Four years ago it was simply a fun idea.
“I just remember coming in my freshman year and thinking, ‘Wow, 1,000 points, that’s a lot. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to do that,’ ” Winnisquam senior Kyle Mann said.
On Thursday night, it was Mann’s reality.
Needing 43 points to reach 1,000 for his career with the Bears, Mann did one better. The Winnisquam boys’ basketball team’s all-around star poured in 44 points, reaching the milestone with a fourth-quarter free throw to help the Bears secure a playoff berth in Division III with a 84-48 trouncing of Franklin.
“The fact that he did it tonight was huge and he just took over in the second half,” Winnisquam coach Kevin Dame said. “He hit a lot of tough shots. They went to a little box-and-one in the fourth quarter and he still found a way to get through, we found ways to hit him and he made some big plays.
“I don’t think there’s a better kid up on that board,” Dame said. “There’s higher scorers up there, but there’s not a better kid up there.”
Mann said he spent part of Wednesday night thinking about the accomplishment, but was well aware of the type of performance he would need to get it done Thursday night.
And he didn’t open the game with the hot hand, either, totaling 13 points at halftime with the Bears ahead, 45-20.
“At halftime, I was just thinking, ‘Man, I didn’t get off to the start I wanted to so I told myself I’m going to play my game and if it comes to me, it comes to me,’ ” Mann said. “I just decided to focus and keep it up but I knew it was a little shaky in the beginning.”
With Winnisquam in total control all night long, Dame let his senior go for it.
“He had 13 (points at the half) and then scored 31 of our 39 second-half points,” Dame said. “We were kind of looking for him and he was looking for his offense, too.”
With around three minutes to play in the game, Mann stepped up to the free-throw line, burying the attempt to push him into the 1,000-point club. Officials briefly stopped the contest and gave Mann the game ball – as well as a few moments to soak it all in – before Mann snapped a few photos with his parents and Dame.
“We didn’t know if he’d get it or not. I was just hoping he would get enough to where it would be close enough in the playoffs where it wouldn’t be a distraction,” Dame said. “That would put him in a spot where it’s not letting the game come to him, and in a playoff game, that’s what we didn’t want.”
While Mann will be the talk of Tilton, Winnisquam had a few other strong performances in its regular-season finale. Sophomore Philip Nichols finished with 22 points, while junior Gunnar Horman added 11 for the Bears.
At 10-8, Winnisquam has assured itself a playoff spot as either the 12th or 13th seed. Franklin will be on the outside looking after finishing 5-13.
The Division III tournament is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
“We’ve started to turn it on,” Dame said. “We’re playing our best basketball at the end of the season and we’re looking to try and make a run.”
(Jay McAree can be reached at 369-3371, jmcaree@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JayMcAree.)
Kearsarge 54, Plymouth 33
Key players: Kearsarge – Noah Tremblay (13 points, 3 steals), Adrian McCarthy (12 points, 12 rebounds), Ben Carl (9 points), Kyle Hernon (8 points, 6 blocks, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Jak Jallah (8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals), Emerson Tyler (4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals)
Highlights: The Cougars opened the contest with a 13-6 advantage before Plymouth clawed its way back to trail by five at halftime. Kearsarge cranked up its defensive effort in the second half, outscoring the Bobcats, 30-14.
Coach’s quote: “We played excellent defense in our first quarter, got a little sloppy in the second, but in the third, we really clamped down defensively.” – Kearsarge’s Nate Camp
Records: Kearsarge 9-7 ; Plymouth 6-10
Sanborn 42, Coe-Brown 33
Key players: Coe-Brown – Lauren Curtin (10 points), Angelina Rene (9 points, 10 rebounds)
Highlights: After a tight first half, Sanborn led 19-16. The contest stayed close after the third quarter with Coe-Brown trailing by just five, but Sanborn made some clutch 3s in the final quarter to pull away.
Coach’s quote: “It was one of those days we didn’t shoot well. The effort was there. Our seniors were great we just couldn’t pull it out.”– Coe-Brown’s Joe Vachon
Records: Sanborn 9-9 ; Coe-Brown 9-9
Kearsarge 51, Plymouth 41
Key players: Kearsarge – Jordan Busch (13 points), Livi Hernon (13 points), Meg Roy (10 points)
Highlights: With three players in double figures, the Cougars cruised to a comfortable win over the Bobcats in the final game of the regular season. Kearsarge took a 29-12 lead into halftime, and despite being outscored by seven points in the second half, it wasn’t enough for Plymouth to rally all the way back.
Coach’s quote: “We played really well. We came out super fast for the second straight game, which was great to see and we had some balanced scoring.” – Kearsarge’s Keith Roberts
Records: Kearsarge 8-10; Plymouth 5-13
Kearsarge 377, Keene 365,
Con-Val 322, Fall Mt. 282,
Hanover 272, Lebanon 267
Key players: Kearsarge – Trevor Pauling, Ben Boulton, Edward Stowell
Highlights: On a warm day with some fresh snow, the Connecticut Valley Conference Championships brought six teams to Proctor Nordic trails for a 5.2K skiathlon, where athletes skied the first 2.7K in classic and 2.5K freestyle. The format brings about unique challenges and some great skiing.
Coach’s quote: “No one got frostbite today. But waxing was a little challenging.” – Kearsarge’s Brian Pauling
Kearsarge 384, Hanover 380,
Lebanon 362, Con-Val 337,
Fall Mtn 264, Keene 83
Key players: Kearsarge – Top Ten: Lili Baer (1st overall), Jenna Bears (3rd), Marlia Richer (6th), Marliese Baer (10th)
Highlights: Kearsarge placed four skiers in the top ten to lead the team to the CVC Championship in a very tight race over at Hanover. The skiers competed in a 5.2K skiathlon where they skied 2.7K using classic technique before switching to freestyle for the last 2.5K.
Coach’s quote: “It was great to see the kids trying a new race format and not having to deal with adverse conditions.” – Kearsarge’s Kevin Lee