Varellas' Free Throws Clinch Blue Devils' Quarter-Final Win
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Drury boys basketball team booked a trip to the Final Four of the Division 5 State Tournament with two clutch free throws from James Varellas to end a 57-56 win over English High in Saturday’s quarter-final.
In a game that Drury led for most of the contest it came down to a 3-pointer with 36.4 seconds left in the game for English High to take control with a 56-53 lead.
Drury, who is no stranger to a close game after just beating Hoosac Valley the round before by three points, was ready for the task in front of them.
After scoring a basket to cut it to one point, Drury had to foul with just less than 14 seconds left in the game. After English High missed both free throws Drury pounced on the rebound and was fouled leading to the eventual two free throws from Varelles to seal the game.
Jorge Bond led the way for Drury with 20 points, while senior big man Sammy Moorman finished with 18, including some big shots down the stretch. Varelles added eight points with two threes and those game clinching free throws. 
It was a fast paced game between these two teams with English High relying on its full court pressure to try and speed Drury up into turnovers. Drury was able to break the pressure with ease for most of the night setting up open shots in transition. Jorge Bond finished the first quarter with 10 points including two threes to help give them a 16-15 lead eight minutes in.
English High did a good job of penetrating the Drury defense and kicking it out for open 3-point looks which kept them close throughout the contest.English High had four players in double figures and did a really good job at the free throw line knocking down 13 of 19, Drury went into the halftime break down 30-29.
In the second half, Drury decided to change things up by going to a zone in hopes to slow the English High offense down.
“We played a lot of zone at the end of the year, and I think it caught them off guard a little bit,” Drury coach Jack Racette said. “We needed to slow the game down and let them take time off the clock, we knew it was going to be a one or two possession game, but the only negative was the offensive boards. They dominated us on the boards, but that’s a great athletic group.”
Drury focused on going inside to Moorman more in the second half and it seemed to work out for them. He scored 12 of his 18 in the second half, and Drury looked like they were going to pull away after a big Varelles 3 to give the Blue Devils a 46-41 lead with under a minute left in the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Drury struggled even more on the defensive glass, giving second chance opportunities to English High letting them slip right back into the game. English High was able to take back the lead and extend it to 53-49, but Drury would answer right back with a Moorman offensive rebound and put back followed by two big free throws from Connor Hinkell to tie the game, setting the stage for the dramatic final moments.
It seemed like no matter the situation Drury was ready to go to work for each other and that’s the sort of thing you only see from a team that views each other as family.
“Being around these guys for three months we talk about it, that’s what makes good teams. It's not just about Sammy, Jorge, and James, it's about the 12 other guys that come to practice and challenge us.” Racette said. “James Varelles is a senior who has bought into defending and you won’t see any bigger free throws than that from him.”
Drury will now face the first-seeded Pioneer in the state semi-finals, a team the Blue Devils lost to in the quarter-finals last year.