BUCKLAND — Mohawk Trail Regional senior Levin DuPree will always be able to remember his 18th birthday as the day his basketball team broke one of the longest postseason droughts in school history.
Dupree poured in 15 points, 13 in the first half, to help lead the eighth-seed Warriors to a 62-57 win over No. 8 Mahar Regional School in the opening round of the Western Massachusetts Division III Boys Basketball Tournament Tuesday night in Buckland.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we’ve been working for this all year,” Dupree said. “I was just happy that we executed down the stretch and got the win.”
The defensive-minded Senators gave the Warriors all they could handle from the opening jump, using a tough trapping press to force Mohawk back on its heels in a very active first quarter, which featured at least three lead changes. Mohawk (15-6) eventually settled in and started making shots, a number by Dupree, and managed to end the quarter up 15-10.
One of the big stories of the first half was the defensive play of Mahar junior center Bryce Cleveland (19 points), who did as good a job as anyone has this year of slowing down Mohawk senior pivot man Jacob Cross (18 points, 9 rebounds), who had been scoring almost at will during Mohawk’s final few regular season games. The focus on Cross seemed to open things up for Mohawk junior Torsten Sloan-Anderson (15 points), who had a solid effort both in the paint and at the free-throw line.
Most of Mahar’s first-half scoring game from the backcourt tandem of Pedro Matos and Malik Adams, who combined for 17 of the Senator’s 27 first-half points.
“They are well coached and they definitely threw a wrinkle or two in there, and had some guys taking shots they didn’t take the first two times we played,” Mohawk coach Fred Redeker said.
Try as they might, Mahar (11-10) just could not seem to gain a lead against the much taller, more offensively disciplined Warriors, who opened up an eight-point lead which was quickly erased by a pair of Adams 3-pointers, which tied the game at 27. A pair of Cross buckets late in the quarter gave Mohawk a 31-27 lead at halftime.
The third quarter was much like the second, with Mohawk going on a series of runs only to have Mahar claw its way back, punctuated by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Senator junior guard Issak Reinikainen to make the score 45-40 at the end of three.
Mohawk continued to carry the play in the fourth, but, try as they might, couldn’t seem to put the Senators away. The Warriors caught a huge break when Cleveland fouled out with 3:32 left, giving Cross a little more breathing room which immediately translated into key points down the stretch.
The Warriors finally put the game away with seven seconds left. Reinikainen hit a 3 to make the score 60-57. Mahar called time out, and immediately fouled junior Ian Eckler on the inbound pass, who went down to the other end and drained both free throws to create the 62-57 final.
“I thought we played well tonight,” Mahar coach Chad Softic said. “Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap to the other team, and Mohawk had a great game, especially offensively.”
Mohawk now goes on to face top-seeded Sabis International Charter School (14-6) Friday night in Springfield.