WMass D3 boys’ basketball: Top-seeded Sabis rallies, pulls away from No. 3 Narragansett
By Jay Gearan, Correspondent
Posted Mar 9, 2019 at 9:42 PM
Updated Mar 9, 2019 at 9:43 PM
AMHERST — On the March day when the clocks were to be turned ahead,
the Narragansett boys’ basketball team found themselves wanting to turn
back the clock.
Back to the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s Western Mass. Division 3 final against top-seeded Sabis Charter of Springfield, when the No. 3 seed Warriors led, 16-6, at UMass’ Curry Hicks Gymnasium.
From the second quarter on, though, the Bulldogs turned it on, pulling to within 25-22 by halftime before leading, 44-37, after the third on their way to a 64-55 victory.
Sabis (22-3) advances to a state semifinal against Central Mass. champion Dover-Sherborn. Narragansett finished 21-4.
“We came up against the best team out here, and we couldn’t quite conquer them,” Narragansett coach Rich Zalneraitis said.
The Bulldogs were led by 6-foot-6 senior forward Aaron Williams, a force in the low post who scored 22 points. Souleymane Diaby and Tre Hodge each had 13.
Senior Tyler Dill led the Warriors with 23, while junior Freddie Monette-Harris had 13, a dozen in the first quarter on a blur of 3-point shots.
Trailing, 5-0, early, the Warriors bolted ahead with an impressive run led by Monette-Harris, who just couldn’t miss. He swished behind the arc from the left wing, the right corner, the right wing and the right corner, building Narragansett’s lead to 12-5. Noah Welch followed with a layup, and Damian Comeau had a runner to finish the first-quarter scoring, and the Warriors looked in control at 16-6.
“We knew going in that Narragansett can shoot the ball,” Sabis coach Pat Ochoa said. “We game-planned for it, and we thought we were ready, but they (the Warriors) came out and just started draining 3s. I thought my guys played good defense on tough shots. We just stayed the course, stuck to the game plan, and I told my guys that it would eventually work.”
The Warriors built their lead to 20-8 early in the second quarter on a
Dill 3-pointer and a Monette-Harris foul shot, but two minutes into the
frame, the Bulldogs mounted their comeback.
Narragansett’s Ben Edwards muscled inside for a layup with 5:40 left to halftime for a 22-12 lead, but the Warriors didn’t score again until Dill swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the quarter.
Williams posted up took passes and attacked the basket, scoring seven points in the rally. His free throw with 21 seconds left tied the game at 22-22.
“We started to play a little harder,” Ochoa said. “I thought we may have been a little nervous at the start of the game. The we started playing the way we’re used to playing.′
Still, the Warriors led, 25-22, at halftime, but steadily the Bulldogs began to creep ahead while the Warriors’ shooting from the perimeter, inside and from the foul line went cold.
The Warriors uncharacteristically finished making 5 of 15 from the line and, after the first quarter, missed many more shots than they attempted from the perimeter.
Edwards, a senior, scored six of his eight points in the third quarter, including a couple of clutch putback baskets. With 3:33 left, Williams drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 37-32 lead for Sabis, which led, 44-37, entering the fourth quarter.
At the start of the fourth, Myles Jacques and Dill drove in for
layups, pulling the Warriors to within 44-41, but Sabis guards Kisean
Johnson and Hodge darted in drew fouls, and with 4:12to play, the
Bulldogs led, 54-44.
The Warriors, with Monette-Harris limping off the court with an ankle injury, couldn’t close the gap down the stretch.
“We played a very tough team, and we really hurt ourselves at the free-throw line,” Zalneraitis said.
“But our guys fought right to the bitter end, and it was fantastic. I love these guys so much, and I didn’t want the season to end.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
Back to the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s Western Mass. Division 3 final against top-seeded Sabis Charter of Springfield, when the No. 3 seed Warriors led, 16-6, at UMass’ Curry Hicks Gymnasium.
From the second quarter on, though, the Bulldogs turned it on, pulling to within 25-22 by halftime before leading, 44-37, after the third on their way to a 64-55 victory.
Sabis (22-3) advances to a state semifinal against Central Mass. champion Dover-Sherborn. Narragansett finished 21-4.
“We came up against the best team out here, and we couldn’t quite conquer them,” Narragansett coach Rich Zalneraitis said.
The Bulldogs were led by 6-foot-6 senior forward Aaron Williams, a force in the low post who scored 22 points. Souleymane Diaby and Tre Hodge each had 13.
Senior Tyler Dill led the Warriors with 23, while junior Freddie Monette-Harris had 13, a dozen in the first quarter on a blur of 3-point shots.
Trailing, 5-0, early, the Warriors bolted ahead with an impressive run led by Monette-Harris, who just couldn’t miss. He swished behind the arc from the left wing, the right corner, the right wing and the right corner, building Narragansett’s lead to 12-5. Noah Welch followed with a layup, and Damian Comeau had a runner to finish the first-quarter scoring, and the Warriors looked in control at 16-6.
“We knew going in that Narragansett can shoot the ball,” Sabis coach Pat Ochoa said. “We game-planned for it, and we thought we were ready, but they (the Warriors) came out and just started draining 3s. I thought my guys played good defense on tough shots. We just stayed the course, stuck to the game plan, and I told my guys that it would eventually work.”
Narragansett’s Ben Edwards muscled inside for a layup with 5:40 left to halftime for a 22-12 lead, but the Warriors didn’t score again until Dill swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the quarter.
Williams posted up took passes and attacked the basket, scoring seven points in the rally. His free throw with 21 seconds left tied the game at 22-22.
“We started to play a little harder,” Ochoa said. “I thought we may have been a little nervous at the start of the game. The we started playing the way we’re used to playing.′
Still, the Warriors led, 25-22, at halftime, but steadily the Bulldogs began to creep ahead while the Warriors’ shooting from the perimeter, inside and from the foul line went cold.
The Warriors uncharacteristically finished making 5 of 15 from the line and, after the first quarter, missed many more shots than they attempted from the perimeter.
Edwards, a senior, scored six of his eight points in the third quarter, including a couple of clutch putback baskets. With 3:33 left, Williams drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 37-32 lead for Sabis, which led, 44-37, entering the fourth quarter.
The Warriors, with Monette-Harris limping off the court with an ankle injury, couldn’t close the gap down the stretch.
“We played a very tough team, and we really hurt ourselves at the free-throw line,” Zalneraitis said.
“But our guys fought right to the bitter end, and it was fantastic. I love these guys so much, and I didn’t want the season to end.”
—Contact Jay Gearan at sports@telegram.com.
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