Belmont Boys’, Girls’ Hoops Begin Sectional Playoffs With Home Games

February 21, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Both the Belmont Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams will begin the 2015 Div. 2 North sectional playoffs with home games as the Marauders squads have secured top seeds.

The fifth-ranked Girls (14-6) will take on Danvers (10-10), the 12th and final seed in the tournament in a first-round game at Wenner Field House on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

If the Marauders advance, they will take on 4th-seed Bedford (14-6) in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at Bedford in a rematch of their game last week in the Spartan Tournament in Lynn where Belmont used a 26-point second quarter to defeat the Buccaneers, 61-48.

The Marauders are in the same half of the tournament as undefeated Watertown (18-0) which they would meet in the semi-finals.

The sixth-ranked Boys (15-7) will start the playoffs meeting meeting 11th-seed Winchester (12-8) for the third time – having won the two previous games – this season at the Wenner on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. By winning, the Marauders will take on the winner of the third-seed Tewksbury and either Melrose or Gloucester who meet in a preliminary game.

Freshman Krafian Leads Belmont at Div. 3 State Indoor Track Championships

February 16, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Photo: Freshman Carey Allard handing off to anchor sophomore Marley Williams in the 4×200 meter relay in the MIAA Division 3 state championships held on Feb. 13, 2015.

Anoush Krafian has been on the high school track and field circuit for less than three months but the Belmont High School freshman has made it known that she is a young force to be reckoned with after a series of strong performances in league and class races.

On the biggest stage she’s been on so far on Friday afternoon at the MIAA Division 3 indoor track and field state championships at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, Krafian showed off her prodigious talents by nearly pulled off a stunning result, just miss winning a high jump state championship placing runner up to Chicopee High junior Mia Facchini. Facchini, Krafian and third place Meaghan Kelley from Tantasqua Regional High School all cleared 5 feet, 2 inches but their placements were determined by the number of jumps taken during the competition.

With that second place and another great result in the 55 meter hurdles, Krafian led Belmont High School Girls’ Indoor Track and Field team to a 9th place finish totaling 19 points, 12 coming from the freshman.

Krafian was the only 9th grader in the entire 24 competitor field for the 55-meter hurdles, reaching the finals after qualifying in the top eight. In the finals against seniors and juniors, Krafian sped over the five hurdles to a fifth-place finish, breaking the line in 9.05 seconds, an event won by defending champ senior Isabella DiMare from Notre Dame Hingham (who also won the 55-meter dash and placed third in the 300 meters) who took the top spot in 8.57.

Belmont’s other points came in two relays with the 4×200 meter with sophomore Julia Cella, junior Meggie MacAuley, freshman Carey Allard and sophomore Marley Williams taking third in 1:48.34 and the 4×400 with sophomore Alexandra Bailey, senior Lizzie Frick, sophomore Jenna Magno and junior Katherine Ognibene coming home in 4:21.59 for eighth place.

The Marauders brought a young team that could make considerably more noise next year as several individuals gained great experience:

Williams ran a 7.64 in the 55 meter dash.
Cella (43.02) finished 9th, Allard (43.29) 10th and MacAuley (44.38) 15th in the 300 meters.
Bailey finished 11th (1:42.19) in the 600 meters.
Sophomore Amelia Rasmussen ran a 3:13.36 in the 1,000 meters for 11th.
Klimasmith took 10th in the 2 mile in 12:16.62.
Joining Krafin in the hurdles were junior Samantha Kelts in 11th (9.63) and sophomore Rachel Berets in 18th in 9.8.
Belmont’s 4×800 relay (junior Meredith Hughes, Klimasmith, sophomore Ally Meringer and Rasmussen) ran a 10:21.3 for 11th.

Over in the boys’ meet, a pair of seniors scored the eight points placing Belmont in a tie for 19th place.

Owen Madden came home in 5th in the 300 meters in 37.18, five one-hundreths of second out of fourth while Ari Silverfine ran a 2:36.86 to take 5th in the 1,000 meters. Both of Belmont’s relay teams just missed the points by finishing in 9th: 4×800 meter team of seniors Dan Rizzo, Charles Smith and Silverfine along with freshman Zach Tseng in 8:33.93 and the 4×400 meter of seniors John Decoulos, Madden, Silverfine and freshman Calvin Perkins coming home in 3:40.58, just a hundredth of a second behind Stoughton in eighth.

3 Up, 3 Down, Tournament Bound: Belmont Girls’ Hoops Strides into Post-Season

February 16, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Three games in three days is a tough proposition for most professional teams. For a squad of high schoolers, a trio of games in as many days is a daunting prospect.

So when the Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball team was forced because of the numerous snow storms to play a triple header – two of the opponents playoff-bound with double digit wins – at the end of last week, the coaching staff was a bit concerned how the team would stand up to playing 96 minutes within 48 hours.

“It’s not what we are looking to end our [Middlesex] league schedule and get into the playoffs,” said Melissa Hart, Belmont’s head coach as the team was coming off a two-game losing streak and standing a single game from making the post-season.

But by 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, the Marauders had completed a three-peat, defeating Lexington, Wakefield and Winchester to stride into the Div. 2 North Sectional playoffs. With a pair of post-season tournament games on Monday and Tuesday remaining, Belmont has upped its record to 12-5, one of the team’s best marks in the past decade.

“It’s nice to be [in the playoffs] so some of the pressure will be off the team,” said Hart, after the team’s victory against 12-win Lexington, 51-45, on Wednesday, Feb. 11, giving the team its 10th victory and an automatic entry into the sectional tournament.

The match-up was the return of Lexington’s superstar Anna Kelly, the junior guard who scored 52 points the last time she visited Belmont’s Wenner Field House a year ago. But this time, Kelly picked up two quick fouls and sat on the Lexington bench for most of the first half.

Without their all-star point scoring and directing the squad, Lexington could not break Belmont’s unrelenting defense and the Marauders’ took the game to the Minutemen.

The game for Belmont was a tale of two players in the two halves. In the first 16 minutes, junior forward Sarah Stewart took charge, on the defensive side with four defensive rebounds, two blocks, a steal and several examples of court diving at loose balls and offensively by going three for five from beyond the 3-point line for to power Belmont to a 28-10 lead at the half.

“Making [3 point shots] was unknown land for me,” said Steward, who said she has been encouraged by the coaches to throw up trey when she’s open.

“I now have a new home,” said Steward, who is known as Stewy by her teammates.

It was only a matter of time before Kelly would reemerge, and she did in a big way in the second half. The 5’6″ three year starter is a natural on the hardwood and she came out with a vengeance, throwing up threes and sweeping underhanded scoop shots, scoring 11 of her game-high 22 points in the third quarter to led the Minutemen back to 35-28 with the final eight minutes to play.

Soon after Stewart started the fourth with her third 3 pointer, the school’s fire alarm went off, sending players, coaches, the crowd and a collection of very young swimmers from the adjacent Higginbottom Pool out into the frigid cold for a few minutes before it was decided for everyone’s health that it was better to wait by the gym’s doors.

While many of the other players may have cooled off, freshman point guard Carly Christofori got hot for the Marauders. The 9th grader put a first-class steal on Kelly as the all-star was driving to hoop – one of Christofori’s three steals in the quarter – before racing to the offensive end to hit a trio of driving layups and going 3 for 4 from the charity stripe to score 11 of the teams 16 points in the quarter to secure the victory.

“To play against someone as good as [Kelly] and succeed some of the time is great,” said Christofori, who said the team needed to stay focus once the fire alarm went off “so we could concentrate on keeping the lead and securing the win.

Belmont’s trademark aggressive defense has been frustrating opponents who has met the Marauders for the first time and that was the case Thursday, Feb. 12 when Belmont handily defeated Wakefield, 51-30, on Seniors’ Night at the Wenner.

The Marauders pressured the Warriors – who came into the game with an identical 10-5 record – up and down the court, at times triple teaming the second Wakefield player to handle the ball. The result was 12 steals (four each from seniors Sophia Eschenbach-Smith and Elena Bragg) in a game that was the closest to a total “team” win this season. Ten Marauders’ scored and each of the 15 varsity players got time on the court.

Belmont led after the first quarter, 14-4, and 23-10 at the half with freshman Jenny Call hit two of her three 3-point in both the first and second quarter and senior center Linda Herlihy‘s mid-range jumper. The Marauders blew the game wide open with a 22-point third quarter with Stewart hitting all four of her shots.

By Friday’s away game, fatigue appeared to set in as the Marauders carried themselves over the finish line by defeating Winchester, 38-20, in a game that Hart described as “ugly.”

“Friday the 13th for both teams shooting,” she said.

Just how poor was it? Belmont led at the half 13-1. Herlihy scored a third of Belmont’s points finishing with 12 points, all from near the basket, while Call and Bragg each had 6 points.

Belmont now heads for a pair of games at the 2015 Spartan Classic in Lynn – the first against Bedford – before finishing the season with a home game Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. against Worcester North.

Kleckner Joins Exclusive 1,000 Point Club as Marauders’ Beat Lexington

February 12, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Senior Adam Kleckner said he had “a few butterflies” when he came to Wenner Field House Wednesday, Feb. 11 for the matchup against Lexington.

It wasn’t the typical pre-game anxiety against a familiar rival. On Wednesday night, Kleckner was on the cusp of joining a rarified basketball fraternity: the 6’5″ Middlesex League all-star was just 12 points from reaching 1,000 points in his four-year high school career.

“It’s amazing that I was that close,” said the senior captain.

With a dozen points, Kleckner would join just a handful of Marauder boys to hit the century mark.

(Belmont’s 1,000 point club includes Steven Pollard (’86), 1,294 points; Mike Costello (’96), 1,264; Mark Mulvey (’93), 1.213; Timmie Barrows (’07), 1,126; Larry Norman (’88), 1,096 and Asa Palmer (’93), 1,055.)

It appeared Kleckner would get to the landmark early, scoring the game’s first hoop in the initial 15 seconds while grabbing a bucket full of rebounds. But when he reached 998 with three minutes to go in the first quarter, Kleckner went surprisingly cold; miscues on a few “bunnies”, having his shots blocked and then missing a pair of foul shots that would have set the mark.

The record would have to wait until midway through the second quarter as Kleckner stood at 999. A foul under the hoop put the senior on the line and the first shot, he buried the shot and entered Marauder history.

Congratulations from teammates and head coach Adam Pritchard, a commemorative ball was produced, and his parents and brothers came out onto the court for hugs, kisses and photographs to mark the occasion.

After the game, which Belmont won 64-49 to go 12-6 (and which Kleckner did not score after his milestone), Kleckner said achieving the mark was the result of “a lot of practices and training.”

“But I could not have made it without amazing teammates who helped me over the past four years,” said Kleckner.

NEW DATE: PJ Wearing Belmont High Students Out to Help Needy Kids

February 12, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

If your child heads off to the high school in their PJs tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 13, don’t worry – in fact, that just might be their daily routine – they aren’t late and in a rush to make their first class of the day.

Tomorrow Belmont High will hold its annual “Pajamarama,” the day for students, the administration staff and teachers to wear their “jammies” to class in exchange for a donation of money or nice, new children’s sleepwear to the “PJ Drive for Cradles to Crayons,” a Brighton non-profit organization, which provides gently-used clothes and gear for needy Massachusetts children.

For this drive, sponsored by the Boston Bruins, the school’s is collecting both monetary donations and pairs of new, warm pj’s in sizes from newborn to 18.

For students, parents and residents who would like to help, drop off any new pj’s – please keep the tags on! – in the main office by Wednesday, Feb.25.

Monetary donations – checks made out to Cradles to Crayons – may either be brought to the office or mailed to:

Alice Melnikoff

Belmont High School

221 Concord Ave.

Belmont, MA 02478.

Belmont Girls’ Hoops Fall in All-Too-Predictable Fashion to Woburn, 55-41

February 9, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

If basketball gave victories for defensive intensity, the Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball squad would have a nearly perfect record.

But the game is scored by the number of baskets made, not the ferocity in keeping balls from going through the hoop.

For Belmont, its stellar defense is being left unrewarded as its offense that has gone off the rails.

For the second consecutive game, Belmont was manhandled, on Friday by Woburn High School, 55-41; a score that does not indicate just how ineffective the Marauders’ scoring touch have become.

The offensive woes were evident by looking at the scorer’s sheet as Belmont could only hit 11 baskets in the game, a rate of less than three per quarter. In one stretch of the second half, Belmont went nearly nine minutes scoring only a single two-point basket.

In a repeat of its game against Arlington, the Marauders’ were run over in the critical third quarter. Woburn exploited Belmont’s tendency to attempt a majority of its shots close to the basket by intercepting forced passes into heavy defensive coverage or creating turnovers. In one sequence of plays, Belmont did not attempt a shot on five consecutive possessions as they turned the ball over attempting to funnel the ball under the basket.

After weathering a poor start in the first quarter and cutting a late second quarter Tanners lead (24-16) in half by half time (on two free throws each by freshman Jenny Call and senior Sophia Eschenbach-Smith), it appeared Belmont would put up a fight to keep its unbeaten home record intact when freshman point guard Carly Christofori hit a driving basket in the first few seconds of the second half to put Belmont behind by only a bucket at 24-22.

But in a little over five minutes, Woburn went on a 15-0 run as it clogged the passing lanes to punish Belmont’s attempts to get close to the basket. When Belmont did get into its defensive stance, Woburn would go over it with long jump shots as Woburn star senior forward Sam D’Angelo (18 points) hit four of the Tanners’ five three-point shots.

During the run, Woburn gambled on stealing Belmont passes, which they accomplished at a high rate, leading to several fast breaks and fouls. Woburn’s sophomore point guard Marissa Gattuso (19 points) made a pair of three-point plays by making the hoop while being fouled and hitting the extra shot.

A free throw from senior Elena Bragg (who for the fourth-straight game hit double digits in points with 13) stopped the bleeding with two-and-a-half minutes to play in the third. But the score was now 39-23, and the game was essentially done.

Belmont kept playing aggressive, scrappy defense throughout the remainder of the contest, but there was little to do, but listen to the loutish utterances of the Philistines, who traveled from Woburn.

Depending on the snow and rescheduling, the next game could be Tuesday against Lexington but that is far from certain.

Belmont Boys’ Basketball Back to Winning Ways After Woburn Win

February 8, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Was Friday’s game against Woburn High the kairotic moment for Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball?

Maybe. The 69-51 win over the Tanners at Wenner Field House highlighted a team that didn’t panic while beset with a bevy of miscues and played to its strengths – quickness and power at the post – to dominate an opponent who came into the game tied for second in the Middlesex League’s Liberty Division at 10-6.

The victory stemmed a two-game losing streak where Belmont fell to superior (undefeated Arlington) and inferior (a three win Reading squad) competition by being unable to make the big play down the stretch.

That wasn’t the case Friday as Belmont used a 19 to 10 third quarter to open up a tight game as All-Star senior center Adam Kleckner scored 9 of his game high 20 points in the eight minutes.

Not that Belmont looked good coming out of the gate, falling behind 7-0 and 11-4 with two minutes remaining in the first quarter, before cutting the lead to 13-10 at the half behind two three-point hoops by junior shooting guard Matt Kerans including a successful wild heave that beat the buzzer.

The second quarter was much like the first; Belmont falling further behind early – 19-13 after three minutes after a three-point shot from junior point guard Brandon Moscat – before rallying with contributions from senior guard Ben Lazenby (8 of his 15 points in the second stanza) to tie the score at 28 at the half.

The second half was set up for Kleckner who proceeded to score 7 points in the first two-and-half minutes while pulling down rebounds on both ends of the court to give Belmont a five-point cushion. Then the Marauders’ guard duo – who have played together for the past three season – took turns leading the way; Kerans making one of two after a steal before burying a three followed by Lazenby hitting a leaner than barking “Matt!” to his backcourt mate who swung the ball to the open point guard who sank a 15 foot jumper with the shot clock at 1 second. The lead was then 45-36 with a 90 seconds left in the quarter.

Helped by Woburn’s cold hand shooting from the outside, Belmont was able to take time off the clock before punishing the Tanners inside as Kleckner (9 points including 5 for 6 from the charity strip) and junior Justin Wagner (8 of 12 points in the fourth quarter) ruled under the basket.

The win ups Belmont’s record to 11-6.

Belmont’s game Monday against Wakefield is canceled for a second time and Tuesday’s game with Lexington remains hostage to the latest snow storm.

Belmont Boys’, Girls’ Hoops Sunk in SpyPonder’s Court

February 6, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Both the Belmont High Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams returned home from their short trip to neighboring Arlington on Wednesday, Feb. 4, a little worse for wear as both Marauder squads were defeated by their SpyPond hosts.

The boys’ – with their entire varsity squad healthy and playing for the first time all year – nearly pulled off the upset against an undefeated Arlington team, but could not hold onto a second-half advantage as Arlington’s top player, who will be playing for Division 1 Syracuse next year – on the soccer pitch – lead the SpyPonders to the 65-56 victory.

Girls’ Head Coach Melissa Hart said recently the team’s most glaring flaw – this from a squad that thrives on defensive intensity – is giving up too many three-point buckets. That deficiency was highlighted Wednesday when Arlington stroke nine threes, including three consecutive treys by SpyPonder junior guard Margaret Ammondson (15 points) in the second quarter, to avenge a loss to the Marauders in January, winning in Arlington, 56-41.

Boys’ Hoops

The loss to 15-0 Arlington was there for the taking for the Marauders. Using its speedy backcourt of senior Ben Lazenby (7 points) and Matt Kerans (16 points), the outside shooting of the guards and junior sixth-man Cole Bartels (6 points) and senior forward Seth Altman (9 points) and keying off All-Star senior center Adam Kleckner (16 points), the Marauders lead after the first 17-16 and at the half, 34-32, as the game came was a give and take affair, much of it from beyond the three-point line.

In the third quarter, SpyPond senior forward Miles Robinson (21 points) – the soccer sensation who “likes” basketball – took center stage, running off eight consecutive points (3 hoops and 2 from the line) on Arlington possessions to lift his team to a 46-43 lead at the end of three.

But Altman came through early for Belmont in the final stanza, hitting inside and outside (a three pointer) to put the Marauders on top by two. But that man Robinson scored quickly and his compatriot, senior guard Josh Lee (22 points) made a steal and a bucket and then hit a big three pointer to give the hosts a 55-50 lead midway in the quarter.

Belmont cut the lead to three at 55-52 and in control of the ball when Robinson stole the ball once again for a layup to extend the lead to five. The next time downcourt, the Marauders coughed up the rock leading to another uncontested hoop and the ball game.

The Boys will host Woburn, who stunned the Marauders in January by going on a 9-0 run in the final 90 seconds to win at Woburn High School.

Girls’ Hoops

In Hart’s eyes, Arlington stepped up their game since the last time they encountered the Marauders – in which Belmont came back from 9 down in the third to win – who unfortunately decided to have its poorest all-round game of the season.

“Not our best game,” said Hart. “But Arlington played very well.”

Arlington came to play, taking off to a 19-4 first quarter lead with that included 3 threes – two from Grace Carter (11 points) – with the Marauders scoring through forwards junior Sarah Stewart (2 points) and Elena Bragg who finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds on another productive night for the senior.

Belmont made its run in the second quarter as Belmont held Arlington to eight points – although they gave up the first six points of the half – and squeezed in 16 of their own. Junior forward Samari Winklaar (5 points) and senior point guard Sophia Eschenbach-Smith (6 points and 5 assists) each hit two buckets to trim the lead to 27-20.

Belmont got the lead down to three points at 27-24 early in the third but there would be no comeback for the Marauders this time around as Ammondson hit her three straight threes, as the SpyPonders put up two more threes in the quarter to run off to an insurmountable 46-26 lead at the end of three.

Next up for the Girls’ will be a rematch with one loss Woburn on Friday, Feb. 6, at home, where the team is undefeated.

Will Snow Stop Long Enough For Belmont Girls’ Hoops to Qualify for Tournament?

February 3, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

Nine and three.

That sounds pretty good to Belmont High School Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Melissa Hart coming off the court after her squad used its trademark blanket defense to defeat Reading Memorial High, 67-32, Friday, Jan. 30 at Belmont’s Wenner Field House.

Now if Hart’s players would be a little more … selfish.

“They are so humble and generous that they’re passing when they should take the shot,” said Hart, recalling one of her players dishing the ball to a covered teammate rather than taking an uncontested layup.

Yet Hart’s sees a silver lining to the team’s “need” to share the rock.

“That’s not a bad situation to have because they are always looking for the open player,” said Hart.

With nine wins in twelve games, this season’s Marauders are in the midst of the best run in more than a decade. The team is a single win away from automatically qualifying for the MIAA Div. 2 North Sectional tournament.

But will the weather finally cooperate? In the past 10 days, Belmont has seen three games cancelled due to dual snowstorms that settled over eastern Massachusetts including Tuesday’s game away at Arlington. Belmont will get their chance on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at Arlington in a rematch of an earlier game in which the Marauders came from nine-points down in the third quarter to defeat the SpyPonders, 62-54, on Jan. 6.

On Friday, both teams came out a little worst for wear after their storm-related layoffs, with Belmont taking a 5-4 lead after the first eight minutes. In the second quarter, sophomore Sara Stewart (4 points) got the Marauders going with a pair of buckets between a fast-break layup from freshman Jenny Call (9 points including another 3 point shot from the outside threat) put Belmont up by 7 (13-6).

At this point, Belmont’s spotlight defense took over as the Marauders created four consecutive steals, three by senior forward Elena Bragg, in 90 seconds leading to five points (four by Bragg) and Belmont was off and running. By the end of the quarter, Belmont outscored the Rockets, 24 to 10, to lead 28-14.

Friday was the third consecutive game Bragg has come up big on the offensive boards and on the score board, scoring 14 points against Reading.

“The team is working well, our energy level was been high so its so easy to take the lead and get those points,” said Bragg.

The Marauders’ defense limited Reading to 5 points in the third to seal the win. Hart started using many of her bench players in the third (“They are so valuable for this team because they practice our starters extremely hard,” she said) and they stepped up. Senior guard/forward Sara Lyons (6 points) stroke a pair of threes while junior point guard Ani Maroyan (4 points) hit a jumper and two from the charity stripe. Super junior sixth man Samari Winklaar pumped in 11 of her game high 15 points (along with 6 rebounds and 2 steals) in the second half as spark plug junior guard/forward Meghan Ferraro (3 points) threw in a three from downtown. Running the floor was senior Kayla Magno while fellow senior Lauren Noonan clamped down on the defensive end of the court.

Belmont will be tested this week facing a tough Arlington team on Wednesday and host one-loss Woburn on Friday that defeated Belmont by three points last month.

After Statement Win, Belmont Boys’ Hoops Tumbles to Reading, 76-73

February 3, 2015 By Franklin B. Tucker Leave a Comment

At the beginning of the 2014-15 season, Belmont High School Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Adam Pritchard said the Middlesex League was so competitive “any team, no matter their record, can win on any given night.”

Pritchard’s words were particularly prophetic on Friday, Jan. 30, as his tournament-bound Marauders were taken down by a three-win Reading Memorial High School squad, 76-73, in Belmont’s Wenner Field House.

The loss came just six days after Belmont defeated one of eastern Massachusetts’ top-ten teams and 2013 State Champions, Boston’s Brighton High, 79-65, on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Martin Luther King Invitational at Boston’s Wentworth Institute.

With big man senior Adam Kleckner (22 points) and junior sixth-man Cole Bartels (9 points) back in the squad, the Marauders’ blew the game open in the third quarter as Belmont behind speedy junior shooting guard Matt Kerans (26 points, 10 assists) rained five three point shots (three from senior forward Seth Altman who finished with 14 points) to outscore the Bengals, 28-15, while its smothering defense kept Brighton’s 6-foot, 6-inch senior center Jason Jones (23 points) to 4 points in the quarter.

So it was not unexpected Friday night that Belmont would rush out to a 24-13 lead (10 points from Kleckner) on a Bartels three-point shot with two minutes left in the first quarter. In their earlier encounter this year, Belmont increased its lead throughout the game and cruised to a 58-41 victory at Reading.

Then, as if the team was sent outside to play, the Marauders’ shooting fell into the deep freeze, just as Reading began hitting the first of five three-point buckets in the half. Led by junior guard Chris Merullo (14 points – who hit three of his four three pointers during the run) and junior strong forward Jared Thorpe-Johnson (8 of 18 points in the second quarter), the Rockets went on a 27-3 run to take a 40-27 lead with 3:47 remaining in the half.

A Kerans three pointer (16 points) started a mini comeback that cut the lead in half by half time, 44-37. Yet with the exception of Kleckner (24 points) who had eight points in the third (6-6 from the charity stripe), Belmont simply could not find the basket with many in-close shots rimming out. Bur at the same time, Reading’s hot-hand cooled off considerably – thanks to a tight, suffocating full-court press – and Belmont was able to cut the lead to one, 50-49, with a minute remaining in the third.

But on its next trip down the court, Reading’s senior captain Mike Algeri (20 points) came to life, hitting three free throws after being fouled attempting a three point shot. Kerans’ late drive and hoop cut the Reading lead to two points, 53-51, at the end of three.

Early in the fourth quarter, a pair of free-throws from Kleckner and two baskets from Kerans gave Belmont a one-point lead at 59-58 and it appeared the Marauders’ had final found a way to victory. Two in-close baskets by Thorpe-Johnson and a three-point shot from Algeri gave the Rockets a 64-61 lead until senior Ben Lazenby’s (10 points) three tied the score at 64.

The game then swung back and forth with a Kleckner hook shot getting Belmont within a single point, 69-68, with 2:24 left. Seconds later, senior guard Jaemar Paul stole the ball but three shots from under the basket failed.

It was another senior, Reading’s Algeri, who did come up big, hitting an three from NBA-distance with less than a minute to give the Rockets, 74-71. A Kerans driving two pointer and a defensive stop gave Belmont the ball with less than 30 seconds remaining. But a long-distance, three-point shot by Kerans hit the rim and Algeri made both free throws after he was fouled to put Reading up by three with 2 seconds left. All chances for a last ditch shot ended for Belmont when the inbound pass hit a Belmont player in the foot and it went out-of-bounds.

Belmont’s next opponent will be at league leading Arlington on Wednesday, Feb. 4.