Basketball: IAABO Board 28 holds Hampshire-Franklin All-Star games in Hatfield

HATFIELD — A handful of highlights and a plethora of 3-pointers dominated the scene at the IAABO Board 28 Hampshire-Franklin All Star Games on Friday night at Smith Academy High School.

The well attended event began with the boys game, with the West All-Stars outlasting the East All-Stars, 75-65. Frontier Regional’s Alex Ellis won the MVP for the victorious squad, finishing with 13 points at Webb Gymnasium. Ellis closed his high school career side by side with coach Josh Morse and teammate Max Millette.

“It feels great to have a high on the season,” Ellis said. “With Josh coaching and Max, it’s a good time. I was trusting my teammates. I’ve known a lot of these guys even though I haven’t played with them. Trusting my coach. Playing with familiarity. That’s how I play all the time.”

Ellis has a plan to continue playing basketball in college, but where that will be is still to be determined for the senior. The East All Stars saw Granby’s Zavien Fernandez collect the MVP plaque with 15 points. Fernandez has an invite to play at the Western Massachusetts Senior High School All-Star Game at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He has a similar plan for that game in Springfield.

“It’s good,” Fernandez said. “I’ve been playing basketball my whole life. I am hoping to get MVP again. I play aggressively. Pass the ball, get buckets.”

Mitchell Carey of Amherst Regional had 11 points along with the only Sportscenter worthy highlights for the night. Carey had multiple dunks in transition during the game.

Fernandez’s plans after high school are still to be determined. There was a pause in the fourth quarter to honor David Hastings, the Frontier Regional girls basketball coach, for his 200th career win. Hastings achieved the milestone after the Redhawks win over Lenox on Jan. 2. Before Frontier, Hastings coached at Pioneer Valley Regional and Keene State College.

The West All-Stars pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run. Hampshire Regional’s Braylon Jarrett started the run with a bucket in the paint. Ellis followed with a smooth hook shot before a 3-pointer by Millette put the game away.

In the girls matchup, The West All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars, 50-35. K.C. Curran won the MVP for the East All-Stars, finishing with 10 points. Curran won a Western Mass. Class D championship with Granby this season before her MVP performance in an All-Star setting.

“It was awesome to play one more game,” Curran said. “With girls that I have played before. It’s fun and it’s ironic. We played against these girls and now they are my teammates. They are all really cool I loved playing with them. It was a great experience. “

Curran plans on attending college to study occupational therapy. For the West All-Star team, Easthampton’s Samone Young won the MVP with 18 points.

“It was fun,” Young said. “I am so used to playing with my teammates for the last four years. To play with people that I’ve looked up to…or found a friend just because we play the same basketball game that we all love. It felt fulfilling. A nice close to the season.”

Young’s college plans are set for the fall. The senior has will attend Elms College to continue her hoops career and study psychology. The West-All Stars pulled away in the fourth quarter with a flurry of 3-pointers. Pioneer Valley Regional’s Kyler McClelland hit two 3-pointers in a row to give her team a 45-25 lead.

“It was really nice,” McClelland said. “Having everybody working together.”

McClelland has a friendly rivalry with Mahar Regional’s Hayden Comeau. One of her fourth quarter 3-pointers was over the defense of Comeau. McClelland finished with nine points on three 3-pointers and plans on attending UMass to study finance. She will have an associate’s degree through dual enrollment when she finishes up at Pioneer this spring. The shot felt pretty good over her friend.

“It was fun to play against Hayden and hit that shot in her face,” McClelland said.

Another 3-pointer from Greenfield’s Gloria McDonald put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Athol’s Abigayle Spooner scored eight points for the East All-Stars. Comeau finished with seven points. Smith Vocational’s Sofia Zina had six points for the West All-Stars.