FILE PHOTO
Dominic Jette scored 20 points for KIPP.
By GORDON VINCENT
BOSTON – Missed it by that much …
The KIPP Academy boys basketball got the look it wanted – an uncontested 3-pointer from left right elbow by Winfred Sanchez. The ball went around, and in … and then out.
That was the margin of defeat as the Panthers dropped a 49-46 decision to Kennedy Health Careers in the MCSAO Championship game, Friday, at Clark Athletic Center at UMass-Boston.
With his team trailing by four, KIPP’s Wallace Reed went to the foul line with 5.5 seconds left. He made the first and missed the second, and the offensive rebound was grabbed by Nathan Melu, who dished the Sanchez beyond the arc.
“We got the look we wanted, it just didn’t fall,” KIPP coach Colin Halpin said. “It didn’t turn out the way we wanted, but I’m proud of the kids and the effort they gave tonight. They left everything they had on the floor, and no one can ask for more than that.”
Dominic Jette led all scorers with 20 points for KIPP, while Melu added eight points and was a monster on the glass at both ends of the floor. Reed added seven points.
For Kennedy, Jerome Stephens led the way with 13 points, while Jeuri Ortiz added 10.
The Panthers trailed by their largest deficit of 11 (32-21) when Ortiz converted a layup off a steal with 13:12 left in the game. Halpin called timeout after KIPP’s next offensive possession and told his players there was no more time to waste. The Panthers went on a 14-2 run over the next four minutes and took a lead when Jette scored a 3-point play.
“I just told them to not forget what got us here and play with pride and intensity,” Halpin said. “These kids have worked so hard all year, and we didn’t want to go down without a fight.”
The Huskies responded with a 9-2 run, though, and held a 47-43 lead when Stephens made a layup off an assist from Arman Candelaria with 1:52 left to play. Melu cut the Huskies’ edge to two when he converted a layup, though, and KIPP had a chance to tie when Jonathan D’Oleo took the ball to the basket down the lane. He was called for a charge, however, with 15.6 seconds left, and the Panthers had to foul. Bryson Gulley hit both free throws to make the score 49-45, setting the stage for the frantic end.
KIPP led by as many as 10 points in the first half, when Jette converted a fast break layup to make the score 18-8. The Huskies closed out the opening period with a 19-3 run, though, as the Panthers scored just one field goal in the last 6:50 of the first half.
