A breeze for McDermott, Milton
WORCESTER - In the end, not even Hurricanes could derail Milton's path to a state title.
Fourteen Wildcats scored as Milton rolled, 81-44, against the Hoosac Valley Hurricanes in the Division 2 state championship game yesterday at the DCU Center.
Senior guard Marcus McDermott led Milton with 20 points, and junior center Emanuel Hutcherson added 11.
"The guys played well all year," Milton coach Sean Lopresti said. "I've been saying the same thing all year - we're a very deep team. I think tonight that was very evident."
The key for Milton was the third quarter, during which the Wildcats (22-4) outscored the Hurricanes, 28-9, en route to a 64-31 edge after three quarters.
"We were real focused, and we didn't want to let them back into the game," McDermott said. "We tried to come out hard and make sure we kept our runs up."
During the period, McDermott scored 6 points and the Wildcats hit five 3-pointers.
Milton's lead reached 37 on junior guard Nasara Hassan's layup with just 20 seconds remaining.
"They beat us in all facets - physically, emotionally, shooting, you name it," Hoosac coach William Robinson said. "They beat us. Give credit to them."
The Wildcats also dominated the first quarter, as McDermott scored the first 7 points en route to a 17-2 Wildcats lead. Hoosac rebounded to close within 19-7 by the end of the quarter.
Hoosac crawled within 6 in the second period after a 9-0 run, but the Wildcats ended the half on an 8-0 streak to take a 36-22 lead into the break.
In the first and third periods, the Wildcats outscored the Hurricanes, 47-16. However, in the second and fourth quarters, Milton's edge was only 34-28.
"We were never going to quit, no matter how much we were down by," Hoosac junior forward Robbie Burke said. "That's a great team we were playing. They deserved their fair shake."
Burke led Hoosac (21-4) with 15 points, and sophomore guard Nate Aitken had 7.
The Wildcats dominated defensively, forcing several turnovers and holding Hoosac well below Milton's average of 57 points allowed per game.
"I think tonight, our true colors showed," Lopresti said. "We showed what kind of a defensive team we could be."
Milton also was able to send its 11 seniors off with a state championship in the last game of their careers.
McDermott said the victory was the icing on the cake of his high school career, which also included an MVP award in the Bay State League's Herget division this season.
"We're the only D2 team in Massachusetts that ended the season on a win," McDermott said. "I'm a senior, and this is my last game. It feels great."
