Boys’ Roundup

National

Prep 

Tourney 

awaits PSA

By Ron P. Coderre

Putnam Science Academy rejoiced in the announcement that it was selected to participate in the National Prep Championships by capturing its final game of the regular season.  Hyde-Woodstock kept its season alive with a semifinal win in the NEPSAC Class C Tournament.  Marianapolis Prep competing for the first time in the NEPSAC Class AA Tournament was eliminated by Wilbraham & Monson.

Tourtellotte and Plainfield each remained alive through the first round of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Tournament with victories, while Killingly, which just barely squeaked in was eliminated in the first round.    The quarterfinals weren’t as nice to the Panthers and Tigers as both teams were eliminated.  All three teams are assured of entry into the CIAC postseason tourney.

Woodstock Academy, the area’s top high school and lone northeastern Connecticut hope,  moved on to the ECC semifinals with a close victory over Bacon Academy.  This was the third time this season the Centaurs have beaten the Bobcats. 

The Putnam Clippers closed out their season on an upbeat note, winning two of three contests.

Scientists Slam Masters

Putnam Science Academy closed out the regular season at 29-4 with a tune-up 81-64 victory over Masters School.  The Mustangs built up a big 41-29 half time advantage and coasted to the win.  In typical PSA fashion coach Tom Espinosa’s charges placed four players in double figures.  

Chaise Daniels led the scoring parade with 14 points, while Kyle “The Igniter” Menard and Jordan “Man Mountain” Butler each chipped in 13 markers.  Dalique Mingo added 10 points while Danny “Up tempo” Upchurch finished with nine points and nine assists.

Hyde-Woodstock hosted St. Luke’s in a NEPSAC quarterfinal contest and won 67-58.  Kenny Grant paced the victory with 25 points as he captured game high honors.  Other Wolfpack players in double figures were Dexter Thompson with 14 points and Damon Gomes with a dozen.  

In the semis, the #2 seeded Wolfpack disposed of  #3 seed Winchendon School 71-63 to advance to the title contest.  Grant with 24 points was once again the game high scorer.  Grant’s running mate, Dexter Thompson had 19 points and E.J. Jordine dropped in 11 points for the winners.  Coach Tom Bragg’s team, which seems to be peaking at the right time, is 13-11 on the year.

Marianapolis I closed the books on the season at 12-13, losing to Wilbraham & Munson 68-48 in a NEPSAC Tournament contest.  Eric Murdock Jr. and Bobby Ahearn with 11 points apiece were the leading scorers for the Golden Knights.

Tourtellotte and Plainfield Advance in ECC Tourney

Tourtellotte and Plainfield kept their ECC seasons alive with victories in the initial round of tourney action.  The hopes of both teams were dashed in the quarterfinals as they fell at the hands of much bigger opponents.

To the surprise of some but not to all, 10th seeded Tourtellotte rode the coattail of Kaevon Safford to a 63-59 win over 7th seeded Windham.  Safford was his usual self, slashing and dashing around the court to lead all scorers with a game-high 25 points.  Nate Jewell with a dozen points joined Safford in double figures.

In the quarters, after falling behind 55-33 at halftime, the Tourtellotte Tigers responded in the second half with one of the gutsiest performances in the illustrious hoop history of the school, pushing highly favored New London to the limit before finally running out of steam and succumbing 92-79.  Safford put on another Herculean effort, scoring 29 points and Mike Jezierski’s long-range artillery, 17 points and five three pointers, kept the Tigers in the game.  But it was the surprising play of newcomer Walter Rocca with 20 points that caught everyone off guard.

Moral victories don’t go in the W column but this performance certainly gives 12-10 Tourtellotte confidence entering the CIAC Class S Tournament.

The Tigers started the week with a 72-28 cakewalk past 0-20 Ellis Tech.  Safford once again with 25 points and the lanky Jezierski with 19, four coming from beyond the arc, were Tourtellotte’s top guns.

Plainfield started its week with an uplifting 61-48 win over the East Lyme Vikings as high-scoring Ryan Pambuku poured home 27 points.  Will Robinson and Corey Anderson each added 11 points in the victory.

The Panthers continued their hot play into the ECC Tournament knocking off #8 St. Bernard 49-47 despite only six points from Pambuku.  With only one tick remaining on the clock, the dynamic Pambuku however played a pivotal role in the win as he sank a pair of free throws for the #9 seeded Plainfield.  Steve Jankowski paced the Panther offense with 16 points and Robinson added 11 to eliminate the Saints. 

The #1 seed, Ledyard team was too much for the Panthers as the Colonels ran away with the quarterfinal contest 87-56.  Pambuku with 25 points and Robinson with 10 were the lone double figure scorers for the 12-10 Panthers.

Killingly nosed its way into the ECC dance with a 43-42 win over Griswold in its final regular season game to qualify at 8-12.  Nick Hewitt, as he has all season, paced the victory with 17 points.

The elation of the victory over Griswold was erased quickly with the reality of the fact that Norwich Free Academy was the first-round opponent for the Redmen.  The Wildcats used a suffocating defense in marching to a 47-28 win to eliminate Killingly.  Hewitt once again had 17 points.

Woodstock Academy turned the trifecta on Bacon Academy, beating the Bobcats 59-56 in the quarterfinals of the ECC Tournament.  This was the third time that the Centaurs have beaten Bacon this season.  They are hoping that three’s the lucky charm as they move on to the semifinals against New London.

The victory was a total team effort for the Woodstock “iron five” as everyone contributed to the win.  Big Adam Converse, with 15 points, and his inside running mate John McGinn (seven points) controlled the inside game.  Point guard Chris Lowry (10 points) was the catalyst, scoring, dishing and controlling the tempo, while his backcourt mate Trent Peters (nine points) hit three long-range bombs keeping the Bacon defense honest.  Will Bourgeois, who was all over the court on both ends, was the 17-4 Centaurs high scorer.

Putnam closed out its season at 5-15 with a pair of victories.  The Clippers first disposed of Cheney Tech 68-59 as Jordan Tetreault tossed in 20 points and juniors Jacob Guertin and Steve Dakai each added a dozen.

The Clippers closed out the season with 64-49 win on the road over Parish Hill.  Matthew Harmon, who’s been waiting to explode all season, captured game-high honors with 18 points.  He was joined in double digits by Tetreault (16) and Guertin (15).

Sandwiched in between the two victories was a tough 61-60 loss to Wilcox Tech on the road.  Guertin, with 16 points, was Putnam’s high scorer, while Tylor Genest contributed a dozen.

      Scoring Leaders: Kaevon Safford – Tourtellotte – 23.9; Ryan Pambuku – Plainfield - 22.2; Kenny Grant – Hyde-Woodstock – 19.1; Nick Hewitt – Killingly – 17.7; Cam Winston – Pomfret School – 16.2; Anthony Durham – Putnam Science Academy – 15.7.

Three-point Leaders: Danny Upchurch – Putnam Science Academy – 71; Mike Jezierski – Tourtellotte – 69; Kyle Menard – Putnam Science Academy – 58.

RPC’s Super Standings: Putnam Science Academy – 29-4; Woodstock Academy – 17-4; Hyde-Woodstock -  13-11; Tourtellotte – 12-10; Plainfield – 12-10; Marianapolis I – 12-13; Marianapolis II – 11-9; Pomfret School – 8-11; Killingly – 8-13; Putnam – 5-15; Ellis Tech – 0-20 .

 

..