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Frontier, 79-65 (final)

E-mail|Link|Comments (2) Posted by Chris Forsberg, Boston.com Staff March 15, 2008 12:36 PM

division 3 boys' state championship
Frontier 79, Scituate 65

Frontier utilized its perimeter game to open some space against Scitaute in the third quarter, then fended off the Sailors over the final eight minutes to emerge with a 79-65 triumph in the boys' Division 3 state championship game at the DCU Center in Worcester.

Twins Dan Clark (23 points) and Brian Clark (24 points) sparked the Frontier offense, but it might have been Gary Grandonico who came up biggest for the Red Hawks. The junior guard scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half, including 11 in the final frame.

Rodney Beldo paced Scituate with a team-high 23 points, while Blaine O'Brien added 20 for the Sailors.

Scituate trimmed its deficit as low as six early in the fourth quarter, but Grandonico got red hot and helped the Red Hawks fly away with the title.

***

4th quarter

This one might be slipping away from Scituate.

Frontier's Gary Grandonico has gotten hot from the floor. After hitting a pair of big 3-pointers earlier in the frame, he just knocked down back-to-back jumpers (one clanging off the glass and in from the lane) to give the Red Hawks a 67-56 lead with 4:18 to go.

Dan Clark banged home a big jumper with 1:06 to go for a 73-63 advantage.

***

3rd quarter

Six 3-pointers decorated a third quarter in which Frontier looked like it might be pulling away, only for Scituate to rally late.

The Red Hawks lead, 58-52, heading to the final frame.

Earlier in the third quarter, Brian and Dan Clark splashed trifectas on consecutive trips down the court and Frontier opened a 53-45 advantage with 2:34 to play in the third quarter.

***

2nd quarter

Some entertaining up-tempo basketball in the first half.

Twins Dan and Brian Clark combined for 25 points to pace Frontier to a 39-35 advantage over Scituate at the intermission.

Rodeny Beldo led Scituate with a team-high 13 points in the first half (including 3 trifectas), while big men Blaine O'Brien and Sean McCarthy chipped in seven points apiece.

***

1st quarter

Scituate and Frontier are knotted at 19 after eight minutes.

Twins Dan and Brian Clark are a formidable pair for the Red Hawks and combined for all but two of their team's points in the first quarter.

Scituate center Sean McCarthy is feasting under the basket and chipped in seven first-quarter points.

***

Starting lineups

Here are the starting lineups for the Division 3 boys' title game:

SCITUATE

10 - Blaine O'Brien - 6-6 - Sr.
11 - Rodney Beldo - 5-10 - Soph.
12 - Sam Malone - 5-11 - Soph.
32 - Keith Fluery - 6-1 - Sr.
54 - Sean McCarthy - 6-9 - Sr.

Coach: Matt Poirier

FRONTIER

4 - Brennan McKenna - 5-10 - Sr.
21 - Jamie Bell - 6-1 - Sr.
22 - Brian Clark - 6-4 - Sr.
23 - Dan Clark - 6-4 - Sr.
30 - Jon Pepyne - 6-2 - Jr.

Coach: Marty Sanderson

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2 comments so far...

Way to go Frontier! Making Western Mass proud!

Posted by H. Billy March 15, 08 04:59 PM

I am so proud of my nephews Sean and Andrew and the rest of the Scituate team for making it this far. They are all winners in my eyes!

Posted by Maureen March 15, 08 09:48 PM

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Look for updates from:

Bob Holmes: A Reading resident (Go Rockets!) and Boston College graduate, Holmes is the Boston Globe High School Sports Editor. We remind you now that his weekly picks are often made in jest so everyone just calm down when he picks against Everett for 11 straight weeks.
Mike Carraggi: An Everett native (Go Tide!), Mike attends Eastern Nazarene college and is entering his second year with the Globe. He'll focus on Division 1 this fall, which means he'll spend a lot of time in his hometown, which Forsberg thinks is cool because the Tide have that Fried Dough cart.
Emily Wright: A Hyannis native (Go Barnstable Red Raiders!), Emily is a senior at Emerson College and has been with the Globe since the end of July. She'll cover Division 1A and will be the first intern we've trusted to navigate her way to Dennis-Yarmouth or any other school on the Cape.
Mike Grossi: A Lexington native (Go Minutemen!), Mike attends Northeastern and has been with the Globe for two months. He'll cover Division 2 and 2A and unsuccessfully lobbied to include Lexington in the preseason Top 20.
Jonathan Raymond: A native of Benicia, Calif. (a suburb of San Francisco), Jonathan attends Northeastern and has been working at the Globe since the end of June. He will be focusing on Division 3 and is likely woefully underprepared for covering a game in a foot of snow.
David Carty: A native of West Bridgewater (Go Wildcats!), David is a senior at Emerson College and has been working at the Globe for a year. He'll cover Divisions 3A and 4 because, "small school ball is in my blood."
The bench: You'll also catch updates from our regional contributors, including Globe North's Julian Benbow and South's Monique Walker. Correspondent Brendan Hall will have updates from the Globe West coverage area and will often try to sneak in Central Mass. news.