Category Archives: Tilton

March 5, 2012 · 1:12 am

Long-range accuracy gets St. Mark’s a win over Tilton (59-53) and the NEPSAC AA championship

Eli Lubick (12 points) hits one of St Marks ten triples

2011-12 NEPSAC AA champions

(Beverly) Long-range accuracy enabled #2 seed St. Mark’s to defeat #1 seed Tilton, 59-53, and gain the NEPSAC AA championship on Sunday afternoon at Endicott College.

Game MVP Nik Stauskas (19 points) hit his first of four long ones midway through the first half, assisted by Jaymie Spears, and the Lions had the lead for good, 10-7.

St. Mark’s (27-2) would eventually connect ten times from beyond the arc and ignite three important runs in the process.

(1) The first run (9 unanswered) St. Mark’s had two three’s from Aaron Falzon and this put the Lions up, 21-11, with four minutes left in the half.
(2) The second run (6 unanswered) featured long ones from Jaymie Spears (8 points) and Eli Lubbock (12 points) and put the Lions ahead 29-16 in the last minute of the first half.
(3) The final run (11-2) included two 3’s by Nik Stauskas and one by Eli Lubick and boosted the Lion margin to 45-28 with 9 1/2 minutes left in the game.

After that the Lion triples dried up entirely and Tilton (4-time defending champs) made their run. Over the next 3 ½ minutes the Rams scored all the points (thirteen) and suddenly this was a five point game (45-40) with six minutes left.

Nerlens Noel (10 points) heads for the hoop

Caleb Unni (8 points) started the comeback with a triple and a runner in the lane. Domonique Bull (9 points) got to the rim for two, and Georges Niang (19 points) hit two free throws. Then came the highlight play of the day as Georges flipped a lob toward the basket that 6-11 Nerlens Noel (10 points) caught somewhere near the top of the backboard and slammed home. The Tilton crowd loved it. Nerlens made the accompanying free throw and the Rams were within five (45-40). St. Mark’s wisely called an immediate timeout.

Nik Stauskas added an old fashioned three after a nifty layin in the area of serious shot-blockers to get the Lions up by nine (51-42). A converted rebound by Nerlens Noel and a Georges Niang layup on a feed from Nerlens and the Rams were back within five (51-46) with two minutes to go.

The Rams next two possessions were missed three’s – they made only three in the game. The Lions countered with 3-of-4 free throws (Eli Lubick and Eric Green) to go up by eight (54-46) with forty-nine seconds left.

The Rams got three’s from Kevin Crescenzi and Caleb Unni after that and a Domonique free throw but the Lions countered with 5-of-6 freebies (Eric, Nik, and Eli) to win the championship, 59-53.

Georges Niang (19 points) and Tilton coach Marcus ONeil

Tilton (27-6) won an earlier meeting with St. Mark’s 71-55 in December. Wayne Selden had twenty points for the Rams in that one. An injury kept him out of this one.

Domonique Bull (Missouri), Kevin Crescenzi (Dartmouth), and Georges Niang (Iowa State) have made commitments for the 2012-13 season.

Eric Green (Holy Cross), Nik Stauskas (Michigan), and Kaleb Tarczewski (Arizona) have done the same for the Lions.

One of the best matchups was 6-11 Nerlens Noel against 7’ Kaleb Tarczewski.

Very impressed with the improvement of 5-8 guard Jaymie Spears in a year. He handled the ball smartly, had several steals, and dropped in two triples.

Endicott was jammed for this game with folks around the playing floor as well.

Tilton came in reminding me of the Yankees – very successful and developing quite a collection of unhappy opponents as the four straight championships added up. St. Mark’s were the Red Sox. Often close but unable to get past Tilton…….until this game. And did they ever enjoy the victory.

St. Mark’s boxscore

Tilton boxscore

(The pictures above and below will enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Nerlens Noel rejects

Georges Niang defended by Kaleb Tarczewski

Domonique Bull finishes

Nik Stauskas (19 points - game MVP)

Jaymie Spears defended by Domonique Bull

Brewster Academy continues undefeated (28-0) with a narrow 60-56 win over Tilton School

Aaron Johnson (19 points) readies himself for the front end of a one-and-one with five seconds left. He made both pressure free throws.

Georges Niang had 32 points for Tilton School.

(Wolfeboro NH) An exciting game between two prep powerhouses came down to the last minute with Brewster Academy hanging on for a 60-56 win over Tilton School on Monday afternoon.

One thing these teams don’t do often is lose. The Bobcats are undefeated (28-0) with a game left at Bridgton Academy before heading into the NEPSAC tournament.

The Rams (24-4) have now lost three times to Brewster this season. Once was in overtime (December 10th) and then there was this last-minute one. Both of the tough losses were in games played at Brewster.

Georges Niang (Iowa State) nearly carried Tilton to victory. Georges tallied thirty-two, getting sixteen in each half. He had the ball in his hands late in the last minute trailing 58-56. Everyone paying attention knew Georges would attempt a shot. Aaron Thomas (Florida State) was able to deflect the 3-point shot and control the loose ball.

Later Aaron was at the foul line shooting 1-and-1 with five seconds left and a 2-point lead. The 6-4 guard hit both, sealing the game for Brewster.

6-11 point guard Nerlens Noel heads for the hoop defended by Joe Bramanti

Tilton started slowly and fell back by ten after six minutes (16-6). With 6-11 Nerlens Noel and his 7+ blocks per game parked in the defensive lane it was shocking to see four Brewster jams (2 each by Aaron Thomas and Jalen Reynolds) among the eight Bobcat scores.

The early read was a long game in front of an overflow crowd for the visitors. They had a sizable group of fans with them as well. The Rams were behind, 34-27, at halftime.

The second half gave both sections of supporters plenty to cheer about as there were six lead changes.

A jumper by Nerlens Noel and three straight inside scores by Georges Niang gave Tilton its first lead, 35-34, just 3+ minutes into the second half.

The Rams would get their largest lead (52-47) with 8 ½ minutes left on four free throws and a Domonique Bull (Missouri) layup.

Brewster won the game during the next six minutes causing four turnovers and putting up eleven points. Tilton had a tip in (Goodluck Okonoboh) but that was it.

The winning basket resulted from a steal by Joe Bramanti. He took off for a layup which he missed but Jakarr Sampson was there for the putback to give Brewster a 58-54 lead with 2:15 left.

Tilton could only get a layup (and a missed free throw) from Nerlens Noel thereafter while Brewster had the clutch free throws from Aaron Thomas at the very end.

Aaron Thomas (19 points) was the star at the end with seven of the Bobcats last ten points.

Mitch McGary tangled in the post with Nerlens Noel

6-9 Mitch McGary (Michigan) ended with twelve points while JaKarr Sampson had eleven including nine in the second half.

6-7 Georges Niang proved that he can hit from anywhere. The Tilton bench was begging for a timeout late in their last possession which wasn’t seen. Maybe a timeout and some organized offense could have gotten Georges a more open last shot.

Nerlens Noel was the biggest point guard I’ve ever seen. I suspect that having someone 6-11 at the point had everything to do with making sure he was able to get back and defend against Brewster’s fleet of speedsters ready to get out on fastbreaks. Nerlens did have three blocks and discouraged a few penetrators from even trying a shot from in close. He hasn’t chosen a college yet but plenty of big ones including Syracuse, Providence, Duke, Florida, Kentucky, and Louisville among others have strong interest in him.

Wayne Selden of Tilton was inactive from a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him for two weeks.

I saw Joe Bramanti play for Andover (MA) in a loss last year at Andover to Central Catholic.

Tilton will not face Brewster in the NEPSAC tourney because they are in AA. They have won the New England title in that class in each of the past four years. Don’t bet against them this time around either.

The crowd was huge. I overheard a veteran Brewster school official say that they’d never seen anything like it. And this was on a Monday afternoon (4PM)!

Brewster Academy boxscore

Tilton School boxscore

(The pictures above and below enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Domonique Bull (Missouri)

Mitch McGary (Michigan)

Jakarr Sampson among shot blockers

Nerlens Noel

Brewster crowd at the end of the game

Semaj Christon (Xavier)

TJ Warren (NC State)

action above the rim

Georges Niang (Iowa State)

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Filed under Brewster, Tilton

Tagged as Aaron Johnson, Brewster Academy, Georges Niang, Mitch McGary, Nerlens Noel, Semaj Christon, Tilton School, TJ Warren

March 6, 2011 · 9:01 pm

Tilton Wins 4th Straight Class AA NEPSAC Championship 72-56 Defeating St. Mark’s

Wayne Selden (#4) and Georges Niang signal the number of consecutive Tilton Class AA championships.

(Beverly) That’s four straight NEPSAC Class AA championships for Tilton School.

The Rams (25-4) put consecutive points together at the end of both halves and defeated St. Mark’s, 72-56, at Endicott College on Sunday afternoon.

Tilton specialized in high-percentage shots all afternoon. Of their thirty-one baskets, eight were dunks and sixteen were layups. They came away shooting an incredible 63%!

Of course the dunk is the best of the high percentage shots and the Rams had four different players (Nerlens Noel, Wayne Selden, Goodluck Okonoboh, and Georges Niang) excite the crowd with jams of various styles. Wayne got his 3rd in the last minute of play and it put an exclamation point on the victory.

6’11” sophomore Nerlens Noel (#3) defends 7-foot junior Kaleb Tarczewski (#30).

St. Mark’s (28-3) had won sixteen straight but couldn’t match the finishers Tilton had, although the Lions had four dunks as Kaleb Tarczewski got three and Nick Stauskas one.

Nick led the Lion scorers with seventeen points and Kaleb followed with twelve.

The why-did-they-lose stat for St. Mark’s was their 25 turnovers. Not only was Tilton tough on the inside on the offensive end but also defending around the basket down the other end.

Tourney MVP (Georges Niang) collected 23 points while freshman Wayne Selden added 22 points.

I mentioned “consecutive points” earlier. In the last 2 ½ minutes of the first half the Rams held St. Mark’s scoreless and ran seven straight (Georges’ 3, Nerlens dunk, and Tony Lester layup) to lead at the half, 36-24.

The Lions cut into that lead a couple of times (46-39, 56-49, and 59-53) in the second half but never got closer.

The Rams sealed this one with a terrific final 3 ½ minutes. As St. Mark’s came up with seven straight empty possessions including three turnover, the winners ran eleven unanswered points ending on Wayne’s dunk to win the championship going away.

I was disappointed by what I saw of Duke-bound Alex Murphy. He collected only eight points for St. Mark’s and probably had at least five turnovers around the basket. His rebounding was solid. He could stay away from Duke for a year, because he’s a junior, but there is talk of his going there after this season. He’ll be making a big mistake if he does based on what I saw today.

Nick Stauskas (#21) led St. Mark’s scorers with seventeen points.

It was my good fortune to sit next to Nick Stauskas’ dad during the game. He explained how Nick got to St. Mark’s (from Toronto, Canada) and told me of some of the colleges (Iowa, Michigan) showing interest in the 6’6” junior. I asked him what his son does in the off-season and he laughed informing me that there is no off-season.

It interests me to see that more and more people attending the NEPSAC tournament each year. It is an early chance to look at some terrific athletes. Some of them, like Andre Blatche, reach the pro level.

I had a chance to talk with Joe Mussachia from Manchester-Essex about the Hornets big win over Matignon in the Division 4 North quarter finals on Saturday night.

Aaron Law

Alex Murphy

Domonique Bull

Georges Niang

Jaymie Spears

Tony Lester

Wayne Selden in dunk mode

(I collect my own stats, take my own pictures, and draw my own conclusions. Mistakes and false assumptions happen.)

Lawrence Academy (Class C) and Tilton School (Class B) Win NEPSAC Titles

(Beverly) I took in the Class C and Class B finals in the NEPSAC boys’ tournament at Endicott on Sunday afternoon.

The athleticism and action of these prep stars is always a treat. Hardcore fans know that warm-ups will usually produce highlight-reel dunking shows.

Stars of the future take part. A few years ago, Andray Blache was on hand for South Kent.

Jaymie Spears – The former Georgetown High player, now with St. Mark’s School had a long afternoon in the Class C finals against Lawrence Academy

I went to see Jaymie Spears, formerly of Georgetown High School. I was pleased to see that not only was he on the St. Mark’s Lions roster but he was also a starter.

Once the game started, however, the former MVP of the Cape Ann League as a sophomore, had a nightmare game.

The Lions lost 55-43 and struggled against the spirited defense of undersized Lawrence Academy. Jaymie got into trouble early with three turnovers that led to a couple of baskets.

The third turnover raised the frustration level of Coach Dave Lubick because Jaymie tried to go behind his back down the lane, was stripped and LA got a layup.

Jaymie had a steal and a rebound in the second ten minutesof the first half but missed two free throws, a trey, and a jumper from the left. However, St. Mark’s trailed just 22-20 at the half.

The second half didn’t go well either. Jaymie had good looks at a couple of three’s in the first five minutes and missed, getting pulled immediately after the second miss. He had a couple of more looks at three’s later in the game and reluctantly shot them and missed both. He did make two free throws in the last minute.

Therefore, he ended up with an unimpressive 0-for-6 shooting and three turnovers. However, he’s a sophomore at St. Mark’s and getting a chance to play with top-flight players. One of the seniors has a scholarship to Georgetown.

Shabazz Napier (#10) of Lawrence Academy hangs in for a layup versus St. Mark’s

The dazzler for St. Lawrence (29-0) was Shabazz Napier. This guard is listed as a junior and I can assure you that D1 colleges know all about him. He’s a great defender with speed to get open anywhere he wanted to. His passing was noteworthy as well. He was the MVP of the tourney.

I also saw Tilton School avenge an earlier loss to Marianapolis Prep School (Thompson CT) with a 69-61 win.

Tilton took control early and had depth that was amazing. They started great players, went to the bench, and brought in more great players. They put on an eye-catching pregame show with a freshman named Goodluck Okonoboh (6’7”) and a junior (Ryan Canty) displaying a variety of jams.

Ryan (6’9”) was a dominating presence. He is not only tall but also big and strong. Marianapolis had no one who could deal with him. During the game he did take a very hard fall on a breakaway when one of the Marianapolis players clobbered him to the ground. No foul was called and Ryan got up and played on.

Gerald Coleman (20 points) of Tilton is heading for Providence and it won’t take him long to get there with his speed! This was another player with all the ingredients to be great – shooter, quick, defender, and passer.

Gerald was the MVP of the Class B tournament.