Tournament time returns to Arlington.
ARLINGTON ADVANCES TO QUARTERS 84-64 OVER BURLINGTON
A packed gymnasium, a pumped up underdog visiting team, student sections in full voice completely drowning out the PA announcer…all this could mean only one thing.
High school basketball tournament time returned to Arlington last night, and the Spy Ponders looked fully like the number one seed in Div.2 as they constructed four quarters of solid basketball to dispatch Burlington 84-64.
The visitors, riding a six game winning streak and urged on by a sizeable crowd of red clad, boisterous supporters, opened festivities with a burst of energy to take a quick 5-0 lead on senior co-captain Mike Demartinis (12) driving layup down the lane followed quickly by junior Tyler Cannon’s (17) three-pointer, his first of five on the evening.
Another Demartinis basket, this one a three, and a contested layup from senior co-captain Will Melanson (14) put the Devils in front 10-6 just past the half way mark of the first quarter.
But Arlington sophomore guard Nick Karalis put out the fire with two consecutive three-pointers igniting a 15-7 run that took back the lead 21 – 18 by the end of the furiously paced quarter.
The Spy Ponders loved the pace and used it to explode for a pivotal 28 point second quarter that decided the outcome. Senior co-captain Colin McNamara, unusually quiet in the first 8 minutes, led Arlington’s barrage erupting for 13 points in the quarter on his way to a game high 25.
His backcourt partners junior co-captain Dom Black (19) and freshman Bensley Joseph (15 on a dazzling array of acrobatic shots) combined for 13 more in the quarter. The threesome scored 26 of the Spy Ponders 28 to build a 49-35 halftime lead, and Burlington never got closer.
The game also marked the return from injury of Arlington sophomore forward James Gascoigne who established his presence in the third quarter. The Arlington guards repeatedly fed him the ball in the post and Gascoigne responded with spinning drives, turnarounds and added a three-pointer for 9 quick points before returning to the bench.
With this first round win, Arlington advances to the north quarterfinals to host defending division 2 champion New Mission on Saturday night at 7.
