After a second half that featured nine lead changes, the Mahar Regional boys basketball team went cold in the late stages of the fourth quarter in a 43-36 loss to Granby on Saturday afternoon.
Mahar (1-5) did not score in the last three minutes of the game and allowed a 7-0 run by the Rams. The Senators needed some plays down the stretch and the ball kept moving in the independent match up at a packed Grzesik-Bixby Gymnasium.
Most of the Mahar roster played junior varsity last season. The message after the game to the inexperienced Mahar roster was simple.
“The message is why are we so scared,” Mahar coach Chad Softic said. “We play very tight. Very intimidated. There’s nothing we really do with a purpose.”
Hunter Brooks got to the line for Mahar in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-6. Matt Vitello hit a 3-pointer early in the frame. The score was 36-36 before Granby’s 7-0 run.
Brooks finished with a team-high 10 points with two 3-pointers for the Senators.
“Nobody is looking to assert themselves,” Softic said. “Everyone was deferring. That’s the issue. We don’t have someone that can reign us back in when things hit the skids a little bit. Everyone is looking to someone else.”
Gavin Young, Ishan Coburn and Vitello each had five points for the Senators.
Trailing 39-36 with under a minute to play, Aydon Davis tried to tie the game with a corner 3-pointer, but his shot missed the mark. The Rams went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to help close out the game.
A 3-pointer from Granby’s Brandon Carillon gave Granby a three-point lead with three minutes remaining. Both Carillon and Zavien Fernandez hit late free throws for Granby. Raymond A. Colon (14 points), Carillon (10 points) and Fernandez (15 points) were all in double-figures for the Rams.
The victory was Granby’s (1-5) first of the season. Mahar travels to Hopkins Academy on Tuesday in a return to Hampshire North competition.
Girls basketball
Mahar 43, Hopkins Academy 31 — The Senators stayed unbeaten after a win over the Golden Hawks in Franklin South competition at Grzesik-Bixby Gymnasium.
The Senators (4-0, 2-0 Franklin South) used a 10-0 run in the third quarter fueled by Nastasia Sanders who connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to pull away.
Hayden Comeau then nailed a jumper for the Senators before assisting on a hoop by Jaya McBroom. Comeau led Mahar with 22 points. Sanders finished with eight points. McBroom and Taylor Paluk each added five points for the Senators.
Haylee Paluk helped put the Golden Hawks away with a smooth jumper to make the score 42-28 with one minute, 42 seconds left in the game.
Hockey
Greenfield 4, Monty Tech 0 — The Green Wave got in the win column in the shutout win over the visiting Bulldogs in independent play at Collins-Moylan.
Luca Siano scored twice for Greenfield (1-4-1). After a scoreless first period, Siano got the Green Wave on the scoreboard one-minute, 32 seconds into the second frame. Brady Poreda assisted on the goal.
Jack Laurie scored later in the period on a filthy goal. After evading defenders, Laurie sniped it past the Monty Tech goalie to make the score 2-0 at the 12:11 mark of the second period.
Shawn Baumann scored a third period goal for the Wave, with multiple assists coming from Luca Siano and Nico Siano. Luca Siano scored again on an assist from Nico Siano and Baumann at the 11:01 mark of the third period.
Ben Johnston notched the shutout, making 22 saves. The Green Wave play again on Monday against Ludlow back at Collins-Moylan. Puck drop set for 4:30 p.m.