Longmeadow Knocks Off Taconic Boys

By Shannon BoyeriBerkshires.com Sports
Print Story | Email Story
LONGMEADOW, Masss. -- The No. 8 Taconic boys basketball team fell to No. 1 Longmeadow Wednesday evening at Longmeadow High School, 80-68, in the quarter-finals of the Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament.
 
Taconic was able to cut Longmeadow's lead to only one point going into half-time with back-to-back 3-pointers from Deonte Sandifer and Reilly Balcom, leaving the score at 25-24.
 
Taconic came out in the third quarter and was able to take the lead 26-25, but Longmeadow was converting offensive rebounds and quickly turned it around going up 31-26.
 
Longmeadow outscored Taconic in the third, 25-10; at one point the visiors were within 11 points after a 3 from Charles Davis, but Longmeadow held the lead and went into the final eight minutes up 50-34.
 
"The third quarter was a tough one, they outshot us 25-10," Taconic coach Bill Heaphy said. "They shot well and we went cold."
 
Taconic came out in the fourth quarter and was able to cut Longmeadow's lead to 11 with 1 minute, 33 seconds to go after 3s from Hunter Smead and Izaiya Mestre, but with Heaphy's team in foul trouble, it was sending Longmeadow to the line where the Lancers were finishing.
 
"They made their free throws down the end when we had to foul," Heaphy said. "Our kids fought hard. They never quit, and I'm proud of them for that."
 
Longmeadow will now play the winner of Thursday's game between North Middlesex and Tantasqua.
Print Story | Email Story