Warrior post fourth straight win on DeLeire buzzer beater, 47-45
JUNIOR GUARD Andrew Miller had a game high 16 points in Wakefield’s 47-45 non-league victory over Malden last night at the Charbonneau Field House. (Donna Larsson Photo)
Published in the January 17, 2017 edition.
By DAN BYRNE
WAKEFIELD — After losing the first four games of the season, the Wakefield Memorial High School varsity boys’ basketball team has turned the season around, as it rallied for three wins in its last three games.
The Warriors wanted to make it four in a row on Monday as they hosted Malden in a non-league game at the Charbonneau Field House. They did just that with a 47-45 victory over the Golden Tornadoes on a buzzer beater by Andrew DeLeire as he nailed a three-point shot to lift Wakefield to the victory.
The game was deemed exempt from counting towards the state tournament for Wakefield, however. It also wouldn’t have counted against the Warriors had they lost as well. But Malden plays in a league with only three other teams, so it needed to get games outside its own league. The loss counted for the Golden Tornadoes.
Entering last night’s game, Malden had won seven and lost three. It found out getting a victory in the Charbonneau Field House is no easy task.
Wakefield went up 14-12 after one, as they were led by senior Alex McKenna who scored six of his seven points in the first quarter. Andrew Miller had his best game of the season to date for the Warriors, as his 16 points led the team. He put up five in the first quarter and assisted on John Evangelista’s three-pointer.
Miller came up even bigger in the second quarter, as the Warriors found themselves trailing by as many as five points after failing to score for the first five minutes of the quarter. The junior guard put up eight points in the second to help keep the Warriors on top by a one point margin, 26-25.
Both teams came out of the locker room from halftime with shooting woes, as the Golden Tornadoes outscored the Warriors 9-7 in the third quarter.
In a low scoring affair, the Warriors found themselves down a point headed into the fourth quarter with the score 34-33.
The two teams continued to trade baskets throughout the fourth quarter, with neither team holding more than a four point lead at any point.
DeLeire got things going with the first bucket of the quarter on a hard drive to the bucket for the Warriors. It wouldn’t be his last basket, as he would have a hand in the outcome before the night was done.
Malden scored four straight points to reclaim the lead before Evangelista and Zach Price hit back to back treys to put the Warriors back on top. The two teams traded free throws down the stretch and the lead changed hands a number of times. It was a hard fought game, each team played well enough to win.
Malden had extended its defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, and the press caused Wakefield some problems getting it over half court. Four turnovers against the press put the Warriors in a tough spot, down two with under 20 seconds to play.
Wakefield had a chance to take the last shot. With no time to spare, DeLeire got open in the corner and sunk a three-pointer to win the game at the buzzer, sending the Warriors home winners by a 47-45 final score.
Though the win won’t help the Warriors qualify for the tournament, the direction the team is headed certainly bodes well for the Warriors, notching their fourth consecutive win. They did so on Monday without perhaps their best player as Kobey Nadeau sat this game out. He is coming off a broken leg that occurred in a football scrimmage this fall and the coached decided it was a good opportunity to get him some rest and for some younger players to get into a game. In Nadeau’s absence Jack Shannon, Aidan Cusack, Ryan Marcus, and Max Hinchey all saw the floor for an extended period of time.
The rest for Nadeau could prove to be crucial as the now 4-4 Warriors have all week off from games, until Friday when they host first place Watertown. Wakefield will be going for their fifth straight win, but they will face a Red Raiders team that currently has a 7-1 record.
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WAKEFIELD 47, Malden 45
At Charbonneau Field House
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Malden (45) — Berard 4 4 12; Cook 0 1 1; La Conte 2 2 6; Illebode 4 0 8; Mutebi 0 2 2; Perez 4 0 8; Taylor 3 0 8. Totals 17 9 45.
WAKEFIELD (47) — Evangelista 2 2 8; Miller 6 2 16; Carmilla-Smith 0 0 0; Marcus 0 0 0; Cusack 1 0 2; O’Brien 0 0 0; Connor 0 0 0; Hinchey 0-0-0; McKenna 3 1 7; Price 2 3 9; DeLeire 2 0 5. Totals 16 8 47.
Score by Quarters — Malden 12-13-9-11—45. WAKEFIELD 14-12-7-14—47.
Three-point FGs — Mal, Taylor 2. Wak, Evangelista 2, Miller 2, Price 2, DeLeire 1.
