EASTHAMPTON — Senior night was especially sweet for the Easthampton boys basketball team, as it cruised to a 66-52 victory over the Southwick Rams.
The victory clinched a post-season berth for the Eagles (10-7, 9-3 Bi-County). After starting the season 3-6, coach Brian Miller was pleased with his team’s bounceback.
“The kids have worked hard, we’ve made some adjustments and changed things up,” Miller said. “Guys are starting to understand what they’re meant to be doing.”
While the pre-game ceremony honored seniors Zach Crisafulli, Josh Brown, Spenser Polonis and Johnny Bara, it was a junior that stole the show.
Point guard Sopie Pek led all scorers with 21 points, and forced turnovers throughout the game with quick hands. His ability to control the pace was praised by Miller.
“Getting Sopie back has really changed things for us,” Miller said. “The ability to put that kind of defensive pressure on an opponent is really important. I don’t want to toot his horn too much, but he’s a point guard and we haven’t had a point guard, so we’re able to do more things offensively, move Zach off the ball, set screens for him and look for some outside shots.”
Pek missed the first half of the season with a broken ankle, according to Miller, but his return has helped Easthampton win seven of its last eight games.
“Having Sopie back is huge,” said Crisafulli, who added 16 points. “We take him for granted a lot, but he’s a defensive presence and a presence with the ball, so it’s always kind of calming to have someone we can give the ball to to slow it down, and someone who can guard the other team’s best guard. It’s really important to have him back.”
Pek was hot early, scoring eight of his 21 in the first quarter. Easthampton led 17-9 after the first frame.
The second quarter featured plenty of scoring from both teams. Junior guard Ant Moynihan came off the bench and had 10 quick points for the Eagles, but sharp shooting for Southwick kept the game within reach. Easthampton led 36-30 at the half.
Southwick came out hot to start the second half. It scored 16 points in the third quarter, including a trio of 3-pointers from guard Chris Molta. Easthampton, after making 12 first-half free throws, did not reach the stripe once in the third quarter. Southwick, leading for the first time in the game, was up 46-44 entering the fourth.
But just as quickly as the flame had been lit for Southwick, it was put out.
Back-to-back steals and fast-break layups by Pek to open the fourth gave the lead back to Easthampton, and Southwick never recovered. More turnovers and ill-advised shots stifled the Southwick offense, which took just over six minutes to finally score in the final quarter.
Easthampton was in the bonus for the entire quarter, and Pek, Crisafulli and Moynihan combined to hit 8 of 9 late free throws to seal the victory.
With just two regular season games remaining, the Eagles, who reached the Western Massachusetts Division 3 finals last season, are ready for a return to playoff basketball.
“I’m excited for the environment,” Crisafulli said. “It’s always an exciting time to play. We have a lot of playoff experience, but it’s a different game in the playoffs, it’s really physical. I think we’re ready, we definitely have a few steps to go with these last couple games, but the playoffs are a lot of fun, and I’m excited to get back for my senior year.”
Crisafulli needs 77 points in to join the school’s 1,000-point club.