TURNERS FALLS — The postseason jitters lasted one quarter for the Turners Falls boys basketball team.
Fourth-seeded Turners went on the attack and dominated the second quarter, as it outscored 13th-seeded Sizer School of Fitchburg 25-5 and coasted to a 57-35 victory Monday in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 4 Tournament.
The win was career No. 300 for veteran Turners head coach Gary Mullins, who grew up in Hatfield and graduated from Smith Academy in 1970.
“I had no idea,” quipped the humble mentor.
Turners (13-8) found itself trailing 11-7 at the end of eight minutes after Sizer went on a 9-0 run, but then the hosts turned the second quarter into a track meet and the White Tigers were simply unable to keep up.
“Just because you’re considered the prohibitive favorite (to win) doesn’t mean you’re going to play well, and I think we were a little bit nervous,” said Mullins of the ragged start. “We couldn’t make a shot, and we started to get some good looks and still couldn’t make a shot. Then the second quarter we started to get some stops and got some runouts.”
Consecutive hoops by Nick Croteau and Kyle Bergmann helped Turners tie the game at 11 just 22 seconds into the period. Luis Santiago (team-high 13 points) drained his second 3-pointer of the evening with 7:17 left in the half to put Sizer back in front, 14-11, but that was the last time the White Tigers led.
Tyler Lavin made three straight hoops to start a decisive 21-0 run over the next 5:07 to give Turners a 32-14 lead. Bergmann also added six points during that stretch, while Tionne Brown added five.
Bergmann pulled down six rebounds to go along with his game-high 14 points. Brown had 10 points, six assists and four steals, while Lavin finished with 10 points and five.
Turners will host a quarterfinal matchup against No. 5 Murdock (13-7) Thursday night at 7. Murdock defeated No. 12 Lenox 57-36 Monday.