ARLINGTON TAKES NEEDHAM TO OVERTIME BEFORE BOWING 78-74
Woburn, MA. 2/18/18. For the second straight game Arlington basketball coach John Bowler described his team’s performance as “our best game of the season.”
Playing again without senior co-captain Dom Black, the Spy Ponders took Needham’s highly rated Division 1 Rockets into overtime last night in Woburn on senior co-captain Ben Wasco’s clutch three pointer that hung on the rim until after the regulation buzzer sounded before finally deciding to drop, tying the game at 63.
In overtime Needham’s superb senior, Brown bound Thomas Shaughnessy, who scored 12 of his team’s 15 overtime points and 33 for the game, finally put a stake in the Arlington heart on a no-conscience trey with 30 seconds left to overcome Arlington’s 74 – 72 lead and insure Needham’s 78-74 first round win in the Comcast IAABO 27 Classic in Woburn Sunday night.
It was a game that would have made Dr. Naismith proud.
“Needham’s going to be right there for the Division 1 title and we went toe to toe with them,” said Bowler. “So many times we were down double figures and we just kept battling back. That’s what I’m most proud of with this team. We have kids that just won’t quit.”
Among those kids was the special sophomore Bensley Joseph who answered Shaughnessy’s 33 with 32 of his own to lead Arlington back countless times.
The Spy Ponders came so close.
With just under a minute left in regulation Joseph grabbed a Needham miss, turned and streaked the length of the court finishing with a soaring drive down the lane for a 60-59 Arlington lead, the Spy Ponders’ first lead of the night.
Unfortunately, there were 49 ticks left, plenty of time for the uncommonly poised Shaughnessy, who drove to the right elbow with Arlington junior Nick Karalis in his shirt, stopped, elevated and swished a jumper to put the Rockets up 61-60 with 29 seconds left.
After Joseph missed a difficult lay-up in traffic, Arlington was forced to foul, and Rocket Sophomore guard William Dorian calmly stroked two free throws for 63-60 Needham with 20 seconds left.
On Arlington’s last possession in regulation, everyone in the gym anticipated a Joseph shot. As the sophomore drove to his right drawing all of Needham with him, he found an open Wasco at the top of the circle, and the co-captain came through to send the game into overtime.
Led by Shaughnessy, Needham jumped out to a quick 68-63 lead in the extra session, but the irrepressible combination of Wasco and Joseph, along with two clutch free throws from returning junior James Gascoigne (huge on the boards with 14 rebounds) brought Arlington to the brink of victory at 74-72 with 46 seconds left only to have Shaughnessy snatch it away.
Arlington turned it over on their final possession, then was forced to foul. Needham sunk three more from the line for the final 78-74 margin.
Shaughnessy for Needham and Joseph for Arlington were both brilliant. In addition to his scoring Shaughnessy, who always seemed to have the ball in his hands, repeatedly set up teammates for easy baskets.
Joseph did some of everything for Arlington with several steals and assists along with eight rebounds.
In addition to his clutch trey Wasco had another big game for the Spy Ponders with 21 points. Junior Joey Pazzia added eight off the bench along with four assists.
Arlington has to be back in the gym and ready to go at 12:30 tomorrow to meet a tall BC High team in the consolation game.