Sports: Boys’ Hoops Sneaks Out of Lexington with Thrilling OT Win, 76-74

January 9, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker 2 Comments

Photo: Belmont’s Matt Kerans heading to the basket in OT v. Lexington.

Wow. Talk about pulling one’s bacon out of the fire.

Thanks to two outstanding plays by a pair of role players, Belmont High Boys’ hoopsters crawled themselves out of a deep hole they helped dig and somehow got out of Dodge with a thrilling 76-74 victory over a gutsy Lexington High squad on Friday night, Jan. 8.

“Good high school game,” said Belmont’s Head Coach Adam Pritchard with a wry smile as the team recorded its seventh win against three losses. They are tied with Reading (6-1) with one loss (4-1) in the Middlesex League Liberty Division.

It’s never easy to come off the bench and contribute but luck for Belmont, two players did just that. A three-point bomb from the corner by Belmont junior Daron Hamparian (5 points) tied the game at 67 with 48 seconds in regulation and sophomore Tomas Donoyan’s (2 points) jumper for two after Lexington blocked a Paul Ramsey (12 points) shot with 30 seconds gave Belmont the lead at 69-67 – part of an 8-1 Marauders run in the final 100 seconds – before Lexington’s Jack Amsler forced overtime with his own bucket with 23.4 seconds remaining.

In OT, Belmont’s big man senior Joe Shaughnessy (3 of his 5 points in overtime) put back an offensive rebound to give the Marauders the lead by one, 73-72, then senior point guard Matt Kerans stole a pass and beat the game’s number one star, Lexington’s center Spencer Kendall, to the hoop to up the lead to 75-72. Two previous times Kerans attempted layups against the junior, Kendall (23 points, four blocks, more than a dozen rebounds) slammed the shot back at Kerans.

With Lexington down by one and with the ball, an attempt by sophomore guard Jermaine Fernandes fell into Shaughnessy’s hands to hit one of two from the charity stripe with 1.5 seconds remaining and with that Belmont got to sneak out of town with the victory.

“We didn’t quit when a lot of teams could have, and we made a couple of key steals and a big fast break put back which was such a heady play,” said Pritchard.

“When guys run, and they don’t quit, you can make it happen,”

Not that it appeared an hour earlier that Belmont would need extra time against the winless Minutemen (0-6, 0-4). For the second straight game (a convincing victory over Woburn), Belmont came out smoking. Behind the three-point shooting of senior guard Cole Bartels (four 3s in the first quarter before finishing with 15 points) and a three, a two and a free throw from his fellow backcourt companion Kerans (24 points, who along with Ramsey scored in in the four quarters and overtime) to accompany a smothering defense led by senior center Justin Wagner (10 points) allowed Belmont to run off to a 21 point lead, 27-6, at the end of the first.

“We had a heck of a first quarter,” said Pritchard.

But before a large crowd of supporters, Lexington started to take chunks out of the lead by throwing it up beyond the arc. The Minutemen rattled in five from distance (three from Amsler) while Kendall began drawing fouls from the Belmont front line, going 6-6 from the free throw line and ending the period with 12 of Lexington’s 30-second quarter points, and cutting the lead to a manageable seven points, 43-36, at the half.

“I think we took our foot off the throttle a little bit after a great start,” said Pritchard.

“Maybe we got too comfortable. They played well, but we got a little tired. I probably should have used some other players at the beginning of the game to save some legs. When you have quality players you don’t want to pull them off the court,” he said.

And that weariness showed in the second half as Belmont committed fouls and turnovers that Lexington feasted on. In the third quarter, seven Minutemen players scored 17 points while Belmont could only squeeze in seven total and found themselves trailing 53-50 going into the final quarter.

Those last eight minutes saw Belmont falling further behind 57-52 after the first two minutes only to tie it up at 59 with a two and a three from Bartels and a jumper by Ramsey. But when Lexington’s Amsler hit his fourth three, and senior Alex Lenrow put in a steal, Lexington held its biggest lead of the game, 67-61.

That’s when Belmont’s bench bailed out the boys.

Next up for Belmont is at 5-4 Winchester on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Belmont Garden Party: Girls’ Hoops to Play At TDGarden Sunday, Jan. 24

January 8, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High Girls Basketball to play the Boston TDGarden.

Along with Bill Russell and Larry Bird, you can now add the names Carly, Samari, Sarah and Irini as those who have played on the historic parquet floor of Boston Garden as the Belmont High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball team take on Chelmsford High School at the TDGarden at 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 24.

The game is part of the third annual Good Sports Invitational – the Belmont Boys’ team played in last year’s game – where sixteen high school teams will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on the fabled court. The mission of Boston-based Good Sports is to help lay the foundation for healthy, active lifestyles by providing athletic equipment, footwear, and apparel to disadvantaged young people nationwide.

An added bonus is that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey – a former Harvard University basketball captain and pro-player in Europe – will be leading basketball events for Belmont and Chelmsford youth basketball players during halftime of the game. You’ll remember Healey as playing on Belmont’s Grove Street Playground basketball court in one of her political ads.

Tickets for the game (which allows you to stay for all eight games) against the Lions are $15. Belmont’s goal is to sell 400 tickets and have a large fan section to cheer on the Marauders.

Tickets can be purchased in Belmont at:

Champions Sporting Goods, 53 Leonard Ave., Belmont Center
Rancatore’s Ice Cream, 36 Leonard Ave., Belmont Center
Country Store (the concession stand) at Belmont High School during home games: Friday, Jan. 15 and Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Belmont High School will also have a table set up outside the lunch room in the school day, specific days TBA.
Contact Marauders’ Head Coach Melissa Hart with any questions (mmhart32@gmail.com) and who can arrange to get tickets.

High School Schedule for Day:

8:30 a.m. – Wellesley vs. Needham (Girls)
10 a.m. – Belmont vs. Chelmsford (Girls)
11:30 a.m. – Andover vs Newton South (Boys)
1 p.m. – Mansfield vs Brighton (Boys)
2:30 p.m. – Bishop Hendricken vs. Cambridge Rindge & Latin (Boys)
4 p.m. – St. Mary’s vs Lexington (Girls)
5:30 p.m. – Triton vs Newburyport (Boys)
7 p.m. – Medford vs Arlington (Boys)

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Nipped by Top-Ranked Woburn, 52-51

January 7, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s Jen Call (21) looking to pass to freshman Jess Giorgio vs. Woburn.

Walking off the court after seeing her team lose for the first time this season to a top-10 (ranked 5th by ESPN Boston) Woburn High team, Belmont High Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Melissa Hart looked back and said, “I should have called a timeout. Darn.”

Hart was recalling the final sequence of the game, with the game tied at 50. Belmont’s Jenny Call had just swatted an attempted inbounds pass out-of-bounds with just under five seconds remaining in the second half.

As Belmont set up its defense, the ball went into the Tanner’s league all-star junior guard Marissa Gattuso, who dribbled to the top of the key and leaned into Belmont’s freshman Megan Tan while taking the shot as the clock ticked down to zero.

A varsity move by Woburn’s leader that was rewarded with a generous whistle from the ref, sending Gattuso to the line for two shots with 0.9 seconds left.

The veteran hit the first and missed the second, giving Belmont no time for anything miraculous and sending the Marauders (4-1, 4-1 in the Middlesex League) to its first defeat of the season, 52-51.

“You know, it was a hard fought game. I think we had a chance [to win] with the ball but … ,” said Hart. “We could have been on the other side of the score. They just had the better chances.”

If there was a lesson of the game, it was to put away teams when you have them down. Belmont held nearly 10 point leads for the majority of the first three-quarters yet could never find the run which could have given the Marauders’ a comfortable double-digit lead.

But that’s hard to do with Gattuso who left her mark on the game with a bookend performance, scoring 16 of her game-high 18 points in the first and fourth quarters. After outscoring Belmont 6-0 in the first two minutes of the game, Gattuso was effectively held in check by Belmont’s swarming defense led by seniors co-captain guards Samari Winklaar (8 points) and Irini Nikolaidis.

For the next six minutes, Belmont outscored the reigning Middlesex League champions, 19-5, behind Belmont’s sophomore point guard Carly Christofori (team leading 13 points) who found the team’s other co-captain Sarah Stewart who scored 6 of her 8 points in the first quarter as all five starters scored to give Belmont a 19-11 lead.

While Woburn (5-0, 5-0) trimmed the lead behind forward Mya Blazejowski (10 points) to 22-20 with two minutes remaining, a basket and free throw from Christofori and a layup at the buzzer by senior sixth man Sara Lyons from a pinpoint pass from Tan increased Belmont’s advantage at the half to seven, 27-20.

The Marauders appeared like it would sprint away from the Tanners at the start of the second half as Nickolaidis (10 points) hit a basket and a free throw to up the lead to 10 points as Belmont was effectively running the break. Freshman center Jess Giorgio, who was effective coming down with rebounds against the tall and physical Tanners while scoring on a nifty jumper, and Jenny Call with five third-quarter points kept the Marauders’ lead at seven the end of the third eight minutes, 43-36.

The final quarter saw the Marauders pick the worst time to go cold on the offensive side of the court while Gattuso decided to wake up. A three-pointer by Gattuso led a 6-0 Woburn run to cut the lead to one, 43-42, before Stewart hit a bucket from under the basket to up the lead to three.

But that lead was shortlived as a pair from the charity stripe from Blasejowski and a three-pointer by senior center Elle Brennan gave Woburn its first lead, 47-45, since two minutes in the game.

Nickolaidis hit two from the line and a tough layup in traffic between Gattuso’s floater to see the match tied at 49 with 2:17 left in the game. Gattuso gave Woburn the lead, 51-49, on a layup only to have Christofori make two free throws with 1:01 remaining to give the game its final tie, 51-15.

A good defensive stance saw Belmont get possession back with 35 seconds but Blazejowski anticipated Christofori’s pass to Call with 11-second remaining. It was then up to Gattuso to win it from the line 10.1 seconds later.

Next up for Belmont is a trip to Lexington Friday, Jan. 7 for the penultimate match with the Minutemen and its Fordham-bound senior guard Anne Kelly, who once scored 52 points against the Marauders. But that was at Belmont.

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Hoops Wallops Woburn, Nears League Top

January 6, 2016 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Senior Joe Shaughnessy skies during game with Woburn.

Finally, Belmont High Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard was happy.

His Marauders’ – which has come off a hard holiday schedule of games – had just comprehensively beaten Middlesex League leaders Woburn High, 75-54, Tuesday, Jan. 5, as his starters and the bench contributing on both ends of the court the entire night.

“All victories are good,” said Pritchard. “I never had a bad one.”

And this was a good one, as Belmont ups its record to 6-3 and 4-1 in the Middlesex Liberty Division, tied with Winchester and Woburn (5-2) and a half game behind 5-1 Reading.

The game – which began with senior co-captain Matt Kerans receiving a ceremonial basketball for scoring his 1,000 point this past Dec. 29 in a game vs. New Bedford – saw Belmont race off to the lead as Woburn has a bit sloppy with the ball and missed a few “bunnies” under the basket.

Senior shooting guard Cole Bartels led the charge offensively with 8 points in the first quarter including one of his long-range threes (he ended with a game-high 20 points) to give Belmont an 18-14 lead a the end of eight minutes. The Marauders would push the lead to double digits (38-27) at the half by out battling the Tanners under the basket and pushing up

The Marauders would press the lead to double digits (38-27) at the half by out battling the Tanners under the basket and pushing up the court with the ball. While junior Paul Ramsey (9 points) powered along the baseline for his 5 points (a three from the corner) in the quarter, senior tall forward Joe Shaughnessy (9 points) took advantage of Belmont’s height advantage to score a pair of put-backs for his five in the second, while reliable and versatile sixth-man junior Dylan Ferdinand scored 7 points in the game.

The second half saw Belmont put the gas on the pedal to score 19 – 8 coming from Kerans, who ended the night with 14, who drained a pair of threes and two free throws – in the third while holding the Tanners to almost half that.

The fourth quarter was the time for the bench to shine as eight players scored in the final eight minutes including senior Damian Bitsikas (2 points), junior Daron Hamparian (2 points), sophomore Tomas Donoyan (5 points), junior Ben Jones (2 points), senior Lowell Haska (2 points) and senior Yvrantzi Desravines (1 point).

Pritchard said Belmont’s cause was helped by the absence of Woburn all-star guard Brandon Mascat from the starting lineup.

But Pritchard praised the team that played great defense, started to run and had some offensive put backs.

“I like to think we are improving; that’s our ultimate goal,” he said.

Next for Belmont is a game Friday, Jan. 8, at winless Lexington. The game starts at 5 p.m.

Sports: Kerans Tops 1,000 Point Mark in Belmont’s 61-58 Win Over New Bedford

December 30, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Matt Kerans.

If there was a shot Matt Kerans would make to reach 1,000 points in his Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball career, it should be from beyond the arc.

The senior co-captain and pre-season Middlesex League All-Star reached the milestone off a trademark fall-away, three pointer in the Marauders’ 61-58 victory over New Bedford on the second and final day of the 2015 BABC Holiday Classic held at Cathedral High School on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

See the shot by going to the Middlesex Magic Twitter page.

The four-year starter scored a game-high 28 points in the win, raising Belmont’s record to 5-2 as the team prepares to meet league powerhouse Woburn High on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the Wenner.

Kerans joins just a handful of Marauders’ on the 1,000 point club: Steven Pollard (’86), Mike Costello (’96), Mark Mulvey (’93), Timmie Barrows (’07), Larry Norman (’88), Asa Palmer (’93) and Kerans’ former teammate Adam Kleckner (’15).

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Hoops Bumped from Undefeated on Last Second Drive at Arlington

December 28, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont’s junior Dylan Ferdinand making a layup vs. Arlington.

It was not the way Belmont High Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard wanted his team to prep before facing a pair of strong basketball squads in the Boston Amateur Basketball Club’s annual Holiday Classic in Boston over the holiday break.

An inspired game by host Arlington High School minus the solid games Belmont had been playing in the first four games of the season added up to a loss for the Marauders, knocking them from the undefeated.

Tied at 58 after a layup with 12 seconds remaining, Belmont’s defense could not contain Arlington’s junior guard Colin McNamara (a game high 17 points) who drove through the Marauders defense to score the winning bucket with 1.2 seconds left and give Arlington (4-1) the 60-58 win over Belmont (4-1) on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Pritchard didn’t mince words disecting the defeat.

“We played lousy defense, we didn’t box out. You lose by two points, you think it comes down to this and that. But flat out, right down to the last play of the game when [McNamara] beat us off the dribble. That play happened over and over again,” said Pritchard.

“I’m sure all our guys are disappointed but this game isn’t that complicated. You keep the guys in front of you, you box out, you limit them to one shot and that did not happen,” he said.

A close affair for the entire game, both teams came out guns ‘a blazing, scoring 18 points in the first quarter with seven Marauders getting on the scoring column led by senior shooting guard Cole Bartels (10 points) with a three and a two

The Marauders kept up the pressure in the paint in the second quarter as senior Luke Peterson (9 points) dropped in a pair of hoops as well as a free throw to contribute five of Belmont’s 12 points, giving the visitors a 30-27 lead at the half.

After the break, Arlington found its D and worked hard fronting Belmont’s players, limiting the Marauders to mostly outside shots. Senior point guard Matt Kerans (16 points) and Bartels each hit open threes but Belmont could only muster two other baskets while Danny Slebodnick led the SpyPonders with 7 points which tallied 16 points to Belmont’s 10 in the third, and falling behind the hosts ssssaasaby three, 43-40.

“They played better defence than us. It didn’t have anything to do with home or away,” said Pritchard.

The fourth stanza saw Belmont hanging around one to three points from the Arlington lead, cutting it to a single point, 54-53 with three minutes to play on a Justin Wagner layup.

After swapping a basket and a free throw (Belmont missed a third, 6 of 18, of their chances from the charity strip), a good defensive stance gave the Marauders the ball wth 26 seconds left. A drive by Kerans opened the court for junior sixth man Dylan Ferdinand (6 points) to hit a layup with 12 second remaining to tie the game.

Yet the basket wasn’t enough to secure a chance at overtime.

Belmont will spend the winter recess going against some heavy hitters in the Holiday Classic being held at Cathedral High School in Boston’s South End. Thirteen boys’ basketball teams, including three from out of state, will take part in the tournament.

Belmont opens the tourney vs. Everett at 11 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 28 then taking on New Bedford at 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Hoops Remains Undefeated Behind Winklaar’s Big Night

December 25, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Belmont High co-captain Samari Winklaar.

In the last game of 2015, Belmont High senior co-captain Samari Winklaar went off like a New Year’s firework, scoring 15 points in the first half (half of the team’s total) on her way to a career-high 19 points as she spurred on her teammates to a 48-31 victory over hosts Arlington High School Spy on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

“I was waiting for my teammates to pass me the ball and taking them down early,” said the two-year starter.

The win ups the Marauders’ record to 4-0 has they head off into the winter recess. Waiting for them on the other side of the holidays will be a clash with undefeated and two-time Middlesex League Liberty Division Woburn High School.

“It will be a battle,” said Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart. “After a long layoff; that’s not great to face a great team. The main thing is to make sure that we’re tough mentally on offense because they’ll be tough on us defensively.”

Hart and her traveling army – she is currently carrying 18 players on the bench – came into Arlington High’s gym riding a three-game winning streak facing a team who lost its best player, Grace Carter, to a knee injury.

Belmont came out employing a swarming defense reminiscent of last year’s defense that made it difficult for Arlington to set up their offense.

Belmont jumped to a 9-3 lead on a drive by sophomore point guard Carly Chrisofori (9 points), two baskets (a runner and jumper off an offensive rebound) by Winklaar and a three point bomb by sophomore Jenny Call (6 points) before Winklaar ended the quarter wih a pair of buckets to see the lead streached to 13-3.

Winklaar took command of the offense in the second quarter, scoring on drives to the hoop and from jumpers, including a three in the second when she scored nine of the team’s 17 points, putting the game out of reach at half time at 30-10.

The second half saw Hart go down the bench, bringing in freshman Megan Tan (4 points) to defend the Arlington point guards and fellow frosh Jess Giorgio who, at 6’1″, did an effective job forcing the SpyPonders to alter their shot selection while chipping in with a basket from in close.

Sophomore Alexa Sabatino took over for Christofori and handled quarterbacking the squad while knocking down 3 points.

“We have a lot of girls who can really run and attack the defense,” said Hart.

“It’s a real strength that we have the kind of depth we do. If someone is having trouble shooting or in foul trouble, we have someone at every position. We have an answer to something, and that is really helpful,” she said.

Sports: Frosh Quartet Crush Record as Belmont Boys’ Swimming Begins Season

December 23, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: New Belmont record holders in the freshman 4×400: Sam Thompson, Damien Autissier, Luke Moore-Frederick and Ricky Ye.

In only their second competition as members of Belmont High School Boys Swim Team, a quartet of freshmen has already left its mark on the program.

Sam Thompson, Damien Autissier, Luke Moore-Frederick and Ricky Ye set a new 4×400-yard freestyle relay record of 3 minutes, 56 seconds in the team’s Dec. 18 meet at Lexington High School, chopping nine seconds off the old record (set 20 years ago in 1995) while breaking the four-minute barrier.

“Although they’re only underclassman, the team has high hopes and big expectations for its newest swimmers in the weeks ahead,” said Belmont High Boys’ Swim Head Coach Bobby Reardon, pointing to the many new and talented athletes who have joined the program this season.

In the first two meets of the year against Needham (69-103) and Lexington (73-92), the Marauders’ young swimmers were a bit over their heads against more experienced competition.

Already a few swimmers have placed themselves as those athletes who will be swimming well into the post season. Thompson qualified for states in the 200 (1:56.0) and 500 (5:18.09) yard frees winning both events against Lexington and Needham as fellow 9th grader Autissier finished second in the 500 (5:44.1) against Lexington.

Another Marauder touching first was Antony Bulat (1:12.11) in the 100 breaststroke with Ye in second (1:12.93) less than a second behind vs. Needham.

Owen Luo took second in the 50 yards free (24.65) and Luc Durand also picked up a second in the 100 butterfly (1:02: ) against the Rockets while Will Findlay took second in the 100 free going under a minute (55.05 vs. Needham) and then lowered his seasonal best to 54:81 against Lexington.

Taking a break from competition for the holidays, the squad is back in action Jan. 5 against Haverhill High School.

Sports: Belmont Girls’ Basketball Goes 3 for 3 with 54-42 Win over Wilmington

December 22, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Senior Samari Winklaar at the free-throw line vs. Wilmington.

Belmont High Girls Basketball senior forward Samari Winklaar is not just a double threat; a defensive stalwart and one of the toughest forwards on the court. She is a triple talent: this young lady can sing!

Those in the stands during the opening announcements heard Winklaar give a soulful, emotional rendition of the National Anthem that would have knocked your socks off if you weren’t wearing shoes.

Winklaar then joined her fellow starters onto the court and played a big role in Belmont’s victory at its home opener, defeating Wilmington High School Wildcats, 54-42, on Monday, Dec. 21 at the “Wenner.”

Winklaar’s 13 points including a pair of baskets in the third quarter allowed the Marauders keep a double-digit lead through the second half for its first game in which Belmont did not see an offensive dip that occurred in the first two games. Its point production – 13, 15, 14 and 12 in each subsequent quarter – allowed Belmont Head Coach Melissa Hart to include many players from her large bench which reach 17.

The Wilmington game also was the return of last season’s suffocating full-court defense that Belmont used to great effect in 2015’s playoff run. The result of the night’s pressure was that Wilmington did not have a player in double figures in points.

For the third consecutive game, sophomore point guard Carly Christofori quarterbacked the offense with her passing and her signature slashing move towards the basket resulting in 16 points. Her final six points – all in the final eight minutes – came from the free throw line, reminiscent of Christofori’s performance in last year’s sectional quarterfinals against Bedford.

Overall, Belmont went 19 for 23 from the charity stripe, an atypical result from a team that has at times struggled from the line.

Working hard at both ends of the court included senior co-captain forward/center Sarah Stewart with 9 points (7 in the first half) while matched up with Wilmington’s taller centers and freshman Megan Tan who took on the quickest Wildcat guards while contributing four points.

Due to fouls on the starters, Hart gave Belmont fans a glimpse of the future as she sent out Marauders tallest players, junior Margaux d’Arbeloff (6′) and freshman Jess Giorgio (6’1″).

Sports: Belmont Boys’ Basketball Cruise to 4-0 Defeating Wilmington, 89-50

December 22, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Cole Bartels (center) heading up court on the break against Wilmington.

If senior co-captain Cole Bartels hadn’t committed to pitch for Division 1 Penn State, said Belmont High School Head Coach Adam Pritchard, “there would be a few colleges looking at him.”

Pritchard’s praise for the 6’2″ shooting guard came after Bartels scored 16 points in the first eight minutes of the home opener before finishing with a game high 24 points to lead an up-tempo Marauder squad over visiting Wilmington High, 89-50, on Monday, Dec. 21 at the Wenner.

In the first varsity basketball game on the newly installed court, Bartels stroked six three-point baskets in the first half, threatening the school record of nine threes in a game. His 22 first half points led Belmont (4-0) to a 25-9 first quarter advantage that soon extended to a 56-25 halftime lead over the winless Wildcats (0-3).

Belmont High senior guard Damian Bitsikas (#10) and Deron Hamparian (#11) heading up court against Wilmington,

“We’ve played well in the past three games. And while it’s easy to dismiss a good start because of the records of the teams we’ve played, it’s because [the team] has bought into this type of basketball,” said Pritchard whose team is coming off a solid win, 72-56, over Boston English High School this weekend.

Belmont quickness and height advantage coupled with Wilmington’s less than stellar shooting percentage allowed the Marauders to run and hide with the big lead.

Senior point guard Matt Kerans (13 points with three threes) controlled the tempo, Dylan Ferdinand came off the bench for some big points in the paint (6 of his 7 points came in the second quarter) while big men senior forwards, Justin Wagner (9 points) and Joe Shaughnessy (2 points), controlled the boards on both ends of the dark blue and stone gray court.

With a big lead in the second half, Pritchard gave his role players extended minutes on the court.

Senior guard Damian Bitsikas hit for double digits (11 points) with a trio of threes, backcourt mate Deron Hamparian tossed in a deuce of treys finishing with 9 points while football players senior center Lowell Haska (2 points) drained a brace of free throws while junior guard Ben Jones (2 points) connected with a jumper. And finally, junior guard Nick Volante knocked down a shot.

Next up for the Marauders is a visit with the SpyPonders of Arlington High on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 5 p.m. before fighting a gauntlet of three physical and tough teams beginning with Everett over the winter recess.

“We’ll find out what we are made of,” said Pritchard.

The Belmontonian

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