Another exciting weekend of basketball! Remember that if you would like to submit pictures of your son playing basketball to be included in this blog post, please send them to TBBLPictures@gmail.com including a description of who is in the picture and what level they are in. A select number of photos will be added to these posts.
Cadet Division
Bucks defeated the Sixers
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The Bucks played their most complete game of the season against the Sixers. The Bucks played extremely well on both ends of the floor from the opening tip to the final buzzer of the game. The Bucks utilized strong defense, which led to an effective offense en route to the win. The Bucks were led in scoring by Brian Carleton (12 points), Noah Lehouillier (9), Dylan Paulding (4), Scott Miller (4) and Brendan Owens (2). The Bucks’ scorers were able to be effective through a team effort and great ball movement throughout the game. Ian Shpritzer played his best game of the season and was credited with multiple assists including a few nice crisp passes in traffic setting up his teammates for baskets. Carleton and Paulding also provided consistent control of the offense through good ball movement and their typical steady play from the point guard positions. The Bucks offense was supported by an entire team effort on the defensive end of the floor throughout the game. The Bucks defenders provided little space for the Sixers to move the ball resulting in multiple steals. Owens, Miller, Tristen Leslie, William Humphries, Aiden Cram and Ryan Murphy were all key in the defensive effort and were each credited with steals in the game. The rebounding effort was readily evident throughout the game on both ends of the floor for the Bucks. Leslie, Murphy, Owens, Miller and Lehouillier all cleaned up the glass with consistency throughout the entire game.
It was a tough showing for the Sixers today. Ryan Fleming scored the only 2 shots that fell this week. Braydon Aylward, Pouriya Mehrabani, Sam White, David Timmons and Kyle Adams also got several good shots off that just didn’t fall. The Sixers fell behind on the scoreboard early, with the defense really picking up with Owen Timmons, John O’Donnell, Nick Foster and Joey Fiorino playing tough on the elbows keeping the Bucks away from getting an easy basket.
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Rockets 12 – Hawks 8
The Rockets played a solid game against a very aggressive Hawks team. Guard play was at a premium in this one with the excellent defensive pressure of the Hawks, and Jimmy Holmes, Liam Kelley, Daniel Sullivan, and Tim Panilaitis each took a turn breaking through and distributing the ball. Colin Buchanan and Seamus Naughton played some great defense down low, and even taking it to the hoop strong a few times, drawing the whistle. Brandon Waddell started off the scoring for the Rockets with 2 early hoops. His offensive output was matched by Adam Ellegood, who added a late basket to put the Rockets up by 2 in the final minutes. Shane Exilhomme gave the team some breathing room with a late bucket for his 2 points. The scoring was rounded out by Jayden Trudeau, who hit a big hoop for his 2 points, and contributed with his high energy defense at the guard and forward position – his best game of the year, and a real spark for the Rockets. Good ball movement and team basketball by the Rockets gave them the edge in this great game.
The game started as a low scoring affair. Albie Bosworth was the high scorer for the Hawks with 4 points. William Eskenas added a basket and 2 steals. Aidan MacDonald hit a nice shot from the side. Michael Carlson showed his tenacious defense with 3 steals a drive to the hoop and an assist. Johnny Baker continued his streak of solid ball handling at point guard. Jack Baron had a key block at the closing moments of the second half to keep the game close. Nicholas Ingersoll showed what getting on the ball for loose balls is all about. Kyle Cummings made a nice pass to Aidan MacDonald for an assist. Michael Hill showed his advanced passing skills by throwing fakes and getting the ball to the open player on the floor. Ryan Feudo was solid for the Hawks by pulling down 3 rebounds in a nice offensive effort. A.J. Russo had his best game this season getting 3 offensive rebounds and taking some great shots.
Pistons 11 – Suns 10
The Pistons fought a strong defensive battle against the Suns this week barely managing to win with an 11-10 final score. This was a physical game with the boys battling hard for possession of the ball. Cooper Lemieux and Shea Moynihan kept things locked down under the basket while the Pistons had some great defensive steals by Simon Dunham, Nick DiCioccio, Matthew Tramonte, and Jared Kruger. Morgan Dunham and Aaron Ramsey came up with some great rebounds underneath to give the Pistons multiple scoring opportunities. The Pistons scoring was led by Tim Bradley (9 pts) but the real differnces came in the free throws made by the Pistons! Tim, Matthew Ramsey (1 pt) and Vincent Marchelletta (1 pt) all scored from the foul line to keep the Pistons ahead of the Suns and give them the win.
The Pistons and the Suns had an epic battle on Saturday. The Suns played one of their best games of the year, scoring 2 key baskets in the final 2 minutes. Congratulations to Jake Ryan for earning the Suns Game Ball. Alex DelloRusso played the game of his life. Jonah Bennett played like a grown man in the paint. Noah Rizzo & Anthony Burgess combined for 17 steals and several clutch baskets down the stretch, including a textbook “Give & Go” to bring the game within 1 point. Sean Hirtle wasn’t taking “No” for an answer. Ben Piccolo sold key merchandise down low. Ryan Mackeen & Nicholas Gonzalez played the wing like they were from Buffalo. Robbie Beggan & Andrew Estabrook ran the offense like a Grammar School Teacher, ensuring all the kids were on the same page.
Pacers 14 – Raptors 4
The Pacers were led by Jack Rennell, Drew Rennell, Timmy Lepore, Drew Nestor and Billy Nestor in scoring. The Pacers showed nothing but heart and passion in this game on defense who was led by Ian Starr, Cam Kearney and Ryan Thompson. Putting pressure all over the court and with multiple assist were Jacob Martell and Alex grove. It was a great game overall by both teams.
The Raptors came out slow and couldn’t overcome the hustle of the Pacers in a 14-4 defeat. Jason Svendsen lead the scoring for the Raptors, but the Raptors had many opportunities throughout the game with Connor Broderick, Justin Magee, Zach Hayes, Anthony Naghibi and Daniel Richardon taking many shots but the hoop was not our friend as the basketball would just not fall. Offensively the Raptors made some nice passing plays to set up shots along with aggressive defensive play by Luke Montejo, Peter Impink and Lucas Adams who all contributed with steals and rebounds. Raptors never gave up and continued to battle until the final buzzer.
Knicks 20 – Thunder 15
The Knicks won a very tight game against the Raptors on Saturday 20-15. Blake Ryder had an impressive all-around game leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Joey Bourgea and Quinn Brown contributed outstanding guard play for the Knicks and applied tremendous pressure on the ball throughout the game. Scott Lightburn, Matt Stadtman and Tyler Trodden helped to clog up the middle and all three grabbed some hotly contested rebounds. Jayden Donaher continued his excellent passing and also added a bucket of his own and Seamus MacDonald scored late to help the Knicks pull away. Overall, the Knicks played their best team basketball of the year.
The Thunder came up short against a tough Knicks team. It was a close game throughout with neither team holding more than a 2 point lead heading into the 4th quarter before the Knicks pulled away with a 5-0 quarter for the 20-15 victory. Brady McHugh led the Thunder in scoring with 9 points while Nicholas Alvarado, Bobby Branchaud, and Connor Griffin all chipped in with six points each. Andre Monteiro had another strong game on the boards at both ends of the floor. The defense was solid getting quality contributions from Paul Allen, Jason Forbes, Cameron Heichman, Joshua Maher, and Derek Wogan.
T-Wolves 17 – Celtics 12
The T-Wolves won this game against the talented Celtics. The game was a back and forth defensive battle for much of the game until the T-Wolves surged ahead in the second half. The T-Wolves were led in scoring by Ian Maresca (13 pts) and Chandler Dubay (4pts) with great shot attempts by Colby Flahive, Noah Healey and Edward Galante. Key rebounding and second half hustle underneath the boards by Kodie Legrand and Colin Hansbury helped solidify the defense, allowing the T-Wolves to surge ahead down the stretch. Great guards play exemplified by David Forgione, and Evan Galanis, and a great steal by Edward Galante helped the T-Wolves hold on for the victory.
The Tewksbury Cadet Celtics lost a back and forth game to the Timberwolves. The Celtics were led by Collin Strong’s six points. Noah Williams, Romyn Lorick, and Alex Arbogast rounded out the scoring with two points each. Cade Barron and Matthew Flynn did a nice job finding their teammates as they each earned assists. Adam Saad pulled down two rebounds. Dominic Johnson’s improved ball handling got the offense started. Daniel Franklin and Carter Forbes continue to work hard and demonstrate great teamwork.
Junior Division
Warriors 20 – Spurs 12
The Warriors would host the Spurs on Saturday in a rematch, the Warriors had won their last matchup 30 -13 and the Spurs would be looking to even up. The Warriors would have the lead at the end of the first period 6-2; the lone basket for the Spurs was scored by Dylan Dufresne for 2 of his 6 points in the game. By half time the Warriors had padded their lead with 4 more points. There were exceptional offensive opportunities for the Spurs in the first half with shots taken by Kyle Breen, Charles Matsas and Trevor Trodden but none would drop. The second half would see the Spurs try to mount their comeback with baskets by Samuel Hines (2) and Matthew Woods (4). They would also play a great defensive half with plays from Joshua Linehan, Ryan Rosenberg and Brady Litton.
The Warriors continued their hot streak by getting balanced scoring as five players contributed points led by Sean Kaiser (8 points) and Ryan Melo (6 points). Bryan Doherty, Travis Cohen and Sreetej Digmurthi each added a basket. Dylan Crowley and Julian Costello chipped in with big rebounds to turn the momentum.
Celtics 26 – Lakers 23
In a rematch classic of the Celtics Lakers rivalry the Junior Celtics beat the Junior Lakers 26-23 on Saturday to get their 7th win of the season. The Celtics by far played their best all-around game to date led in scoring by Brady Johnson with 8 points, Derek Munroe with 8 points, Liam Macdonald with 6 points, Cameron Loder with 2 points and Aiden Grogan with 2 points. Playing hard on offense and defense were Logan Auth, Jake Pellitier, Cameron Lamoureux and Seamus Cunningham.
For the Lakers, Robert Cortes (2 pts) started the scoring with a smooth open court lay-up. Sean Fahey (8 pts) would add 2 more while Nick Wilson (4 pts) continues to improve and show great desire to play. Mike Wilson (4 pts) using speed and fast hands to steal the ball from the Celtics kept the Lakers out front. Mihir Bagul (3 pts) and James Ministeri (2 pts) gave the Lakers a 15-11 half-time lead. The 2nd Half was tough for the Lakers as Lee Ghannam continues to get great shots but can’t quite get them to fall. Jack Stadtman and Abhi Lingareddy provided good man-to-man coverage with good rebounding and passing.
Cavs 24 – Mavs 17
The Mavericks started the scoring with the first 2 points of the game before Justin Charlton’s basket for the Cavs started a 12-2 run. They also got big hoops during that stretch from Joshua Astuti , Jason Barnes, Logan Frost, and Shayne Macdonald. The game changed quickly as the Mavericks defense shut the Cavs down long enough for the Maverick offense to get them back in the game and take the lead 15-12. But the great defense of Michael Bottaro, John Cucinotta, Tyler Leads, and Joey Arsenault slowed the Mavericks down. The Cavs tightened up the defense and took control of the boards in the last quarter to pull out the win 21-17 in another battle that came right down to the wire.
Scoring for the Mavs was Mark Olu 6pts, Derek Wilkinson 4pts,Nick Johnston 3pts, and both Henry Pestana , and Cullain Johnson had 2pts. The Mavs had strong defense down low from Josh Engelken, Paul Tower, and Alex Johnston, and good pressure up top from Devon Stoddard and Jordan Mackenzie.
Wizards 26 – Sixers 14
The Wizards and Sixers played a close game for most of the first half until the Wizards pulled away in the 2nd quarter and stayed ahead in the 2nd half. Connor McFadyn had his most productive game of the season with 10 points. Ethan Exilhomme played an excellent game on both ends of the floor with 10 points and multiple steals and rebounds. Colin Fullerton (4 points) and Logan Teixiera (2 points) rounded out the scoring for the Wizards. Will Forbes, David Miller and Jason Donaher played great defensively to slow down the Sixers offense.
With only 7 players on the bench, an exhausted Sixers team was only able to put up 14 points offensively, but played one of their strongest defensive games of the season to hold the Warriors at 26. Eric Ndungo had 6 points and 3 steals and 2 rebounds, Nik smith had 4 points, 2 steals and 8 rebounds, Robert Ryan netted 2 points and 3 steals, with Logan Reinhard adding 2 points, 1 steal and 4 rebounds, Cole Kimtis and Aidan Crawson added 1 steal and 2 rebounds each, and Nicholas Danielson contributed with a solid defensive stand at the top of the key.
Intermediate Division
Suns 29 – Wizards 25
The game was a tight one between the Suns and the Wizards with the Suns defense prevailing for the control of the game. Leading the defensive charge and also all-around play were Ryan Bennett, Matthew Dugan, Anthony Miano, and Harrison Graczyk. Phadungdet Kaeokit scored 8 points, had multiple rebounds and 2 assists resulting in William Andella and Jack O'Neill scoring 2 points each. William Mance scored 2 points and Sean Whelton scored 15 with 2 baskets from 3-point range.
The Wizards came out and played a great all-around game against a good team in the Suns. On offense the Wizards displayed great dribbling and passing. Scoring contributions were from Rich Cappiello, Dominic Cohen, Alec Sokol and Matt Perron. On the defensive side of the ball Owen Gilligan, Nick Cappiello and Sean McShane gave their best effort in fighting for every rebound to help limit the Suns offensive opportunities and extending the Wizards scoring chances. For the entire game the lead for either team did not go above 5 points but in the 4th quarter the Suns were able to hold on to their lead.
Hornets 50 – Heat 44
The game was tight the whole way. The Hornets were led by a blazing Adam Hines with 26 points with Andrew Lefebvre adding 7 points. A strong defensive press by Zach Hines combined with great zone defense led by Justyn Lester, Mike Fowler, & Jake Ruocchio. Logan Singleton and Cameron Hodgson provided great ball movement on offense.
The Heat lost to the first place Hornets on Saturday morning by the score of 50 to 44. The Heat's offense kept them in the game most of the way despite a number of turnovers. Offense was led by Andrew Maresca with 12 points, Steven Nickerson with 10 points, and James Reardon with 8 points. The Heat's defense played a good game, but it just wasn't quite good enough for the strong Hornets offense.
Bucks 49 – Celtics 32
The Bucks put in their second straight all around effort in a row for a 49-32 win over a tough Celtics team. All players on the team scored in the game lead by Jake Dillon with 12 and Jake Winter with 9 points. Also hitting the score sheet was Cam Grace with 6 points, and Riley Auth & Jason Richardson both with 5 points. Michael Kelleher rounded out the scoring with 4 points, followed by Kyle Braciska, Josh Winter and Pat Rosemond all with 2 points each. Pat Killion was big for the Bucks today under the glass with many rebounds that lead to fast break points and also scoring a season high 8 points. All the boys had a great game at both ends of the floor for a great team win!
Jazz 35 – Thunder 18
Travel Program
Tewksbury 6th Grade Red turned in one of their best efforts of the season and earned a big victory over Tyngsboro 54-25. 6 Red was looking to avenge a 3 point loss at Tyngsboro earlier in the season. The sting of that loss must have still been fresh in the minds of 6 Red as they came out determined and took total control of the game from the opening tip. The closest Tyngsboro would get was trailing by 5 at 10-5 early on, but by halftime 6 Red was in full command with a 30-11 lead.
Birthday boy Tyler Keough led all scorers on his 12th birthday with, appropriately enough, 12 points. His linemates Nicky Iannacci, Greg Sencabaugh (8pts), Garret Kingston (6 pts) and Richie Markwarth (6 pts) did a fantastic job of rewarding him for running the floor with some very nice passing. Colby Brown and Thomas Bradley led the other unit with 6 points each, with Shane Aylward and Chris Antonelli dropping 4 points each and Nolan Timmons adding 2 points to round out the scoring.
The win improves 6 Red's division record to 9-3 and gives them a leg up on the competition in the battle for the number 2 seed in the MVL Central Division.
TBBL 7th Grade Blue Team
It may have been cold outside, but TBBL 7th Grade Blue Team was hot all weekend! On Saturday, January 25, 2014, they had a nosebleed of a game against the Generals, winning 51 to 18. Joe Balboni advised his teammates from the sidelines due to a concussion that kept him from the game. CJ Zemetres listened to the little girl in the stands and kept his hands up, grabbing those rebounds. David Miller managed to steal the ball several times. Michael Rosenberg scored the first basket and grabbed the rebounds. Matt Cahill and David Miller had a few quick passes and then he threw the ball backwards and into the net. Casey DeCost had extra strength in his legs to jump up and grab the ball, intercepting more than one pass. Vinnie Hulme grabbed the rebound and went to the basket, taking a dive due to the other team fouling on him. Derek Schumaker quickly grabbed the rebounds and tossed it into the basket. Tony Mannetta managed a signature 3 pointer, probably due to his stylish hair. Good thing Brandon Melo had on those knee pads when he scrambled across the floor to grab a rolling ball. Connor Nugent kept putting the ball up, making too many baskets to accurately count.
On Sunday, January 26, 2014, they had an incredible game against Melrose. The team was high energy and aggressive despite a delayed start. Dereck Schumaker refused to let go of the ball even when Melrose pushed him to the ground. Connor Nugent sunk basket after basket and used his body to keep the opponents out of the key. Brandon Melo suffered the “sit on you” foul but did not let it affect his game. Vinnie Hulme suffered the flying jump foul to the back but managed to still catch the ball. Casey DeCost balance right on the line when he caught the rebound and managed to turn enough to get it to a teammate to get it up the court. Michael Rosenberg forced a few Melrose players to travel when he refused to let them get by. Matt Cahill did not let two big Melrose kids intimidate him as he went between them and up the court. David Miller aggressively passed the ball, and grabbed the rebounds. Tony Mannetta made a 3 pointer to tie up the game with only 4 seconds on the clock. Unfortunately Melrose took the game in overtime, winning 44 to 41.
Not satisfied with a few weekend games, TBBL 7th Grade Blue participated in the MLK Day Tournament at Billerica, playing 3 games. Game 1, against a Billerica team, saw Connor Nugent scoring the first Basket, both in foul shots and 2 pointers. Matt Cahill managed a few good steals and Casey DeCost had strong passes. Joe Balboni grabbed the rebonds and Tony Mannetta had a strong offense. Vinnie Hulme pretty much took the ball from their hands and turned up the court. David Miller stayed high and successfully executed the play. Derek kept Billerica away from the ball, despite their bear hugs. Michael Rosenberg and CJ Zemetres made Billerica toe the line, but they lost. In Game 2, Tewksbury was outnumbered and outsized but not intimidated. Michael Rosenberg managed to intercept a few of their passes and Joe Balboni weaved in and out of the opponents. Casey DeCost tricked them with a very sneaky pass to Brandon Melo who managed to sink a basket. CJ Zemetres refused to give up the ball despite the odds. Tony Mannetta went for the basket and suffered the foul, getting the 2 foul points instead. Connor Nugent was the star rebounder, as has come to be expected of him. David Miller grabbed the ball in mid-pass so quickly, the Billerica player took a minute to realize the ball was gone. Vinnie Hulme blocked a basket and kept them dancing around the key. Derek Schumaker grabbed a rebound and went into the basket in less than one second. Matt Cahill flew up and down the court without ever tiring. Despite two difficult games, the team took a quick dinner break and came back stronger than ever, crushing Wilmington 40 to 18. Connor Nugent got the tip to Vinnie Hulme and the first basket. CJ Zemetres refused to share the ball with the other team. Tony Mannetta grabbed rebound after rebound. David Miller did not let a bloody nose slow him down, and dribbled right through the opponents. Vinnie Hulme managed to wrestle control of the ball and get it to his team while Derek Schumaker ran in from behind to get the rebounds. Matt Cahill tricked the other team repeatedly with a few fakes and was knocked off his feet going for a basket. Brandon Melo (“Me? What do you mean I fouled?”) redeemed himself by intercepting a pass and pushing the ball right up the court and into the basket. Joe Balboni, who did not manage to sustain any injuries this game, grabbed rebounds and intercepted the passes to get the ball up the court. Casey DeCost had a few power plays and synchronized his defense moves with Connor Nugent and Derek Schumaker.
