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March 15, 2014 · 11:41 pm

Cardinal Spellman takes D3 state title defeating Tyngsboro 61-51

Cardinal Spellman players celebrate D3 state title

Ryan Roach dribbles out the clock

(Worcester MA) Cardinal Spellman 61, Tyngsboro 51.

I know it’s illogical but this wasn’t a ten-point game. Anyone viewing at the DCU will tell you that.

Tyngsboro trailed by eleven (53-42) with four minutes left but put together a streak of eight straight (two layups Austin Coene/ four free throws Drew Hurynowicz) to get within one possession (53-50) with 2:13 remaining.

This was anyone’s game with the Division 3 title going to the winner.

The game turned in the Cardinals favor on one play. The undersized Tigers (tallest player 6-1) were victimized by a perfectly executed lob-and-dunk (Ryan Roach to Rory Donovan) that stopped Tyngsboro’s run and set the CS crowd into a frenzy.

Ryan Roach (14 points) hits a last-minute runner in the lane

Now up by five (55-50), the Cardinals (22-4) would add to their lead when Ryan Roach hit a runner in the lane with 1:04 left.

Austin Coene missed twice and after each miss the ball ended up in Austin Joseph’s hands and he was fouled.

The CS senior connected four straight times in ten seconds to restore the eleven-point edge (61-50) with thirty-five seconds left. David Walker made a free throw with eleven second remaining to close out the scoring.

The hero of the day? I haven’t even mentioned him yet: Collin Sullivan.

Collin Sullivan (four 3-pointers)

In the state semifinals, Collin played 2+ minutes with no shots. In this game, the 6-2 sophomore was pressed into action in the first half after Brian Donohoe and Joey Crane got into foul trouble.

Before the game was over Collin had connected from long range four times giving the Cardinals twelve unexpected points.

Coach Michael Perry did say afterward that he thought going in that Collin might have a chance against Tyngsboro’s zone defense. Coach Perry added that Collin wasn’t afraid to shoot.

Collin swished two of those 3’s during the Cardinals 16-1 run that lifted them from a 25-22 deficit (3:46 second period) to a 38-26 lead (5:16 third period).

Cardinal Spellman never gave back the lead after that although things got real tight leading up to the final two minutes.

Ryan Roach (3), Brian Donohoe (4), and Rory Donovan (3) added the other points in the separating 16-1 segment.

Drew Hurynowicz (24 points)

Sophomore Drew Hurynowicz (24 points) and junior Austin Coene (18 points) carried the Tyngsboro offense. Both of them had the knack of getting to the basket. Drew had fourteen points in the first half including consecutive three’s in the first quarter that put the Tigers in front, 12-9.

Ryan Roach topped the Cardinals in scoring with fourteen points.

Cardinal Spellman clicked from long distance eight times. Collin had four, Ryan two, and Austin Joseph & Joey Crane one each.

Tough game for Joey Crane. The senior had twenty points in the Watertown win but was a foul magnet in this one.

The Tigers (23-3) had won eleven straight.

I was very impressed with Tyngsboro’s zone defense. They shifted quickly and forced CS to the perimeter most of the time.

Austin Coene (18 points) goes between Ryan Roach and Joey Crane

One stat that will haunt the Tigers for a while was their free throw shooting……….16-for-24.

Tyngsboro represented the Central Division. The Central has won the D3 state title only eleven times since the tournament started 52 years ago. Whitinsville Christian was the most recent in 2011. Crusaders coach Jeff Bajema and his son Taylor, who starred for that team, took in the Cardinal Spellman/Tyngsboro game.

My eyes are old but I swear that in the last minute I saw Ryan Roach dribble through a Tyngsboro players legs to get by him in the backcourt.

Cardinal Spellman box

Tyngsboro box

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

Austin Coene (18 points)

Rory Donovan (11 points) gets inside for two

Austin Joseph (4 free throws in last minute)

Drew Hurynowicz, Ben Foley, David Walker, Austin Coene, Jake Keenan

Joey Crane gets fifth foul

reaching for a rebound

Drew Hurynowicz leads a break

Brian Donohoe

Cardinal Spellman reaches D3 state finals with 51-44 OT win over Watertown

Cardinal Spellman celebrates afterwards

Joey Crane (20 points) finds an opening in close for the tying basket

(Boston MA) Watertown had only four made free throws to show for the final 9 1/2 minutes of playing time in the state Division 3 semi-finals.

Nothing good will come from a scoring drought of that magnitude……..and it didn’t as Cardinal Spellman (21-4) rallied into overtime and defeated the Raiders, 51-44, on Tuesday night at the TD Garden.

The Cardinals’ victory sends them to the state finals on Saturday at the DCU Center in Worcester against (22-2) Tyngsborough.

Watertown (18-6) had its scoring drought at the end and it cost them the game. Cardinal Spellman had their scoring drought earlier and it nearly cost them the game.

Rory Donovan (15 points) looks for an opening

CS had a, 23-20, lead with three minutes left in the first half. Senior Rory Donovan (15 points) paced the Cardinals with eleven points.

But then it took the team from Brocton (MA) eight minutes to score another basket! And while the Cardinals missed, the Raiders ran twelve unanswered points and jumped in front, 32-23, with 4 1/2 minutes to go in the third quarter. Brendan Hoban, Cesar Fulcar, TJ Hairston, and Kevin DiPietrantonio put the 12-point package together.

The Cardinals ended up with a pitiful 4-point third quarter and ended it trailing by nine (36-27).

A layup by Brendan Hoban (10 points) gave Watertown it biggest lead (40-29) with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

I couldn’t see at the time, that there was any way CS could even make a game of it the rest of the way. They weren’t shooting well at all and Watertown was very capable of running time off the clock.

Christian Tapia, Mike Hagopian, Cesar Fulcar, TJ Hairston, and Brendan Hoban in overtime

However, the Cardinals were able to get the ball into the hands of Joey Crane (20 points) often enough in the next 2+ minutes for the 6-4 senior to get a three, an old-fashioned three, and a layup. This scoring spurt cut the Watertown lead to three (40-37) with three minutes left.

The Raiders finally stopped the bleeding with two Kevin DiPietrantonio (10 points) free throws.

But Austin Joseph answered with a three with ninety seconds left to get CS within two (42-40).

Austin Joseph breaks in

Cesar Fulcar missed and so did Ryan Roach. Watertown then ran the shot clock down and ended up with a very long 3-point attempt by Kevin DiPietrantonio that missed. Austin Joseph took in the rebound and CS called a timeout with twenty-three seconds left.

After the timeout, point guard Ryan Roach was able to find a cutting Joey Crane for a successful layup with three seconds remaining tying the score at 42-42.

Brendan Hoban got off a three that was well short as regulation ended.

Ryan Roach drives on Cesar Fulcar

I noted at the time that CS reacted as if they had won. Watertown reacted as if they had lost.

Two minutes into overtime the Cardinals had a three points lead (45-42) on a converted rebound by Rory Donovan and a free throw by Joey Crane.

Austin Joseph followed with a dagger basket as he sped down the lane for a layup giving CS a five-point lead with 1:19 remaining.

Watertown continued to miss and were forced to foul. Ryan Roach hit three free throws and Joey Crane added another.

Finally, with eleven seconds left TJ Hairston made tow free throws to end 6+ minutes of Raiders’ scorelessness.

Ryan Roach was able to dribble out the clock as the CS crowd chanted, “DCU, DCU.”

tight defense

I came away very impressed with Watertown’s TJ Hairston. The Raiders’ all-leaguer in football, basketball, and baseball tallied thirteen points and pulled down nineteen rebounds.

Rory Donohoe (15 points/11 rebounds) had a double/double for Cardinal Spellman.

Ryan Roach struggled shooting (2-for-15) but handed out nine assists including one to Joey Crane that sent the game into overtime.

Watertown and Cardinal Spellman played the same game (D3 state semi-finals) three years ago at the Garden. The Raiders won big (56-36) leading by twenty-five after three quarters. Watertown went on to lose to Whitinsville Christian in the state finals.

Cardinal Spellman was the #2 seed in the South and plays in the Catholic Central League.

Watertown was the #2 seed in the North and is in the Middlesex League.

Watertown has won six North titles. CS has won the South title twice in the last four years.

Ryan Roach will be attending Stonehill while Austin Joseph will graduate to Gordon.

The MIAA provided stat sheets for the first time. Everyone attempting to write a game story says, “Thanks!”

halftime box

full-game box

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