ARLINGTON ESCAPES LEX TO TAKE SECOND STRAIGHT LEAGUE CROWN
Arlington, MA. 2/9/18. Not only was Friday night senior night in Arlington, it was a night when the Spy Ponders could clinch their second straight Middlesex League Liberty Division title outright with a win over Lexington, and everything was going according to plan.
Seniors Adrian Black (2) and Max McKersie (5) got long minutes and played well. The assist on Black’s hoop came from his brother, senior Dom, for a pleasing senior night twist. Sophomore Bensley Joseph, a big night with 26 points, had led the Spy Ponders to a comfortable 16 point lead 51-35 with six minutes left.
All was goodness and light for the home fans.
Then, without warning, the wheels came off.
Lexington, who apparently hadn’t seen the script where they were to be the Washington Generals to Arlington’s Globetrotters, went on a 15-1 fourth quarter tear lead by senior co-captain Jimmy Lane and junior Kase Cronin that ended with Senior co-captain Jack Amsler’s three-point play to bring the Minutemen within a basket at 52-50 with 1:57 left.
While they hadn’t quite taken the lead, they had stolen all the momentum.
Suddenly, everything Arlington had worked for; the league winning streak, the home court winning streak and the league title were in serious jeopardy.
Fittingly, two seniors with ice in their veins, co-captains Black and Ben Wasco, came to the rescue. First, Black calmly stroked a momentum stopping, mid-range jumper from the left elbow for a 54-50 lead.
Lexington sophomore Will Amsler answered with two free throws to make it 54-52 with a minute to go.
Then, a key Joseph steal set up Arlington’s most critical possession of the night. With Lexington clogging the middle to stop his penetration, Black found Wasco alone in the right corner.
The senior big man didn’t hesitate and buried a gutsy three pointer for an insurmountable 57-52 lead with 45 seconds left.
Black, who seemed to be everywhere in the last 90 seconds, rebounded a Lexington miss, and the Minutemen were forced to foul. Black and Joseph sandwiched three free throws in the closing seconds around a give-away layup to Lexington senior Odi Okafor for the final 60-54 margin.
A relieved coach John Bowler said, “If you take away four or five minutes of the fourth quarter I’m really happy with the way we played, but when we get a team down by 10 or more we’ve just got to do a better job of putting them away.”
Indeed. Arlington had many opportunities leading by nine at the half, 13 at the end of three and had stretched it to 16 early in the fourth on Joseph’s soaring lefty lay-up on which he was fouled and finished the three point play setting the stage for Lexington’s margin closing run.
Joseph’s spectacular offensive arsenal was on full display in the early minutes. The talented sophomore mixed slashes to the rim with three for three shooting from beyond the arc for 14 of Arlington’s 22 first quarter points.
Black, productive as ever, contributed another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
In addition to his game sealing three, Wasco totaled seven points, five rebounds and two steals.
Okafor and senior Jimmy Lane led Lexington with 13 and eight points respectively.
As his team cut down the nets to celebrate their title, Bowler said, “Back to back titles for these guys is a great accomplishment. I’m very proud of them. But we’re not done. Our other two title teams were undefeated in the league. We want these guys to get there, too.”
To do so, they will have to get past their most difficult challenges of the league season, away games at Winchester and Belmont next week. Winchester is next on Tuesday at 6. It is their senior night…