KINGSTON – The No. 2 Pembroke Academy boys’ basketball team walked into the cathedral of a locker room at Sanborn High School at halftime of Tuesday night’s Division II semifinal leading No. 14 Oyster River, 27-22.
“The good news is we’re up five,” head coach Mike Donnell told his team. “The bad news is we’re up five.”
Against a Bobcat team that last week upset No. 3 Souhegan (48-45) and No. 6 Coe-Brown (40-36), complacency would not cut it.
The Spartans (18-2) started the third quarter on a 6-0 run, forcing an Oyster River (7-14) timeout at the 6:15 mark. Then, a couple of minutes later, Pembroke senior Shondell Hadley swished home a corner 3-pointer. On the next possession, he did the exact same thing. And then on the following possession, senior Josh Pilotte joined the fun, knocking down a 3-pointer himself, opening up a 44-26 lead for the Spartans.
Pembroke continued at that pace, ultimately ending Cinderella story of Division II boys’ basketball, 70-49, to advance to the D-II championship game at the University of New Hampshire on Sunday against No. 5 Pelham.
“We came out really sloppy,” Pilotte said. “What (the Bobcats) do is they like to control the game, and that’s what they were doing. So we came out, and were like, ‘This is our game.’ (We) just never looked back.”
Oyster River played methodically against Souhegan and Coe-Brown, patiently waiting for the right opportunities on offense while locking down on the defensive end. In particular, the Bobcats consistently packed the paint on defense, forcing opponents to knock down outside shots. Where the Sabers and Bears were unsuccessful, the Spartans thrived.
It all started with winning the opening tip.
“I knew that we had height advantage, so the key was to get the first possession and score, not let them take a lead,” Donnell said. “Fortunately, Josh got the jump, we got it inside and we got a quick basket, and then I believe we got another one right after that.
“My mentality coming in was to not play from behind. Just didn’t want to give them anything to build on, because when you’re a team like Oyster River, once you get the wind, you’re on your way.”
The Spartans never trailed in the game.
Pembroke shot 8-for-18 (44.4%) on 3-point field goals and 57.1% from the field overall. Pilotte led the way with a magnificent 25-point performance on 10-of-17 shooting. Junior Joe Fitzgerald quietly had 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Hadley and Mike Strazzeri added 13 each and led the way rebounding with seven and five, respectively.
The Bobcats had two players in double figures: Mason Tatarian scored 14, and Brady Luczek had 12.
Earlier in the day, Donnell told his players he’d be in the Pembroke Academy gym after school if they wanted to shoot around. He showed up at 2:30; they were all already there.
“Just what good teammates do,” he said.
Now the Spartans have a few days to prepare for the game that decides it all at UNH on Sunday against Pelham. The two teams matched up on Jan. 6 at Pelham, with the Pythons winning, 64-54.
But that result means little to Donnell and the Spartans. As Oyster River proved last week, regular-season performance is no predictor of playoff success. It can be a motivator, though.
And if avenging that regular-season loss isn’t enough motivation on its own, Donnell reminded his players of the magnitude of what they’ve done so far and what’s still in front of them. Before they left Pembroke en route for Sanborn on Tuesday, he pointed up to the green banners hanging from the ceiling in the gym.
“Those banners will be there for the history of the school, and they put their history on the wall just by being (at least) a runner-up,” he said.
“They’re halfway there. They’ve made their mark. They’re not satisfied. We’re gonna go out there, we’re gonna give it our best, and we’ll let the chips fall where they fall.”
Added Pilotte, when asked what it will take to bring home that championship trophy on Sunday: “Hard work,” he said. “Hard work. I’ll tell ya that.”