When the common season is nearing its conclusion, a win over a seasoned heavyweight might be simply the recipe for a protracted playoff run.
Going through one other state titan Thursday, BC Excessive’s boys basketball squad confirmed its resilience once more. Sophomore Owen Adams dropped in 20 factors, whereas senior Jacob Seyfried completed with 17 factors because the Eagles (13-5) stormed again from an early 10-point deficit to topple Needham, 63-51.
“I believe our group power was the large factor about it,” Seyfried stated. “We have been down early within the first quarter, however the group stayed collectively. That’s been our motto for the whole season: staying collectively. That’s what propelled us to win this recreation.”
The Rockets (16-2) received off to a scorching begin, fueled by Foster Wilinski and Ben Marino. The duo persistently completed troublesome photographs within the opening body, offering Needham a 13-5 edge via one quarter.
Momentum carried into the second stanza for the Rockets, as Andrew Chen completed a nifty layup in site visitors to offer Needham a cushty 19-9 lead.
After mendacity dormant within the recreation’s early phases, nonetheless, BC Excessive got here to life shortly thereafter with Adams main the cost. All of the sudden, the Eagles started to chip away.
“We missed our first 5 photographs of the sport,” Adams stated. “We didn’t let that get in our heads. We stored going. We stored taking pictures, we stored attending to the rim, and that’s how we received again on them.”
As the ultimate seconds bled away within the half, Adams drove towards the rim, and noticed his lane reduce brief. The sophomore was pressured to take a wild shot from behind the backboard, and in some way related because the Eagles trimmed their deficit to 26-21 at intermission.
“That recreation was a seven-point recreation,” Adams stated. “It introduced it to 5, and introduced it nearer on the half.”
Adams drilled a three-pointer to kickstart the third quarter, and the Eagles have been off and operating. Moments later, Charlie Anzenberger sank a contested layup via contact, as BC Excessive seized its first lead at 28-26 with just below six minutes left within the body.
The groups traded buckets till the beginning of the fourth quarter, with BC Excessive clinging to a 40-39 lead. Then Seyfried seized the reins and propelled his group to victory.
Enjoying in entrance of a packed home on senior night time, the guard buried three consecutive triples. The ultimate try proved to be the dagger, as Seyfried despatched Eagles followers right into a frenzy after giving his group a commanding 54-43 lead with 4:45 left in regulation.
“You’ve simply received to maintain taking pictures,” stated Seyfried. “Even in the event you’re lacking. I used to be lacking photographs within the first half, however I simply know that I’ve received to maintain taking pictures. My teammates have belief in me. My coaches have belief in me, in order that’s simply what I do.”
BC Excessive slammed the door shut after that, out-scoring the Rockets with a 9-4 run to shut issues out. Wilinski registered a double-double for Needham, ending with a game-high 21 factors to go along with 11 rebounds.
After knocking off one other one of many Commonwealth’s top-ranked packages, the Eagles will look to enter the Div. 1 event with authority.
“(We’re going to method it) simply the identical means we’ve been doing,” Adams stated. “Preserve working in follow, maintain getting photographs up, and that may carry us via.”
