Mount Sinks Pawtucket Co-Op in Unprecedented Tie
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Blackstone Valley Pic of the Day Sponsor PORTS STHE TIMES, Saturday, February 27, 2021 BOYS HOCKEY – DIVISION I SEMIFINALS Mount works overtime File photo The No. 5 Blackstone Valley Prep boys bas- ketball team downed No. 12 Ponaganset Fri- day night to advance to the D-III quarterfinals. Mendez guides BVP to home win Pride forward notches 1,000th career board By BRENDAN McGAIR [email protected] CUMBERLAND – You can teach a player how to properly box out. As for having a nose for where the ball caroms off the rim and backboard, let’s just say Blackstone Valley Prep senior Xavier Mendez has a gift. In what’s already been a season full of milestones, Mendez entered Friday’s Division III boys basketball prelimi- nary-round clash against Ponaganset in search of 20 rebounds to eclipse 1,000 Photos by Ernest A. Brown in his career. What does the big man do? The Mount St. Charles hockey team found itself in a two-goal hole after one period Friday night against No. 4 La Salle, but thanks to the play of He rips down a career-best 29 boards Eddie Mulligan (4), Matt Mahoney (12) and Micaiah Bascombe, the Mounties took Game 1 of the state semifinal series 3-2 in overtime. as the fifth-seeded Pride rolled past the 12th-seeded Chieftains, 63-33. Top line delivers in comeback win over La Salle See MENDEZ, page B2 By BRANDEN MELLO again in the biggest moment of [email protected] the campaign. Senior defensem- an Eddie Mulligan put a shot on WOONSOCKET —The con- net that La Salle goalie Maxwell tributions from Mount’s second Cute blocked, but no Ram picked Robertson and third lines were key in help- up Bascombe in front of the net. ing the top-seeded Mounties The hat-trick hero from the overcome a two-goal first-peri- quarterfinal round flicked the heats up od deficit in Game 1 of the state puck into the net to give the semifinals Friday night against Mounties their only lead of the No. 4 La Salle. night in a 3-2 overtime victory at But when the Mounties earned a loud Adelard Arena. for Patriots a power play early in the first over- “Puck came out loose and time session, coach Matt Merten we we’re talking all game about Senior nets career-high knew exactly who he wanted on how we needed to get to the net the ice with a chance to move because there were rebounds get- 24 points in playoff win within a game of the state final. ting out,” Bascombe said. “We “You have to go to your best just wanted to crash the net and By BRANDEN MELLO line and every team would do the use our body. On that play, I just [email protected] same thing,” Merten said. “They got the puck, turned and shot and came through.” it went in. Going forward, we LINCOLN — Davies Tech senior wing The trio of Micaiah Bascombe, need to get our heads ready ear- Cheyenne Robertson had good feeling Matt Mahoney and Cee-Jay lier and play a full three periods.” she was going to play well in Friday af- Laquerre carried the Mounties ternoon’s Division III preliminary-round all season and they came through See OVERTIME, page B3 contest against No. 4 Block Island. “Before we had warmups, I had weight training at the end of the school day and I “We just wanted to crash the net and use just started shooting around,” Robertson. our body. On that play, I just got the puck, “I was making shots and I felt like I was getting hot, so I was ready to play. I just turned and shot and it went in.” had a feeling.” — Mount junior Micaiah Bascombe See ROBERTSON, page B2 Mount sinks Pawtucket co-op in unprecedented tie Photos by Ernest A. Brown After Pawtucket co-op won the 400-yard freestyle relay uncontested, Friday afternoon’s Division III quarterfinal against Mount St. Charles was tied at 38 to end the meet. In an unprecedented situa- tion, the schools had to turn to the RIIL to figure out who advances to the semifinals. The league ruled that because the Mounties won more races (6-5), Matt McGarry, right and the Mounties moved on with a 39-38 vbictory over Jacob Santiago, left, and the Tigers at the Woonsocket YMCA. Turn to page B3 for more photos from the thrilling meet. B2 THE TIMES Sports Saturday, February 27, 2021 was inching closer to joining another Mendez scored 10 of the 17 points HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SCHEDULE “1,000” club. that BVP put up in the first quarter. Mendez Mendez did pick up three fouls in What was a 10-point game at halftime SATURDAY Cumberland at Tiverton Continued from page B1 BOYS Hockey the first half, though that wasn’t going soon escalated to a 21-point lead with Basketball 6 p.m., Division I semifinals, Game In a bit of irony, Mendez scored his to slow him down on a night when his 4:32 remaining in the third quarter. 2 p.m. Division II preliminary round, 2, La Salle at Burrillville/Ponaganset/ 1,000th career point against the same relentless pursuit of missed shots made Mendez and Payette were compli- Lincoln at Portsmouth; Toll Gate at Bay View Ponaganset squad back on Feb. 6. To him the talk of the state’s high school mentary of the performances turned in Burrillville Swimming mark that occasion, BVP head coach basketball community. by fellow Pride starters Jordan Mendes Hockey TBA Division I, II, III quarterfinals Kevin Payette presented Mendez with “I have to leave it all out there. It’s (game-high 21 points), Daniel Gar- 8 p.m. Division I semifinals, Game 2, (teams TBD) a commemorative ball prior to a recent my senior year,” said Mendez, who cia (10 points), Jaiuan Winfield (eight Bishop Hendricken at Burrillville Indoor Track TBA Division I semifinals, Game 2, 1:30 p.m. State Championship (at home game. As Mendez walked away received a round of applause from his points), and Xavier Lora (4-of-4 at the Mount St. Charles at La Salle PCTA) from Payette, the youngster said, “One teammates after Payette relayed what free-throw line). Swimming thousand rebounds next?” No. 12 in a BVP uniform achieved “Dan played sparingly last year … TBA Division I, II, III quarterfinals SUNDAY That question led to a fact-find- during his postgame address. maybe 10 to 15 minutes. Now he’s out (teams TBD) BOYS ing mission. After consulting the stat As thrilling as it was, Mendez didn’t there for 30 minutes. Same thing with Indoor Track Basketball sheets and watching game film, Pay- become overly ecstatic. He stayed Xavier. He was a full-time JV guy last 9:30 a.m. State Championship (at 1 p.m. Division I preliminary round, ette and his assistants determined that even-keeled, but that’s just the type of year. Now he’s out there the whole PCTA) Westerly at Cumberland Mendez was 150 rebounds away from person he is. Individual moments have time,” said Payette. GIRLS 4 p.m. Division III preliminary round, becoming known from writing down their place so long as they’re part of a Added Mendez, “Dan has worked Basketball Mount St. Charles at Moses Brown another four-digit number next to his winning story. his butt off to get to this point. I’m so 1 p.m. Division II preliminary round, name. “No matter what, I’m doing it,” said happy for my fellow senior. Jordan is With not much time left in the reg- Mendez. “Steals, deflections, assists, the future. He’s been doing great stuff BLACKSTONE VALLEY MEMORIES ular season, Payette believed the Pride everything … I just want to do what I this season.” would need to reach the Division III can to help the team.” BVP opened the season with three February 27 semifinals in order for Mendez to have What shouldn’t get lost in the shuf- straight losses. Since then, the Pride a realistic shot at obtaining the illustri- fle is the fact that Mendez achieved have won seven of eight. Next up is a 1969 Steve Strzesak rolled a single string of 212 and a ous rebounding mark. In no time, those double-double status on Friday. He quarterfinal-round game against No. 4 high-three series of 602 to capture weekly honors in best-laid plans went out the window. finished with 18 points, most of them seed St. Patrick that will take place ei- Jerry’s Tenpin Bowling League at the Lincoln Lanes. Other Mendez opened Friday’s game with of the second-chance variety. Yet this ther Sunday or Monday. leaders were Roland Duhaime 594, Steve Williams 585, Ar- two hoops that came off two offensive night was about the Hakeem Olaju- “We started slow, then guys who mand Harnois 565, Bill Lemay 562, Russ Labreque 559, Rene rebounds. A short time later, he grabbed won-esque display he put on when it only had a handful of practices, they Gagne 556, Frank Williams 548, Don Sosville 542, Bob Foley three (maybe four?) offensive rebounds came to rebounding. had to keep up with [Mendez],” said 537, Jerry Magnan 536, Tom Bowman 532 and Jerry Lindley before finally getting one to drop. “He seems to be a second ahead of Payette. “This group has really come 531. Payette never once informed Men- everyone. If it’s coming off, he knows together.” dez how close he was to 1,000 career where it’s going,” said Payette.