NORTHFIELD — For an example of why defense wins in March, look no further than Messer Gymnasium on Friday night.
No. 15 Pioneer clogged the lanes and handled its business on the glass, frustrating visiting Prospect Hill of Cambridge over the course of the full 32 minutes in the MIAA Division 5 boys basketball Round of 32. The Panthers punched their ticket to the Round of 16 thanks to a convincing 55-37 victory.
Pioneer (11-10) advanced to a Round of 16 showdown with No. 2 Baystate Academy, set for early next week in Springfield. The date and time was not official as of press time.
“The defensive end of the floor was where we won the game tonight,” Pioneer coach Scott Thayer lauded. “I told the kids we just have to get in our stance and be confident in our fundamental structure and we’ll be OK.”
Pioneer took control of the game early in the second quarter and never let go. Jalen McGraw got to work on the boards early, and Brayden Thayer’s 3-pointer midway through the second period extended the Panthers’ lead to 23-11.
Josh Wood’s own personal 7-0 run sent the Panthers into halftime with a commanding advantage. The freshman capped the mini-spree with a dagger 3 in the corner, when Jared Hubbard broke through pressure on a fast break and spun a pass for the open triple. The 3, which forced a Prospect Hill timeout with 54 second left before half, lifted the hosts to a commanding 30-14 lead and even got an emphatic fist pump out of Thayer on the sidelines.
“We kind of punched them in the mouth on that run and they really didn’t have an answer for us,” Thayer said.
The 18th-seeded Wizards hit a pair of late free throws to make it 30-16 at the break.
Wood scored 10 points in the second quarter alone, as Pioneer used a 16-10 edge in the frame to snatch control.
Pioneer’s lead never dropped below double digits in the second half, and Wood and Thayer drilled 3-pointers late in the third quarter to give the hosts their largest lead of the night at 44-24.
Dickinson Azor hit back-to-back 3’s to end the third for the Wizards (11-6), but the fourth quarter was played with the final result well in hand.
“We didn’t just want to get in an up and down game with them,” explained Thayer. “We wanted to keep it within the 3-point lines on both ends of the floor and I thought we did a good job staying composed and playing within ourselves.”
McGraw, who Thayer said has been a linchpin since returning from a lengthy injury absence, led the offense with 14 points to go with five rebounds, while Wood tossed in 13 points and five boards as well. Jayden Fox made it three Panthers in double figures with 10 points, followed by Thayer with nine points and Hubbard with six points and five assists.
“That’s the best Jalen has looked since Game 5, and everyone else feels comfortable with him on the floor,” Thayer said.
Next up is a trip to Springfield and a Round of 16 matchup with second-seeded Baystate Academy. The two teams do have some postseason history, having met in the Western Massachusetts quarterfinals three years ago, a Pioneer victory. Baystate knocked off No. 33 Holbrook, 50-39, in the Round of 32.
“They’ve got three kids that can really go,” Thayer said of the Bulls. “We’ll have our hands full.”