Within the first 10 seconds of the third quarter of their D-III boys basketball quarterfinal on Friday night, No. 2 Hopkinton (17-3) raced down the court and put the ball in the hoop. The layup gave the hosts a 26-20 lead.
The Hawks didn’t score again until three minutes into the fourth.
By that time, Mascoma (15-4) had rallied for 13 points in a row and showed no signs of letting up. One last push from the Hawks wasn’t enough, and the No. 7 Royals left Hopkinton with a 48-40 upset victory.
The loss will be the last one for Hopkinton coach Steve Signor. After six years of helming the Hawks, the 2021-22 season was Signor’s last.
“I’m moving out of state,” said Signor. “So I was really really hoping to bring a banner back to this school for everybody who ever put on a Hawks uniform in the past, and I feel like I let them down on that. I think maybe we could have prepared a little better.
“There are so many things you ask yourself and what could I have done, but you know what? The boys went out and they played as hard as they could for as long as they could. And that’s all I can ask. And I’m proud of them for that they should keep their heads up.”
Signor said that despite Mascoma’s seeding, he believes they are a top-four team. And the Royals showed that in the game-changing third quarter.
“That third quarter, we got the first bucket, and then all of a sudden that other team turned to another gear,” said Signor.
The gear Mascoma found was one of sheer grit. The smaller team gave it everything they had on every play. Despite being significantly shorter, the Royals managed to control the paint on defense and then use quick dynamic passing to get inside looks on offense.
“They’re (Mascoma) just junkyard dogs. (The Royals’ Cole Moulton) weighs about 100 pounds and he’s about 5-7, but he negated one of our 6-7 kids. They battled us to the end,” said Signor. “We live and die by getting that interior presence getting extended sets. And you know what? We fell short for a little bit there.”
The third quarter negated what had been a solid first-half performance from the Hawks. Their four-point lead at halftime came on the back of hard-fought defense and gritty offense. The height advantage was working wonders for Hopkinton in the paint, with players able to grab their own rebounds and get second- and third-chance baskets.
“They locked it down on D in the second quarter, and I was really proud of how hard they played there,” said Signor.
Proud is a word Signor used several times after the loss. In the fourth quarter, with a loss certain, he subbed in and out all his players to give them one last chance to receive a round of applause. As each player walked back to the bench, Signor gave them a hug and shared a few words.
“I wouldn’t trade these 13 guys for anyone else,” said Signor. “They’re just absolute downright good humans. Forget the fact that they’re excellent basketball players. They’re amazing humans.
“That hug is more of really just thanking them for everything that they’ve taught me. I’m going to really miss that with this group. And that hug just solidified it right there.”