PITTSFIELD — Taconic boys basketball coach Bill Heaphy knew what the Hopkins Academy and star senior guard Andrew Ciaglo were capable of entering Friday’s MIAA Division 5 quarterfinal matchup.
So while Ciaglo poured in a game-high 29 points for the No. 8 Golden Hawks, the veteran head coach knew it could’ve been worse.
“How do I feel about [Ciaglo] getting [29 points]?” Heaphy said postgame. “Good. He could’ve gotten 40. He’s that good.”
But despite Ciaglo’s monster offensive night, Hopkins Academy saw its season come to its conclusion in the Berkshires. Top-seeded Taconic showcased a versatile offensive attack, pulling away late for an 88-61 victory.
“I’ve coached a lot of kids in my time and I’ve got to say that Andrew is one of, if not the toughest, mentally and physically,” lauded Hopkins Academy coach Jim Hart. “I think a performance like that tonight, looking at the caliber of players who were guarding him, and he was going by, it should wake up some Division 2 schools to look at him for the next level. The kid can shoot. I’ve only known him for a year as his coach here, but I’m going to miss him.”
Taconic (19-4) will play No. 4 Paulo Freire in the Division 5 semifinals, either Monday or Tuesday.
“I told [Ciaglo] after the game, I enjoyed watching you play,” Heaphy lauded. “You could see what it meant to him. He played unbelievable.”
Hopkins (17-6) played from behind the entire night, though it kept the Thunder at arm’s length for the majority of the quarterfinal. Ciaglo’s 3-pointer with 4 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter pulled the Hawks within 69-59, but Taconic closed the night out with a whopping 19-2 run – the hosts got out and ran in transition.
“My worry was actually their transition game,” Heaphy said of Hopkins. “We needed to locate guys quickly. But we’re a pretty good team in transition ourselves, so if it turned into a track meet, let’s go.”
Hopkins took advantage of a technical foul called against Taconic’s Makai Shepardson with 3:13 left in the second quarter to really put some pressure on the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Ciaglo made both free throws and then scored an easy layup on the ensuing possession, cashing in on what wound up as a four-point trip to get within 34-30.
“We’ve got guys like Andrew and Colin [Earle], so we never back down from any challenge,” Hart said. “We hung in there for a little while, took some punches and came back. But by the end of the game, it was evident they were bigger, stronger and faster.”
But Taconic made a late burst to take a 40-32 halftime advantage, and scored the first five points of the third quarter to force a quick Hopkins timeout with the Hawks trailing 45-32.
Ciaglo scored 10 of his 29 points in the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, but the Taconic offense managed to stave off scoring droughts throughout the entire 32-minute affair. The hosts put up 25 points in the third quarter and 23 in the fourth, and their 88-point total was the most points Hopkins allowed all season long.
Ciaglo’s 29 points capped a standout career in Hadley, while back court partner and classmate Earle scored 16 points in his final game. Earle and Tanner Selig were both saddled with foul trouble for the majority of the night, which limited their time on the floor significantly. Selig picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter while Earle snagged his fourth with 3:56 left in the third.
Teddy Cyr and Cam Wade tossed in six points apiece for Hopkins.
“We just didn’t have the firepower that they had,” Hart offered. “It was definitely a mismatch for the most part, but our guys are tough — they’ve got an anytime, anywhere, any team mentality.”
Taconic leading scorer Sean Harrigan led the hosts with 24 points, and his ability to slash and convert in the lane proved particularly effective against Hopkins without Earle and Selig on the floor. Sam Sherman followed with 21 points in the win while Tayvon Sandifer tossed in 16.
NOTES: Taconic led 23-16 after one quarter, and the squad never trailed after scoring the first two buckets of the game. … The Hopkins student section showed out in this one, making the trek to Pittsfield despite an early 5 p.m. tip.