WORCESTER — Hopkins Academy couldn’t ask for a better endgame situation.
The Golden Hawks had the ball with 19.7 seconds remaining in their MIAA State Division 4 boys basketball semifinal against Maynard at the DCU Center.
They trailed by one but could take the last shot.
Junior point guard Sam’i Roe attacked Manyard sophomore Corey Oliver with a crossover dribble at the 3-point line and attempted a left-handed layup from the left block.
He was fouled with 7.1 seconds showing on the clock.
Roe made the first free throw to tie the game.
Another would all but clinch a spot in the state championship game.
He missed, and Maynard grabbed the rebound, racing down the floor.
Olivier missed a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.
The Golden Hawks found their way to the line near the end of overtime, trailing by one with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Sophomore Justin Butterfield needed to make one to potentially send the game to a second overtime or hit two for the win.
He missed both, and Hopkins fell 52-51, ending the Golden Hawks’ undefeated season.
“You couldn’t ask to be in two better situations,” Hopkins coach Angelo Thomas said. “It was a tougher situation for Justin Butterfield, he was coming in cold.”
Butterfield entered the game after John Earle fouled out with 1 minute, 23 seconds remaining in the overtime.
Earle sent Cal Howes to the line with the Tigers (22-2) trailing 51-50.
Howes made both to seal the final margin.
Maynard struggled shooting free throws up to that point.
The Tigers only hit 12 of 21.
Howes and Eric Kiley missed the front end of one-and-one opportunities in the final 2:24 of regulation with the game tied at 45.
“We’ve got to hit our free throws,” Howes said. “We could have responded a little better.”
Maynard led by as many as 10 points in the first half.
The Tigers were up 23-13 with 4:13 until halftime after a Kiley free throw.
They built the lead by heavily pressuring Hopkins’ ballhandlers and forcing the Golden Hawks into bad passes and turnovers.
“We had to adjust different. We’ve not played a team like this all year,” Hopkins senior Spencer Butterfield said. “They were quicker, faster, we had to adjust and have someone to work the ball to, have a backup plan.”
Hopkins reduced that deficit to 27-20 by halftime when Brett Morrison made a layup in the final minute.
Morrison, who finished with five points, opened the second half with another layup through contact and made the free throw to bring Hopkins within four.
The Golden Hawks took their first lead, 34-33, on a Spencer Butterfield layup with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
“We just played basketball. When we first went out there, we were scared. They’re a big team,” Spencer Butterfield said.
Maynard scored the next four points to take a 37-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
Earle opened the quarter with a 3 for the Golden Hawks, then Roe switched into attack mode.
He scored five of his team-high 17 points on free throws in the fourth quarter and had other chances to finish at the rim.
“Everything you want. He takes it to the hole two times and misses the shot. Takes it to the whole a third time and gets fouled,” Thomas said. “He hits the first and ‘let’s go, it’s a tie game. We’re going to win this, we’re playing Saturday.’ It doesn’t always work out the way you want it.”
Hopkins lost in the state semifinals for the second consecutive year after winning a second consecutive Western Mass title.
Seniors Spencer Butterfield, Brett Morrison, Jovanni Waldon and Greg Pipczynski played their final game for the Golden Hawks.
“They’re all walking away limping, limping and bleeding,” Thomas said.
Spencer Butterfield hit the floor hard on Hopkins’ first overtime possession and stayed down.
Hopkins’ medical staff looked at his left knee before he limped back to the bench.
Morrison played the second half with a bandage after scraping his knee on the endline between the words “Worcester” and “MA” after being fouled with 2:15 left in the second quarter.
“That’s what they do. They gave it their all,” Thomas said. “They can be happy with that.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.
Maynard 52, Hopkins 51 (OT)
Tigers (22-2)
Olivier 5-2-14, Ford 1-0-2, Bastien 3-4-10, Geiger 3-1-7, Howes 3-2-8, Kiley 4-3-11. Totals: 19-12-52.
Golden Hawks (23-1)
S. Butterfield 5-0-12, Earle 2-0-5, J. Butterfield 0-0-0, Roe 5-7-17, B. Morrison 2-1-5, J. Morrison 5-0-10, Pipczynski 1-0-2. Totals. 20-8-51.
|
Maynard |
17 |
10 |
10 |
9 |
6— |
52 |
|
Hopkins Academy |
9 |
11 |
14 |
12 |
5— |
51 |
3-Pointers—Maynard 2 (Olivier 2), Hopkins Academy 3 (S. Butterfield 2, Earle)