PEMBROKE – Mike Strazzeri had just knocked down a free throw to complete an and-one with about 25 seconds to play in the second quarter against No. 10 Kennett. Moments later, he poked the ball free and raced back to the basket for a layup. Then after the Eagles inbounded, he knocked the ball loose again. He couldn’t quite finish that layup, but the sequence captured the energy both he and the rest of the No. 2 Spartans (17-2) played with on Friday night at Pembroke Academy in their 60-36 Division II quarterfinal win over Kennett (10-10).
As has been the case for most of the season, Strazzeri catalyzed the Spartan offense, leading the way with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting; he also had seven steals. Junior Joe Fitzgerald also turned in a strong performance, with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
The two guards consistently maneuvered their way through the paint to finish some of the more acrobatic layups you could attempt on a basketball court with defenders all around you, while also knocking down shots from the perimeter.
“We’re very blessed,” head coach Mike Donnell said. “Joe can drive; Joe can shoot. Mike can drive; Mike can shoot. That’s a great tandem to have. They try to feed off the screen, and if they see a lane, they’re going to attack it, and if they’re not open at the end, they’re gonna dish it off weak side, and hopefully we got ourselves a 3-point shot there.”
Energy from the guards spearheaded a team that played its first game in 12 days. Donnell feared a lethargic start, but that never materialized. For the first three minutes or so, the Eagles’ 2-3 zone gave Pembroke some fits, but after that, the home team dominated.
The Spartans led 13-3 after the first, and 31-10 at the end of the half on the way to the 24-point win.
“If I didn’t tell you I was ecstatic, I’d be lying to you,” Donnell said. “I was very nervous about (the layoff). You could try to do everything A to Z to keep the guys going, but you’re always afraid of that timeframe of sitting and doing nothing. And from the top of the game, they were on the ball, they were shooting the ball, the rotations were good. … When you hold a team to nine points a quarter, you’re playing pretty good basketball.”
A work in progress throughout much of the season, the Spartans defense showed up emphatically. In the first half, they played mostly man-to-man; in the second half, they started applying more full-court pressure to change up the looks. Both stymied the Eagles who struggled offensively from the start, following their 58-49 upset over ConVal on Wednesday night.
Now Pembroke prepares to face No. 14 Oyster River (7-13), the Cinderella of the tournament that beat No. 3 Souhegan on Tuesday before taking down No. 6 Coe-Brown, 40-36 on Friday. A win in this Tuesday’s semifinal at Sanborn Regional High School would put Pembroke where it’s worked to get all season: the championship game. But taking down the Bobcats won’t be an easy task, as the Sabers and Bears could attest.
“They were a 5-13 team. They’re not a 5-13 team anymore,” Donnell said. “And that’s why I tell these guys, you do not have to be the best team to win the states. You gotta be the better team that day. And that’s what I want these guys to be every time we get on the floor. We might not have the most talent, but I want to work the hardest, I want to give the most. To me, it’s a simple thing.
“If you just went by talent alone, why play the games? This is high school. And on any given night, any team can win.”