INJURY PLAGUED ARLINGTON FALLS AT BELMONT DESPITE JOSEPH’S 33
Belmont, MA. 2/15/18. Arlington fans who followed the team to Belmont Thursday night were greeted by their worst nightmare as they entered the gym.
Sitting on the sideline in street clothes with a boot on his right foot was senior co-captain and league MVP candidate Dom Black.
Worse, he was joined there by his still injured junior co-captain and league all-star teammate James Gascoigne.
Without these two it was a tall order to expect a win against a talented Belmont team, but the gritty Spy Ponders gave it a shot behind spectacular sophomore Bensley Joseph’s 33 points and junior co-captain Ben Wasco’s 20 before succumbing in the final minute 81-75.
After the game Arlington’s John Bowler didn’t sound like a coach who had just lost. “I think it was the best game we played all season,” he said. “We played hard and played together. We got down 10 or 11 and we didn’t give up. We battled back and got it to a one-possession game. That’s all you can do when you’re a little short handed. Guys really stepped up tonight.”
This game had a pattern to it. Belmont would pull away to leads of seven to 11 points, and Arlington would reel them back in.
But there was nothing that could foreshadow what must have been the most remarkable fourth quarter of the season in which these two teams erupted for a combined 64 points, 32 each, in just eight minutes of basketball.
Belmont led 49 – 44 at the end of the third, when it started raining three pointers for Arlington in the fourth as Joseph hit three and junior Nick Karalis and Wasco one each.
Down 67 – 58, Joseph with eight points, Wasco with seven and freshman Brendan McNamara with a key corner jumper led a desperate rally in the game’s last 2:50 during which Arlington did not miss a shot.
Wasco’s three with 20 seconds left brought the Spy Ponders tantalizingly close at 77-75, but they were forced to foul and Belmont’s junior star Daniel Yardemian, hit two free throws and a short put back to end it.
Despite Arlington’s torrid late shooting, Belmont held on with some hot shooting of their own. Yardemian, who had been contained by Karalis through three quarters, finally broke through with 13 of his team high 23 in the fourth and sophomore Mac Annus added nine of his 15 in the final frame as Arlington had to gamble on defense.
The Spy Ponders’ Joseph had a second half he won’t soon forget scoring 25 points including seven three pointers, all of which came against Belmont coach Adam Pritchard’s box and one zone designed specifically to stop him. In the fourth quarter the springy sophomore was a perfect four for four from the field (three of them from behind the arc) and two for two from the line.
Bowler said, “Bensley was just feeling it in the last quarter. And those shots were not open shots. He just elevated out of the crowd and made them. He’s a special player.”
“And,” he continued, “Wasco was huge for us again, Karalis (9) played great. Other guys stepped up, too.”
Junior Joey Pazzia contributed six points and six rebounds and McNamara in his first significant time since coming back from injury had four.
Beyond Yardemian and Annus, Belmont had two more players in double figures. Seniors Will Ellet had 15, and Jake Pollock 12, the latter before fouling out early in the second half.
Despite the loss, Arlington, who had already sewn up the league title, will likely remain the top seed in Division 1 North, at least for now. Unfortunately, Black will not see any action until the MIAA tournament starts and will not play during this weekend’s end of season tournament against some top level Division 1 opponents.
All of which seems ok with Bowler. “I’m really pleased with my team. Obviously, we want to win, but there’s a progression we’re looking for as tournament time comes, and this was a huge step for us. Our guys left it all on the floor tonight. That’s all I can ask.”
Fortunately, Gascoigne is expected back for Arlington’s meeting with Needham this Sunday in Woburn at 6:30.