LYNN — Abington High, ranked eighth in Division 3, entered Saturday evening’s Elite Eight matchup with a hot hand – to say the least.
The Green Wave scored 80 points against Watertown last Tuesday, putting the team’s point total at 148 through two tournament games.
But against top-ranked St. Mary’s inside of the Lynn Classical Gymnasium, the wave didn’t come down so hard. The Spartans (24-1) were victorious, 74-43, and punched their ticket to the Final Four against No. 20 Old Rochester (TBD).
“I’m so happy for the kids,” said St. Mary’s Coach David Brown, whose group took down Falmouth and Lynn Classical in earlier rounds.
The postgame celebration was full of hugs and handshakes, but the game wasn’t easy – not by a long shot.
Abington – fearless in enemy territory – raced to a 9-0 lead, while St. Mary’s began cold from around the rim.
“We missed three or four shots at the basket that we usually might make,” Brown said. “I didn’t panic and call a timeout. If it got a little higher, I might have.”
Abington Coach Peter Serino said he was pleased with the first four-and-a-half minutes.
“We knew they were a high-pressure team,” he said. “Early on, our defense was good, so we limited their opportunities to set up.”
Facing a 16-5 deficit after one, St. Mary’s turned tables with a 20-point second quarter and took a 25-23 halftime advantage.
Jake Fortier (17 points) of the Spartans did a little bit of everything. In the second quarter alone, he took a charge, blocked a shot, buried a 3-pointer, and recorded a pair of steals.
“He told me going into the game, ‘Coach, I love playing in green gyms and playing against green teams,’” Brown said. “So, I told him to have the green light tonight. He played tremendous on defense as well.”
Fortier followed up on Brown’s comment.
“I don’t know – it’s just the color,” Fortier said with a smile. “I was just trying to go out there and do whatever it takes.”
But the third quarter was the difference-maker. St. Mary’s – guided by Devell Pamplin (20 points) and JJ Martinez (14) – put together a quick 9-0 run.
The next thing you knew, Abington couldn’t solve the press defense of St. Mary’s, which forced turnovers en route to a 52-34 cushion after three.
“It’s a snowball and it just keeps going,” Serino said. “They’re a good team. They play strong and they play fast.”
For the second consecutive game, the Spartans owned the opening minutes of the second half.
“Huge,” Brown said. “I think we put them in an uncomfortable situation. We were able to jump passes and get some easy baskets.”
Abington’s Kingston Maxwell, a junior who already reached the 1,000-point mark, found success early from the mid-range, but quieted down as the game went on.
“We talked about taking the ball out of No. 11’s hands. Force him to the left and we wanted other guys to beat us,” Brown said. “They only had three kids in the first half who scored.”
With 2:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, both teams emptied their benches.
From there, it was time to celebrate.
“Right now, with everyone, we feel great,” Fortier said. “But we still have two more games to play and we’re getting ready for those.”
