SPRINGFIELD – When a crew is down by 5 on its personal senior evening, panic can begin to rise and pressure groups to falter, afraid of a homecourt loss.
The Sci-Tech boys basketball crew isn’t new to comebacks, and it confirmed on Monday evening.
The cybercats dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Taconic 25-6, as Sci-Tech weathered the storm to defeat the Thunder by a remaining rating of 68-54.
“The first half wasn’t Sci-Tech basketball, and I understand the emotions on senior night,” Cybercats coach Shalka Rivera mentioned. “I try to let the guys play the first half so they can enjoy and embrace this moment. But in the second half and fourth quarter, you saw what happened.”
Marcus Jones and Anthony Sanchez Jr. led the way in which for Sci-Tech, as Jones scored a team-high 17, with Sanchez Jr.’s 16 to observe. More notably, Jones had 9 blocks, and all had been highly effective. The manner that Jones can rise up vertically is almost unmatched anyplace, contemplating he didn’t even commit a foul tonight.
“Marcus is an irreplaceable individual,” Rivera mentioned. “What he does at the rim, what he does on the perimeter, he’s our MVP. And without him, we wouldn’t be where we’re at right now. He’s also a guy who’s been in the program for four years, so he understands all of it. He’s probably the best rim protector in all of Western Mass. right now.”
For Jones, it’s the folks round him which might be his motivation.
“My teammates really help me,” Jones mentioned. “I just try to be myself, whether it’s getting a rebound or a block, it’ll come in the game.”
Rivera wasn’t happy with how his crew performed defensively within the first quarter. The 17 factors that Taconic scored had been the second most factors Sci-Tech has let up all season within the opening body, because the Thunder had been scoring at will.
All of that mentioned, Sci-Tech ended the quarter on a 10-2 run and was one way or the other up 19-17 on the finish of 1.
The better part about senior evening is when youngsters who don’t normally play, get to play. AJ Osario, a senior and crew favourite, scored the primary factors of the evening on both aspect. Osario had simply three factors on the season, but when his title was known as, he delivered.
“This team means everything to me. It’s the only team and family I have,” Osario mentioned. “I wanted to make my name pop somehow, and to score those two points makes me feel like I was doing something.”
The Cybercats had been up 35-30 on the half, however the Thunder flipped the script in a manner that not often occurs. Taconic scored 18 factors within the third, all on three-point performs. Charlie Driscoll and Quincy King hit consecutive triples to begin the quarter.
And then Evan Roccabruna tied the sport at 42 with one other deep ball. Driscoll and King every cashed one other three earlier than Roccabruna completed the quarter with an and-one.
Rivera knew the sport wasn’t going to be a nap fest because of the rollercoaster of feelings on senior evening, and he additionally knew what this sport meant to his 5 seniors.
“Everything. Some of them weren’t in the program last year, but you learn to build relationships with them.” Rivera mentioned. “They’re just like my little brothers, and you want to see this moment for them to be great. That’s what we try to do.”
Down 48-43, the script was ripped into items.
Sci-Tech took over the ultimate eight minutes of the sport, not permitting Taconic to attain till three minutes to go, and it was all due to Jones. Early within the fourth, he made a snatch block, and on the subsequent possession shut down a two-on-one fastbreak.
He then scored a layup on the opposite finish, rapidly stole the ball, which led to an Isaiah Rodriguez three-pointer, who had 15 factors to cap off the win.
Taconic dropped to 4-12 and can play Pittsfield on Friday evening, whereas Sci-Tech has a fast turnaround, dealing with Minnechaug on Tuesday. The Cybercats have an opportunity to seize the Valley Wheel Conference title with a win.
“It’ll be the second time in Sci-tech history that we’re going for a conference championship, and that hasn’t been set around here in a long time,” Rivera mentioned. “We’re going in with the right mindset. It always starts with our defense first.”