The Bears faced a tough test in their penultimate game of the regular season. The Coe-Brown boys’ basketball team (14-3) made the long trek to Lebanon (16-1) against a Raiders team fighting for first place in Division II and came away with a 74-58 loss.
The Raiders took a quick 22-8 first-quarter lead and built a 35-20 halftime advantage behind strong defensive play and shooting from their guards.
“Defensively Lebanon did a good job early. That set the tone. In the first quarter we had several opportunities we couldn’t capitalize on,” Coe-Brown Coach David Smith said. “Their guards had great games against us.”
Coe-Brown outscored Lebanon 16-9 in the third quarter and cut the deficit to as low as four points, but the Raider guards sunk some 3-pointers and rebuilt an 8-10 point cushion for most of the fourth quarter.
Brody Ashley (19 points) and Sam Lupinacci (15 points, seven rebounds) led Coe-Brown’s scoring on the night.
“If we weren’t so sluggish in the beginning we would’ve matched up well against them,” Smith said. “I think we’ll match up well against them if we get another chance to play them, hopefully.”.
Merrimack Valley 62,
Kingswood 42
Key players: MV – Caleb Laclair (17 points), James Shattuck (14 points) Jake Hebert (13 points), Kyle Dube (8 points off the bench)
Highlights/key moments: The Pride got a quick start, taking a 40-23 lead at halftime and closed out the season on a five-game winning streak.
Coach’s quote: “We’re getting good contributions off the bench and we’re playing good team basketball. We’re peaking at the right time.” – MV’s Tim Mucher
Records: MV 8-10; Kingswood 6-11