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| By Dave Haley, Posted 03-20-2010 | ||
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| Sat 03-20-2010 | Score |
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| Winnacunnet | 59 |
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| Pinkerton Academy | 61 |
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They say that a true measure of a man can only be determined by the size of his heart. Well that may very well be true but it also doesn't hurt to be 6'7 either.
Pinkerton Academy and Winnacunnet played only the second double overtime championship game in tourney history in a game that wasn't decided until Jesse Gould's game winning three point attempt fell short. Pinkerton won their first Class L title since 1990 behind a record breaking performance by 6'7 center Zach Mathieu whose 37 points were the most by a player in championship game history.
What ended up as a classic certainly didn't seem like one out of the gate. Neither team could get into any sort of offensive flow in a low scoring first half. Winnacunnet was applying full court pressure but head coach Jay McKenna was forced to abandon it when guards Nick McGrail, Harry Knowles and Ryan Dunn each picked up two early fouls. The Warriors held a 19-17 lead at the half.
Pinkerton made a run to open the third period highlighted by a Ben Proulx three from the wing to make it 28-23. Pinkerton was making a concerted effort to get the ball into the post to Zach Mathieu on nearly possession and the slower pace was favoring the bigger Astros team.
In the fourth Jesse Gould buried two straight three's to put Winnacunnet back on top 33-30. Pinkerton responded as Mathieu found room on the baseline and converted a reverse lay-up to put the Astros back on top.
Winnacunnet used a high screen and curl for Gould to free up their leading scorer for looks at the basket. Early in the game the Warriors had aggresively gone to the rim to attack Mathieu and power forward Alex Patrikis but were unable to finish. Gould came off a curl on a nice set play set up during a timeout by McKenna and Gould buried the three pointer to tie the game at 38 apiece with 1:08 remaining.
The two teams' traded foul shots in the final minute (by Chad Park and Harry Knowles) before Pinkerton held for the last shot of the game. The Astros tried to work the ball into Mathieu but he was surrounded by Winnacunnet defenders and the ball was knocked loose without ever getting a shot off. Overtime.
Pinkerton controlled the play in the first overtime as they were able to get through the Winnacunnet full court pressure and then work the ball around the perimeter until they could get the ball into Mathieu. A Mathieu dunk made it 48-42 with 1:30 remaining in the extra period.
Winnacunnet though responded, as they have all season. Nick McGrail was fouled on a three point attempt and made all three clutch foul shots. Ben Proulx then missed two foul shots for Pinkerton and Harry Knowles converted a steal to set the lead back to 48-47 with under a minute to go.
After two Ryan Williams foul shots Winnacunnet got the ball back down 50-47 with 11 seconds remaining. The play was set up for Gould or Knowles to take the shot but it broke down. 6th man Shaun Munson found himself with the ball 22 feet from the hoop with the entire season on the line. Pinkerton was 3 seconds from the state title when Munson launched the last second three. It found nothing but the bottom of the net.
Double overtime.
In the second overtime Pinkerton went back to Mathieu who would break Skip Barry's Class L scoring mark for a championship game. Down 59-58 with 26 seconds left Ben Proulx launched a three from the wing that didn't hit the rim. The 6'7 Mathieu though collected the rebound and converted the basket with the foul. Fouling out Knowles in the process.
Down two with Ryan Dunn, Nick McGrail and Knowles all fouled out McKenna made the move to go for the win on the final possession of the game. Gould worked through and around Steve Cronan's screen at the top of the key but couldn't get a good look with Mathieu and Park on him. His 23 footer missed right as Pinkerton students stormed the court for their first Class title in 20 years.