I bought a Boston Globe this morning as I purchased my local paper for the basketball tournament write-ups. It wasn't worth it in the least, and I promise you the Globe is living on borrowed (smile) time. Once this basketball tournament ends next week, that's it. No more temptation.
Anyhow, I wish I could report more positive news about my experience last night. It is with such a sad and heavy heart that I relay this account to you. Don't get me wrong, the players and games were just fine. It was the surroundings that were a real bummer.
The first thing I noticed when I entered the Cage was how dark and dingy it was. I'm thinking, they can't even pay for the lights for the kids? (Tournament games at UMass, readers, so you can imagine my rage; can't cut 50k out of your half-a-million salary for the high-school kids, Jack?) Sadly, the crowds are getting thinner and thinner from what they were even five years ago.
Then the scoreboard, shot-clock, and buzzer problems started. One delay after another. I was apoplectic, folks. WTF? They CAN'T EVEN SET UP the kids' ballgames right? Once they had those problems resolved, I still did not get my announcements of scorers at halftime like I used to in the past. By that time, the the atmosphere and environment had been so tainted for me I was sour on the whole experience -- save for the tremendous young people out on the floor.
Anyhow, the initial game featured the defending girls division three champion against a newer charter school. The defending champs were like a finely-tuned and -oiled machine, jumping to a 20-point lead after one quarter and never looking back. I must admit, it was such a joy to watch their precision play. The ball movement was impeccable, leading to many open shots that were drained with consistent accuracy (for more on previous rounds, see Boys Are Better Than Girls and related links within).
The middle game determined whom the first game's winners would play. In a battle between two league rivals from further south in the state, Monson used its height advantage to clamp down defensively and and the stellar offensive play of their shooting guard in a relatively easy 17-point win over Ware. Looking forward to Saturday's contest, the defending champs have to be favored; however, they will be outsized in a big way and it will be interesting to see what happens.
The nightcap of the evening was the hometown boys taking on a perennial power from the Berkshires. The home team was down 11 before they even scored; however, by halftime they had rallied for a four-point lead. They took that lead into the fourth period, but went from up four to down four before rallying to tie the game at 55 with just over a minute left. With just under a minute left, a kid on the Berkshire side stuck a huge three-pointer for a 58-55 lead in what turned out to be the game-winning shot. They will play the winner of tonight's boys game.
As for the other two games tonight, the first will pit the defending division two champion (and undefeated) girls' team against the team they beat in last year's regional final. The second game of the evening will be the team I saw last week against what must be considered the Cinderella of the tournament at this point -- a 10th-seed with two upsets under its belt. Then the boys will play in the finale.
Still looking foward to tonight's action, readers. The lights may be dim, but nothing can take away from those shining young stars playing their hearts out for nothing more than love.
