By Jim Baldwin
Boston, MA. 1/7/19. While most of the world was comfortably on the couch watching play-off football yesterday, some 18 high school basketball teams were enjoying the experience of a lifetime—playing all day on the sacred parquet of the TD (won’t it always be the Boston?) Garden in the TD, Good Sports Invitational Tournament supporting folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Belmont boys varsity, an undefeated Division 2 team was one of the 18. They were matched up with a challenging opponent, Algonquin Regional, a Division 1 finalist in Central Mass last year, with a strong showing this year, in a narrow loss to the fourth ranked team in Eastern Mass, Catholic Memorial.
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in a rare setting—a sparsely occupied and very quiet Garden with no Celtics dancers and a pleasant absence of Jumbotron nonsense. Folks who were there came for the cause, for their team and to enjoy some high school basketball. It was pure.
The atmosphere seemed to extend to the two teams in question as well. Belmont coach Adam Pritchard substituted freely for three and a half quarters. “I wanted all of my kids to play some real minutes in this place,” he explained after the game. Nine of them will be able to say they scored points in the Garden. All of them can say they played.
But the game itself, without the noise and partisanship of the normal Garden—or any high school fieldhouse—had an unusual, almost strange feeling of casualness; like a scrimmage. There was no official scorer. The game would not count on anybody’s record.
While Belmont brought speed, Algonquin had that important advantage that can’t be coached—size—three very tall people led by a talented 6’ 7” freshman, Alex Karaban, who dominated the glass and led all scorers with 31 points while grabbing countless rebounds. Remember that name. For a freshman his skills are ridiculous.
Until midway through the fourth quarter Belmont played with unusual lineups and moderate intensity which seemed to fit the day. It felt appropriate that the smaller Marauders were down 17, 79-62 with three minutes left, the “scrimmage” seemingly over.
Suddenly, a game broke out. With his starters back on the floor, Pritchard brought the Belmont zone press up to full court and the intensity with it. The Belmont supporters came alive—real noise in the Garden for the first time. Pritchard admitted after the game, “Yeah, we got a little serious at the end.”
Belmont started doing what Belmont does. The press created instant mayhem, four straight Algonquin turnovers, and transition baskets for the Marauders. Junior guard Mac Annus (16) started the run converting a steal with his third three pointer.
Then Danny Yardemian (25) went off. The senior co-captain scored nine straight points in less than a minute on a variety of driving layups, a difficult lane fadeaway, and an old fashioned three point play to cut the deficit to six with a minute left.
The press created yet a final Algonquin turnover which senior co-captain Dan Seraderian (7) transitioned into a three from the top of the key with 30 seconds left, to cut the lead to 82-79.
It was an impressive 17-3 Belmont run.
It wasn’t enough.
In Algonquin’s last possession they finally managed to advance into the frontcourt where they killed the clock and got the ball to Karaban, who scored on yet another dominant low post move.
The final was 84-79 Algonquin, a disappointment for Belmont to be sure, but no one will be surprised if the Marauders are back in the Garden come February.
But first, there is some Middlesex League reality coming up Tuesday night at 6 at Melrose.
Wonder if the Celtics dancers will show up.