Warriors lose third in a row, must win finale to get into state tourney
SENIOR FORWARD Kobey Nadeau (#23) scored eight points, hauled down 13 rebounds, and earned two assists in Wakefield’s 67-47 defeat to Pope John XXIII High School last night in the first round of the Sheridan Tournament. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
Published in the February 21, 2017 edition.
MARBLEHEAD — It is coming down to the last game for the Warrior boys’ hoop team and its hopes of clinching a state tournament berth.
Wakefield dropped its third straight game as it lost a 67-47 decision to Pope John XXIII in the first round of the Sheridan Tournament played last night at Marblehead High School.
The Warriors dropped to 8-9 with the loss and will need to beat Tewksbury tomorrow night in the consolation round of the Sheridan Tournament. The game will be played at 5 p.m. at Marblehead High School. Tewksbury lost to host Marblehead, 68-54, last night.
Pope John, a Div. 4 North finalist from a year ago, returned several of its star players from last winter including Travon Ford. Ford scored a game high 31 points for the Tigers.
“We scouted them and went zone against them in the first half,” said head coach Brad Simpson. “Actually when we scouted them Ford had a quiet game. But he went 5-for-7 from the three-point line last night. In the second half, we switched to a man-to-man defense and had more success.”
Pope John took a 16-10 lead after the first quarter and outscored the Warriors, 24-12, in the second quarter to have a 40-22 advantage at halftime.
Wakefield came out with a renewed energy in the third quarter and outscored the Tigers, 17-13, as it trailed 53-39 after three quarters. Wakefield, which had cut the lead to 11 at one point in the third quarter, gave up the first couple of baskets in the fourth which put a dagger into the Warriors’ hopes of a comeback. The Tigers outscored Wakefield, 14-8, in the final eight minutes.
While the Tigers were as good as advertised, Wakefield didn’t help itself with some shooting woes on the night. Wakefield shot just 18-for-48 from the field (37 percent). From three-point range, the Warriors made 5 out of 20 attempts (25 percent) from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, Wakefield went 7-for-13 for a 53 percent free throw percentage.
“Our inability to put the ball in the basket hurt us, but we also gave up 13 offensive rebounds which led to 18 of Pope John’s points,” said Simpson. “We got seven offensive rebounds and scored nine points. That nine point swing made a big difference.”
Andrew Miller, a junior guard, led the Warriors offensively with 15 points. Miller also had six rebounds and three assists for a good all-around game.
Senior guard John Evangelista recorded 14 points and made four out of 10 three-point attempts for the majority of his points.
Senior captains Kobey Nadeau and Alex McKenna netted eight points and seven points, respectively. Nadeau also contributed with 13 rebounds and two assists, while McKenna had five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Wakefield will face Tewksbury tomorrow night and needs a victory to extend its season.
“It is a must win game for us,” said Simpson. “Tewksbury is a different team than Pope John. They don’t have as much size. They have skilled guards with good quickness. They defend well. They also play in a tough Merrimack Valley Conference.”
