Boys’ basketball took down 11-seed Braintree 48-40 during their last game in the Reggie Gym in the state tournament Elite Eight game, Friday, March 7.
Although North was the 3rd ranked team in the state, taking down the underdog would prove to not be as easy as the Tigers thought. The Tigers have faced Braintree two times during the regular season, winning both games.
“Defense is what our team is,” said senior Teagan Swint, a captain along with senior Nicky Spinelli. “We’re a defensive-minded team. It’s what wins us games.”
The Tigers started out strong with the first points on the board from Spinelli’s splash three, and coupled this offensive strength with relentless defense, forcing a turnover the very next possession.
The second quarter began with a block by Swint resulting in a fast break transition, yet the Tigers were not able to convert. Realizing a momentum shift, Braintree began pushing even more, making a key and one to cut the lead to four with five minutes left in the second quarter.
As Braintree began to chip away at North’s lead, the Tigers’ offense started to lack focus, according to Spinelli. North turned the ball over twice in less than thirty seconds.
The half ended with the Tigers leading 21-18 thanks to a layup by Spinelli.
“We had a little separation, and then they came back but we’ve been resilient all year,” said head coach Paul Connolly.
The second half started slow with the first points scored by Braintree after 3 minutes of playing. A series of back and forth then ensued for the majority of the third until Swint made a clutch three with only two minutes left, increasing the lead to 6.
As the fourth quarter resumed, Braintree and North went back-and-forth until the Tigers took the lead early in the fourth, persistent in capitalizing on Braintree’s missed shots.
Despite struggling offensively in the early minutes of the first quarter, North was able to come back and finish Braintree off 48-40.
“I’m just so proud of my guys,” said Connolly. “These kids deserve this. This is the last game in the gym.”
Swint scored a total of 24 points throughout the game and Spinelli scored 9.
The team will face off against number six seed Springfield Central Tuesday, March 11 at Worcester State for the Final Four semifinal game.
