30 | January | 2013 | McClelland Miscellanea

Daily Archives: January 30, 2013

January 30, 2013 · 10:54 pm

Beaver Country Day School overwhelms Pingree 64-36 in Eastern Independent League boys basketball

Jherson Colon (12 points) covered by John Spears (10 points)

Mo Taylor above the crowd

(Hamilton) Beaver Country Day School (12-3) made easy work of Pingree, 64-36, on Wednesday night in Eastern Independent League action.

Even without top star Jacquil Taylor (foot surgery out six months), Beaver still had too much of just about everything for the outmatched but game Highlanders.

Right away it was evident that the visitors would run at every opportunity and had the jets to beat Pingree (11-5) in transition.

It also became quite clear that if necessary Beaver could run organized offense and get good shots out of it.

BCDS bolted out to a 20-5 lead in the first seven minutes and never were threatened thereafter. Jordan Scurry (11 points), Joe Connelly (14 points), and Jeff Spellman (7 points) connected long range in the fast start.

Beaver hit Pingree with another big splash of points later in the first half. This time is was twelve unanswered points in two minutes and the Pingree deficit of thirteen (25-12) suddenly was twenty-five (37-12) with four minutes left in the first half.

Breakaway jam by Jeff Spellman

The damage doers for Beaver in this run were Jordan Scurry (layup and a three), Jherson Colon (layup and an old-fashioned three), and Jeff Spellman with a steal and a breakaway jam.

Pingree put together their best offense of the day in the rest of the half getting all nine points scored in the final four minutes to trail at halftime, 37-21.

Nino Leone tallied two layups and two free throws in this segment and John Spears cashed a three.

Joe Connelly dashed any Pingree hopes early in the second half by personally outscoring the Highlanders 11-2 over the first 3 ½ minutes. Three of his scores were well-setup, long range shots.

Joe Connelly scored the first eleven points for Beaver in the second half

Joe’s scoring tear pushed Pingree back to a 48-23 deficit and the rest of the game was heavily influenced by the reserves from both squads.

Beaver is still undefeated in the EIL (8-0) and likely to stay that way the rest of the way. They have won the league three straight seasons.

Pingree was ahead by a point last year at halftime in the game with Beaver played at Pingree but had an atrocious second half and lost, 54-36.

Minus Jacquil Taylor I thought maybe Pingree could make things interesting but it never happened.

Jacquil’s brother, 6-6 Mo (North Carolina A&T) was a force on the defensive end and had moves inside and outside on the other end.

Heavily recruited Jeff Spellman was very content to develop his point-guard skills seldom forcing his offense. He was efficient at penetrating the Pingree defense and then finding teammates open along the three-point line.

Jherson Colon

The player that caught my attention was Jherson Colon (12 points). I have seen Pingree’s John Spears (10 points) several times and he is certainly very fast. However, matched up with Jherson it was hard to tell which one was quicker.

Pingree (7-1) picks up its first loss in the EIL and will have to face Beaver again at Beaver on February 13th.

The team from Brookline has the enrollment to be Division B while Pingree is Division C when it comes to the post-season NEPSAC tournaments.

Pingree’s next game is at Concord Academy on February 1st. Beaver visits Lexington Christian Academy on the same day.

Beaver boxscore

Pingree boxscore

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Mo Taylor goes at Connor Reardon

Jordan Scurry and Connor Reardon reach for a loose ball

Mo Taylor will attend North Carolina A&T

Justin Assad breaks through for two

Leo Connelly

Nino Leone

looking for a rebound

Jeff Spellman

Newburyport holds off Lynnfield in overtime 66-62 in boys basketball

Colton Fontaine (twenty points and twelve rebounds) breaks away in overtime

Pat Kearney (31 points) drives past Adam Traxler

(Newburyport) I overheard Clipper coach Tom L’Italien say to his team before overtime started, “I told you that this was going to be a struggle.”

And it sure was but Newburyport (9-4) held off a good Lynnfield (8-6) team, 66-62, in overtime on Tuesday night in Cape Ann League action.

The shorthanded Clippers were missing starters Ian Michaels (illness) and Matt Canning (injury) and labored to be consistent on offense and defense with replacements.

The Pioneers weren’t much better through three quarters missing a ton of shots. But in the final quarter (down 38-26 at the start) Pat Kearney (31 points) and Eddie Moore (10 points) caught fire and led the visitors through a 26-point quarter all the way back to overtime.

Conor Sullivan (#10) ties the score in regulation with ten seconds left

Pat had three long ones and Eddie had two in the remarkable comeback. An inbounds play with Corey Sullivan on the scoring end, with ten seconds left, finished the Pioneer run back to a tie (52-52).

The Clippers took charge in the five-minute overtime despite losing shot-blocking, rebounding, seventeen-point producing Dillon Guthro on fouls after little over a minute had gone by.

Senior John Baribeault tallied the go-ahead-for-good basket with 1 ½ left (60-57) in OT and Lynnfield ran out of the long-range success they needed to come back.

Senior Pat Kearney had eight points in the overtime to reach thirty-one points. It was hard for me to believe that this was the same player I saw held to four points by undefeated North Reading four days ago in the Hornets’ 62-36 win. When you’re hot you’re hot, when you’re not…….

Clipper John Baribeault (six points in OT) sees a possible turnover

This was a tough loss for Lynnfield. They have now lost four straight with a home game ahead with a strong Manchester-Essex team on Friday night at home.

The good news for Lynnfield, however, is that they are on top in the CAL Division 2 standings. That position alone, at the end of the regular season, would gain them a spot in the post-season state tournament. They could be formidable in Division Four.

Newburyport (9-4) moves a win short of making the tournament in Division Three. This was a win pulled off without several starters while losing formidable big man Dillon Guthro in overtime, and squandering a twelve-point lead. The Clippers continued to add “excitement” in overtime by missing six of fourteen free throws.

The Clippers visit undefeated North Reading on Friday night. I came away from NR’s 62-36 win over Lynnfield four days ago believing I had seen the best player in the Cape Ann League. That player is 6-4 John Mastascusa. The transfer from Malden Catholic had twenty points, including four dunks, without forcing his offense against Lynnfield. John plays on the perimeter so I suspect that Colton Fontaine will draw the very tough defensive assignment.