LONGMEADOW — It was raining 3s inside Robert D’Agostino Gymnasium on Friday night as the fourth-seeded Lancers thumped fifth-seeded Amherst, 79-45, during the quarterfinal round of the Western Mass. Class A boys basketball tournament.
Longmeadow sank a staggering 16 shots from beyond the arc against a Hurricanes team forced to witness the clinic the Lancers were putting on from 3-point land in the huge loss.
“I use the term quicksand, it’s an old sports expression, but it’s like when a couple things go wrong and you’re trying so hard and it just seems like nothing can go right and you keep sinking and sinking and sinking,” Amherst head coach Jamahl Jackson said. “Then [we] have guys, when they see that happening, they’re going to try and single-handedly save us.
“It just wasn’t a good showing for us [Friday], as much as it pains me to say that,” Jackson said.
Hurricanes guard Mitchell Carey drained five 3s (21 points) to try and keep pace with Longmeadow’s seemingly perfect touch from long range, but Zach Schmidt was the only other Amherst player to tickle the twine from deep, which totaled 10 less 3s (six) in the defeat.
“We had certain guys who I believe were ready to play, but everybody wasn’t,” Jackson said. “Sometimes when that happens it can be contagious. Then you’re going to press a little bit because you’re trying to make up for poor possessions, mistakes, and that’s what happened.”
Sam Woodruff also battled for 15 points for the Hurricanes.
The Lancers hit at least three 3s in every quarter, but really turned it on the second half, collecting five triples per frame throughout the final 16 minutes.
Longmeadow took a 38-23 lead into halftime, then poured in 20 points in the third as the Hurricanes’ fate was decided well before the final buzzer.
Friday’s skunking was the third meeting between these two teams this season. Amherst won the first game, 66-56, in the same gym as Friday’s contest, on Jan. 8, then lost in overtime, 73-72, at home on Feb. 3.
Luckily for the Hurricanes, their season continues on as they’ll play one Western Mass. consolation game before their journey in the MIAA Division 2 state playoffs begins in a couple of weeks.
“For our seniors, thank god it’s not our last game,” Jackson said. “We got to take this on the chin and we got to come back and be a little bit stronger and a little bit better.”
Pope Francis 84, Holyoke 35 — The No. 8 Purple Knights couldn’t contain the No. 1 seed Cardinals in the quarterfinal-round loss.
Class D
Hoosac Valley 69, Hopkins 41 — The top-seeded Warriors were too much for the Golden Hawks in the semifinal-round clash in Cheshire.
Hopkins, the fifth seed, edged Duggan earlier in the week, to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Non-playoff results
Boys basketball
Franklin Tech 48, Smith Academy 23 — Nolyn Stafford’s 18 points lifted the Eagles past the Falcons on Friday. Stafford sank four 3-pointers in the winning effort for Franklin Tech.
Harry LaFlamme tallied six points for Smith Academy.
Mahar 40, PVCICS 33 — The Senators spread the scoring around in the victory against the Dragons as 11 different players picked up points.
Heyrlackmung Calypso canned seven points to pace Mahar, while Grafton Tolopko grabbed 16 points for PVCICS.
Smith Voc 71, PVCA 41 — Dom Sanchez secured a career-best 34 points for the Vikings in the win.
Sanchez was sharp from beyond the arc, nailing seven 3-pointers.
Girls basketball
Holyoke 54, Smith Voc 28 — The Purple Knights pushed past the Vikings, largely due to their duo of Julianna Pirela and Kyra Lippman.
Pirela (18 points) and Lippman (12 points) drained six of Holyoke’s nine total 3s.
Smith Voc’s Ednaliz Cruz and Savannah Fredette each slotted six points.
Thursday results
Girls basketball
Smith Voc 67, Science & Tech 44 — Four Vikings eclipsed double figures in the win. Jane Lavallee (17 points), Sofia Zina (14 points), Mallory Radwich and Ainsley Chrzanowski (10 points each) led Smith Voc.