Basketball - Boston.com

High School Basketball

division 1 > CC 68, St. John's (S) 47

Central relies on buddy system

St. John's had no answer for Central Catholic's best friends Adrian Gonzales and Wilfredo Pagan. Gonzales had 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Pagan (21 points) was a force on both ends.

Northampton 50, Andover 37 It's a first for Devils
Wellesley 65, Millbury 44 Nothing amiss for Raiders
Williams 69, Quaboag 47 Bishops were up to speed
CM 74, Tantasqua 56 One year later: It's Knights' day
Frontier 79, Scituate 65 Sibling revelry for twins
walker Memories of Mahoney inspire Scituate
gallery Photos | video Highlights | graphic The OT

girls' emass finals

D1 > Andover 61, NB 34 Garden party for Andover
D2 > Wellesley 38, L-S 32 Raiders hold on
D3 > Williams 59, Pentucket 53 Repeat for Bishops
D4 > Cohasset 44, M/E 36 Cohasset prevails in OT
Jackie MacMullan Duffy handles it well
gallery Photos from the Garden | video Highlights

boys' emass finals

d1 > cc 54, BC High 44 Central completes comeback
D2 > CM 74, Reading 61 Less drama as CM repeats
D3 > Scituate 56, Watertown 46 Win no picnic
D4 > NCC 77, Avon 54 Rose flourishes in Garden
gallery Photos from the Garden | video Highlights

recent headlines

video Lawson inspires Norwell | Story | Photos

Desrosiers attracts college scouts

At 6 feet 10 inches and 220 pounds, Carson Desrosiers is a towering presence. And the promising Central Catholic basketball star is the envy of a slew of Division 1 college recruiters. Already, Syracuse, Fordham, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Providence and Oregon State have offered full scholarships. Countless others are waiting with pens in hand.

Gaining edge with hoops, books

Ben Okiwe grew up on Intervale Street in Dorchester. "It was the heyday of the neighborhood gang," he said.

Medfield's McBrien leads way for Southeast Bay State Games basketball team

Between her winters with Medfield High's basketball squad and year-round AAU sessions, Jenn McBrien could easily help you define "grueling workout." Yet, she doesn't hesitate to summarize the last month of basketball practice with the Southeast team, preparing for the Bay State Games, as the most intense sessions she has ever experienced.

Cohassett player shifts role, aims for high ground

Lately, the lights at Mansfield Sportsplex are almost never shut off on time. Something's been bugging Samantha Lehr.

Stoughton High athlete produces documentary on high school basketball

If Edwin Saladin were a film critic, he would give his documentary enough stars to create a constellation. Never mind that he is entering his senior year at Stoughton High, whose 8-minute documentary was for a class project.

Waiting ends happily for new Malden Catholic basketball coach

Jim Silvio waited four years for another opportunity to come knocking at his door as a varsity boys' basketball coach.

There's nothing amateur about this hoop rivalry

MANSFIELD - Two years ago, former Celtics coach John Carroll wanted nothing to do with TJ Gassnola, a Springfield-based youth basketball recruiter who declared himself "hell bent on destroying" Leo Papile's Boston Amateur Basketball Club, the top program of its kind in New England.

In this youth league, even the coaches are kids

On a recent Saturday afternoon, when it was nice enough outside to ride bikes and play baseball, a group of third- and fourth-grade boys sprinted up and down the basketball court in the North Quincy High School gym.

Between hello and goodbye, Twomey set teams' standards

In four years of coaching, Groton-Dunstable boys' basketball coach Keith Woods had only two words for Greg Twomey.

Wellesley girls' squad came of age in a hurry

By instinct, the immediate reaction was ecstasy. But minutes after stepping off the floor of Worcester's DCU Center, members of the Wellesley High girls' basketball team and coaching staff looked at each other around the locker room in almost bewilderment - Did that just happen?

Students vie in All-City Basketball

The All-City Basketball Classic is back for the eighth annual showdown between the best of the best in Boston public high school basketball.

Archbishop Williams seniors defend title

WORCESTER - Four years ago, a handful of freshmen joined an Archbishop Williams girls' basketball program that was coming off a four-win season.

Cohasset girls savor state title

The Cohasset High girls' basketball team walked around the TD Banknorth Garden last week like a group with amnesia. They repeatedly asked one another, "Are we the state champions?"

These stories have that deja vu feeling

If any of these plot lines sound familiar, blame it on the writers' strike. Pentucket girls win Division 3 North title.

Playing his own driving force

Terrel Randle is as easygoing and candid as they come, but when it comes to basketball, he isn't exactly talkative. But last October, during a team meeting in the bowels of Quinsiga1mond Community College's Athletic Center, he felt compelled to share his life story.

High school basketball preview

Longtime Northampton girls' basketball coach Tom Parent has been down this road before. In 1992, Parent guided the Blue Devils to the state final only to see his team lose by 3 points to Haverhill.

Stars shining at St. Mark's

The last half-dozen years have been very good for Dave Lubick , the last three in particular. His St. Mark's School boys' basketball program has won two New England Prep Class C titles, and two highly sought-after recruits are still with the team.

O'Brien still open to coaching

The itch is there. Every so often, Jack O'Brien will receive a phone call. More often than not, the voice on the other end will inquire if he'd still like to coach. More often than not, he'll hear them out. But so far, the former highly successful boys' basketball coach at Charlestown High, and ever so briefly Lynn English, hasn't ...

Archrival unable to keep pace

The Bishops seem to have an affinity for comebacks. After falling behind by 10 points yesterday in the first half against Cardinal Spellman, Archbishop Williams made an impressive turnaround, taking the Division 3 South title, 60-45, in front of a noisy morning crowd at UMass-Boston.

Glass act lifts Whalers

New Bedford's Brittany Mello led all scorers yesterday with 22 points in the South final at UMass-Boston, but it was her work on the glass that propelled the Whalers to victory.

Over hump, Andover cruises to title

LOWELL - After her team's 55-43 victory over Central Catholic in the North final at Tsongas Arena last night, Andover senior Camille Fantini broke into a smile when asked how she felt about the win.

Smallish Wakefield is long on success

If you take a look at the Division 2 North boys' basketball bracket, Brad Simpson already knows what you're thinking.

L-S, Wellesley march forth

After trailing for most of the first half, Lincoln-Sudbury's girls' basketball team opened the second half with an 8-0 run and never looked back en route to a 52-40 win over Reading in the North final at Tsongas Arena yesterday.

Central theme to victory

LOWELL - After diving and lunging for loose balls and bad passes all night, the Central Catholic boys' basketball team took one last collective lunge.

If he's on your team, chances are you'll win

His impressive numbers say winner. His actions define a leader. What's not so obvious is Dan Kinney's humility; it's almost hard to believe his words are coming from an athlete who has put together such a magnificent high school career.

BC High able to KO Boxers

BC High clamped down on defense, charged back from a 12-point halftime deficit, and punched its ticket to the TD Banknorth Garden with a 74-63 victory over Brockton in the Division 1 South final last night at UMass-Boston.

With its season on line, Scituate survives

There are 32 minutes in a high school basketball game and often the outcome comes down to the last seconds.

Monteiro saves day for Knights

After Dartmouth erased a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the South sectional final at UMass-Boston, it became clear that somebody was going to have a chance to be the star.

Williams's 50 nifty for Avon

Avon junior guard Akeem Williams left his team's faithful chanting "MVP" after his remarkable performance in last night's Division 4 South final.

Skippers enjoy healthy edge

Over the past few days, second-seeded Cohasset remained one of the few teams to lace up for practice as others were ousted from the MIAA state tournament. But Tori Lehr, the Skippers' 6-foot-2-inch center, was forced to stay off the court, suffering from a mild stomach virus.

Rose, NCC off to Garden

This time a year ago, Paul Rose was anything but a leader. He was a fresh face from Fenway High and in his eyes at least, he was the best player on the team. If the Panthers were getting anywhere near the state tournament, he'd be the one to drag them there.

Mt. Alvernia feels Hornets' sting in OT

There's something magical (perhaps lucky) about the Division 4 North girls' basketball tournament for Manchester Essex. Last season, as the 15th seed, the Hornets made it to the North final before losing to New Mission.

Boxers advance to final

Bob Boen waited more than two decades on Brockton's bench before becoming head coach this season. Replacing a legend, he hasn't skipped a beat.

Central Catholic boys' basketball team upsets Charlestown

Central Catholic senior Adrian Gonzalez waited until the last possible moment last night to show why he is one of the best players in the state.

Avon sticks with the plan, shoots down Hull

The Avon boys' basketball team never goes into a panic mode - no matter how high the pressure gets or how far it falls behind. The third-seeded Panthers worked their magic again last night, staging a fourth-quarter rally to beat No. 8 Hull, 76-71, in a Division 4 South semifinal in Brockton.

Sign of a champion

DEDHAM - On the bench to the right of the scoring table at Noble & Greenough's Rappaport Gymnasium yesterday, young women in bright blue basketball uniforms began their intimidating battle cry, bringing down one foot at a time - stomp, stomp - before smacking their hands in unison - clap, clap.