Windham Middle School’s eighth and seventh grade boys’ basketball teams played Auburn at Windham on Monday, Jan. 12 and the eighth-grade team forced overtime where they pulled ahead and held off the Falcons, 58-54. The seventh-grade WMS team played a close, intense game where they came up just shy; at the final buzzer and lost to Auburn. 55-52.
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| Windham Middle School eighth grader Cooper Dickson makes his way to the basket during a boys' middle school basketball game against Auburn at Windham Middle School on Monday, Jan. 12. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Logan Bonnvie sunk two three-pointers. Windham hustled and rebounded. SJ DePaolo sunk a three-pointer. After one quarter, Windham had a significant lead.
Cooper Dickson hit a three-pointer. Auburn quickly made up their deficit and weren’t far behind.
At halftime, Auburn led 24-22.
This game was much closer than it had been. Dickson sank another three-pointer. The score went back and forth with the score fluctuating.
“Hustling and going for loose balls, staying as a team and hitting our shots (led to the win),” said Dickson. “We were pressing, we were trying to get steals, we were putting 100 percent into it, working our hardest so they could feel pressurized and we could get that win. Our intensity and energy (went well) in the last bits of the game. When we found that groove and momentum, we started playing good.”
DePaolo had a buzzer-beater basket that tied the game 47-47 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, the game was quickly tied 52-52. Windham pressured and ran up the scoreboard to put them just out of reach of the Falcons as the final buzzer went off.
“During overtime, it was keeping it one possession at a time, both offensively and defensively and trying to make things difficult for Auburn and get shots at our end,” said WMS eighth grade boys’ basketball coach Adam Manzo. “The first quarter (Windham) came out and played really, really well. They moved the ball and tried to get the ball (inside the paint); a lot of the shots we had in the first quarter were open shots we had after a drive. This is a great group of kids who are very talented and have had a successful year so far. They are smart kids who understand the game.”
SEVENTH GRADE
This was an incredibly fast-paced game, and the Eagles took an early lead after the first quarter. Ethan Bonnvie sank a three-pointer. Windham turned the ball over on Auburn a few times. The game was tied 15-15.
Liam Wood sank two three-pointers; this game was close. Joel Delewski hit a three-pointer. Windham led 26-25 at intermission.
“I think we played pretty good overall,” said Max Inzerillo. “I think at the end we could have rebounded better ... take charges. We played pretty good on the offensive end, just some shots weren’t hitting, we weren’t getting as many calls. I think we played the best we could. I think if we attacked a little more at the end instead of settling for outside shots.”
Shortly into the second half, the game was tied 30-30. Auburn did pull away a little, but a few three-pointers would turn this game around for the Eagles.
Delewski and Inzerillo brought the score up after they made multiple shots from the top of the key. The game was tied 46-46.
With nine seconds left, Windham was down by three. They had one last attempt to tie the game but unfortunately it fell short.
“What went well was rebounding especially in the second half, they were way more engaged,” said WMS seventh grade boys’ basketball coach Quinton Lindsay. “Boxing out and rebounding (need work). They got to be more aggressive on the offense rebounds, defense rebounds, defense all-around. (The loss was) unlucky. Auburn is a good team, coached very well. We made some mental mistakes, which is bound to happen, but the kids learn from it.” <
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