GRANBY — Chad Softic tried to push every button he could in the first half of the No. 4 Mahar boys basketball team’s PVIAC Class C semifinal contest against No. 1 Granby.

The longtime Senators head coach called three timeouts in the first 10 minutes of Tuesday’s game in an attempt to energize his team after a sluggish start. Mahar responded with a 5-0 run out of the third one, but the Rams — as they did all night long — had an answer.

The hosts rattled off a game-changing 12-1 run to end the second quarter and turned their 35-17 halftime lead into a 62-45 win to advance to the sectional finals for the second straight season.

Mahar defeated Granby in the Class C title game last winter, but didn’t have the recipe to repeat history on Tuesday. It was the first-half miscues that plagued the Sens in the semis.

“Credit to Granby, they outclassed us for 32 minutes,” Softic said. “We got the end result, which was well-warranted. It’s kind of been the story for us all season. Sometimes I think when we walk on the floor, we’re just going to be able to turn it on. When you don’t have an emotional investment in the game, or lack the confidence, those things happen against good teams.”

Jayden Delgado scored the game’s first four points to put Mahar ahead 4-0, and a Derek Collins 3-pointer gave the Senators an early 8-6 edge. However not much else went right for Mahar in the first quarter, as Granby’s extended pressure forced the Sens to play much faster than they prefer.

Turnovers began to snowball as a result. Mahar coughed up 15 of them in the first half, allowing the Rams to build their lead.

“It was a lack of composure, just getting sped up,” Softic said. “We were in the right spots, we just had too many careless turnovers. I thought our body language kind of stunk all night. You could see it in our faces. It was five guys that looked like they had seen ghosts. If we don’t change that, our story is going to end here pretty soon. And that’s been our season.”

As has been the case for much of Softic’s coaching career, Mahar came out of the locker room playing with energy and a purpose. Delgado scored four of the Senators’ first half dozen points as part of a quick 6-2 Mahar spurt. The visitors used that stretch to outscore Granby 13-11 in the third quarter.

That same urgency on both ends of the floor spilled into the fourth quarter, where Collins, Hunter Brooks and Marshall Ames combined for an 8-0 run that made it 51-40 Granby with three minutes remaining. Max Kimball, who didn’t play the first three quarters, made several hustle plays during that span to give Mahar a spark.

But once more Granby responded with seven straight points, this time officially putting the game out of reach.

“I liked Max’s energy,” Softic said. “He played with some urgency, which we didn’t see from our five senior starters. Max came out and looked like he wanted to be on the floor, looked like he wanted to compete, and I told them we need more of that. I wish our seniors could understand that the clock is ticking, and it’s about to run out.”

Delgado recorded a team-high 14 points, Collins scored a dozen, Ames tossed in nine while Morgan Softic added seven points in the Senators’ defeat.

The Rams advanced to the Class C finals against either Ware or Drury while Mahar will play a consolation game before it gears up for the MIAA Division 5 state tournament.

Class C quarterfinals

Drury 47, Athol 39 – The seventh-seeded Bears hung around in the fourth quarter, but No. 2 Drury managed to keep them at arm’s length en route to a quarterfinal victory Tuesday night in North Adams.

Drury (14-5) advanced to the semifinal round and a home game against No. 3 Ware. Athol will host Hampden Charter in a non-playoff game on Thursday night before the MIAA Division 5 tournament begins next week.

Drury led 13-11 after one quarter and 19-15 at halftime in a tight defensive battle. But the Blue Devils used a 17-7 run in the third quarter to create some separation and take a 36-23 advantage entering the fourth.

A quick 5-0 run to start the final period enabled Athol (12-7) to get back within striking distance. Ethan Bacigalupo’s corner jumper with 3:45 left had the Bears within 39-32, and a Ben Kearney 3-pointer with 2:01 to go had the visitors within 42-37. But Drury held Athol to just two points in the final two minutes to hold on for the tourney win.

Kearney scored 14 points for Athol while Bacigalupo joined him in double figures with 12.

Girls basketball

Class C quarterfinals

Drury 58, Mahar 25 – The sixth-seeded Senators trailed just 10-9 early in the second quarter, but No. 3 Drury answered with a 10-0 run to snatch control. The Blue Devils closed the first half on a 15-2 spurt, pulling away for a decisive victory on Tuesday in North Adams.

Drury advanced to play at No. 2 Renaissance in the Class C semifinals.

Mahar (7-12) trailed 25-11 at halftime.

Hayden Comeau’s 15 points paced the Senators.

Non-playoff

Athol 50, Gateway 8 – It was an emphatic end to the season for the Bears, which cruised to their third consecutive victory to cap the 2024-25 campaign on Tuesday at Mallet Gymnasium in Athol.

Athol (3-17) led 8-2 after one quarter then outscored the visiting Gators 14-2 in the second to take a commanding 22-4 halftime advantage.

It was more of the same after intermission, as Athol led 35-6 after three quarters and pulled away.