SPORTS

Pats drop heartbreaker

Posted 3/4/21

By ALEX SPONSELLER The second-seeded Pilgrim boys basketball team was upset 63-60 by No. 3 Burrillville in the Division II Quarterfinals on Monday night at home. No team had a lead greater than five points throughout regulation with many lead changes

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SPORTS

Pats drop heartbreaker

Posted

By ALEX SPONSELLER The second-seeded Pilgrim boys basketball team was upset 63-60 by No. 3 Burrillville in the Division II Quarterfinals on Monday night at home.

No team had a lead greater than five points throughout regulation with many lead changes throughout. The Broncos held a lead in the final 10 seconds of action, but Kenny Rix would hit two pivotal free throws to knot the score and send it to overtime. Tyriek Weeks also hit a big 3-pointer shortly before to keep the Broncos from pulling away.

However, Burrillville would start the overtime period by going on a 7-0 run, and despite Pilgrim pulling within a score in the final minute, the Broncos would be able to hold on and secure the win.

Weeks led Pilgrim with 23 points while Peter Kay added 10, Jayden Weeden nine and Rix seven. Jaden White led Burrillville with 22 points scored.

The Broncos use a high-pace offense which boasts multiple 3-point shooters. Pilgrim held them to just two 3-pointers in the first half, but the Broncos caught fire and hit nine the rest of the way.

Pilgrim coach Matt Fontaine was proud of his team for coming up with big shots in the fourth quarter, but felt that the Broncos just made a few more.

“I wish that we didn’t have to be in that scenario, we practiced a lot this week to make sure that we wouldn’t have to be in situations like that (in the fourth). Credit to Burrillville, they hit some big shots, credit to them. We knew what they were going to do. We struggled at first in man, they had some good drives and were getting the benefit of the calls early. We settled in as the game went on, but we were never able to get on a big run. That’s what happens sometimes. We never really took control of the game and then they’d hit a big shot,” said Fontaine.

In his third year as coach, Fontaine will see a big senior class graduate. He is proud of the impact they made in his early career with the team.

“It’s tough. I took a shot on some of those sophomores and we struggled. Three wins the first year to 11 last year, now 8-1 in league play this year. I’m proud of them because they set the tone for the younger guys and that’s what we’re trying to build here. We lost today, but we’re building something bigger here. I told them that they’ll wake up tomorrow and it will be another day, today they lost a basketball game,” said Fontaine.

Some good news came for the Pats in the fourth quarter when Weeks scored his 1,000th career point.

“It was a little different since that usually comes in the middle of the year but it came during a playoff game. It’s big for him, a big accomplishment, I’m happy for him,” Fontaine said. “It’s great for the team and we can put his name up on the wall, I’m proud of him.”

Pilgrim, basketball, sports

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