SHS Boys Basketball: Survive and Advance

Thursday, March 2nd, marked the start of the Scituate Boys Basketball playoff run with a home game against Middleborough. The sailors entered the postseason with a solid 15-5 record; however, they just managed to scrape a home game as the 16th seed of a 32-team bracket. Their opponent, Middleborough High School, came into the postseason as the 17th seed with a 16-6 record. The playoff atmosphere was electric as the heated battle was set for tipoff.

The sailors started strong with a 20-point lead which was maintained throughout the rest of the first half. A strong defensive performance by junior center Brian Good helped the sailors maintain the lead in the first half. Good finished the game with a season-high 9 blocks, which helped keep Middleborough at bay.

Senior captain Jimmy Tolton gave his thoughts on Good, stating that he was “very impactful and a huge part of the game.” Tolton said Good “was a big reason we won, and he did a great job taking care of business.”

However, as the second half began, the tide began to turn in Middleborough’s favor: Senior captain Jacob Briggs helped the Sachem’s storm back with a 4-point lead. The score would remain close throughout the rest of the game. When times got tough, Tolton prevailed for the Sailors. He finished the game with a team-high of 20 points, helping the Sailors gain their 66-55 win and a ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.

Tolton stated, “Thought I started off pretty cold, but I kept shooting, and never gave up. I stayed focused with my team, and thankfully, the shots started falling at the right time.”

The Sailors survived and advanced to the round of sixteen, where they will be playing the number 1 seed, Malden Catholic. The game is set for Tuesday, March 7th, at 6:00 p.m. Captain Tolton explained, “They’re a really good team, obviously, but I think they lost some key players from last year, and we match up with them pretty well.” Tolton is optimistic, commenting, “It’s gonna be a close game, and I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people with our performance.”