome as Safford (18) and Jezierski (17) received offensive support from Walter Rocca who tossed home 18 big points for the 10-9 Tigers.

Killingly, hanging on to its tournament hopes by a thread, was dropped 91-59 by New London but picked up a surprising win over Windham 43-41.  Austin Taylor with 17 points was the high man in the loss to the Whalers, while Hewitt and Saritelli each had 11 points.  Hewitt with 19 was the lone Redman in double digits in the win over Windham as Killingly stands at 7-12 on the season.

Plainfield lost to Waterford 54-37 but bounced back with a 61-50 win over St. Bernard.  Ryan Pambuku, who surpassed the 1000-point plateau, was high scorer with 19 in the loss to the Lancers.  Will Robinson with 22 points and Pambuku with 17 led the way for the 10-9 Panthers over the Saints.

Putnam dropped to 3-14 with losses at the hands of Norwich Tech 55-53 and Capital Prep 91-46.  Ellis Tech winless at 0-19 lost a trio of contests, 85-37 to Prince Tech, 64-42 and 57-39 to Windham Tech.     

      Scoring Leaders

Kaevon Safford – Tourtellotte – 23.9

Ryan Pambuku – Plainfield - 22.7

Kenny Grant – Hyde-Woodstock – 19.0

Nick Hewitt – Killingly – 18.1

Anthony Durham – Putnam Science Academy – 16.3

Cam Winston – Pomfret School – 16.2

Three-point Leaders:

Mike Jezierski – Tourtellotte – 57

Danny Upchurch – Putnam Science Academy – 55

Kyle Menard – Putnam Science Academy – 50

Jalen Terry – Putnam Science Academy – 38

RPC’s Super Standings

Putnam Science Academy – 27-4; Woodstock Academy – 16-4; Marianapolis I – 12-10; Marianapolis II – 11-9; Tourtellotte – 10-9; Plainfield – 10-9; Hyde-Woodstock – 10-11; Pomfret School – 8-9; Killingly – 7-12; Putnam – 3-14; Ellis Tech – 0-19 .