Sharon Boys Win Over Rockets

Sharon Boys Win Over Rockets By Laurie-Jean B. Gauthier

The Sharon Academy hosted the Rockets last Wednesday and, for the second time this season, bested Rochester 43-37 to earn the season sweep and their 11^th victory for an 11-5 record. Otto Pierce scored the first basket of the game, but two free throws by Taylor Fuller tied it up. TSA went on a scoring spree, adding seven unanswered points. In the last 45 seconds of the period, Rochester managed to erase the lead for the last tie of the game. Jace Curtis nabbed two points, followed by an Ethan White three-pointer, and a Fuller hoop gave the 9-9 tie. It was short-lived though, as a Michael Landry shot put TSA back in the lead for good, with a three-point swish before the period ended for a 12-9 ball game.

Evan Frank started and finished the scoring in the second period while scoring six points. Sam Wood added three of the ten point Phoenix tally, in the second. Liam McKinley scored the first Rocket point of the period followed by hoops from Alex Kelly and Curtis. Sharon led 22-14 at the break. Both teams had some early foul woes. Sharon finished the first half with eight fouls, while Rochester had 11. Neither team faired very well from the stripe in the first half, with both shooting at 38%.

Returning from the break, Pierce and Wood added six quick points for Sharon. Fuller single-handedly added the next nine points for Rochester. Sharon still led by 10, 32-22, entering the final quarter.

Both teams went point-for-point at the start of the fourth, as first Curtis and Landy matched baskets, followed by McKinley and Pierce. A White hoop was matched by two free tosses by Frank. Chris Johnson and Matt Brown baskets had Rochester six points behind, but a Frank hoop put TSA back up by eight. The score was 40-32, Sharon, with 1:20 showing on the clock. White had the Rockets just five points behind, with a downtown delivery with less than 40 seconds remaining in the game. Frank went to the line twice, as the Rockets were forced to foul, netting only 1-of-4. And at the buzzer, TSA had the victory in the 43-37 contest.

TSA’s Frank led all scorers with 15 points which included a three-pointer, followed by Rocket Fuller with 12 points. Wood had 9 points, and both TSA’s Pierce and Rochester’s White added 8, which included two three-pointers for White. Sharon’s Landry scored the other three-pointer of the contest.

Sharon ends the regular season on the road today when they travel to Arlington to face the Eagles.

Big Win

Sharon coach Tom Vashel showed both class and character last Saturday, Feb. 7 when the Craftsbury Chargers came to town. With a lone senior (a second senior has played no games this season due to a torn ACL) and no juniors on then squad, one sophomore and four ninth graders, along with two eighth graders, the Charger varsity squad has very limited experience. What it does have is height. The players are all around six feet or taller, with the exception of one! Knowing about the youthfulness of Craftsbury, Vashel opted to seat his regular starters and leading scorers, and opened the game with his younger players.

Even so, Sharon pounded the floor and the boards, for an 18-2 first period score. Alex Rogers led the Phoenix with eight of those points. Ninth grader Jason Martin erased the shutout bid with the lone hoop for Craftsbury.

During the second period, TSA’s Galen Riddle opened the scoring, which was all Sharon. Sam Wood scored two baskets and Evan Frank scored one. Colin Pope ended the period with a three-pointer, for an 11-point frame. At the break it was 29-2 in Sharon’s favor.

In the third period, Craftsbury scored the opening hoop, when sophomore Justin Atwood nabbed a basket. TSA added five points before a second Atwood hoop.

In the final period, Vashel’s regular starters scored all 12 period points, as TSA is still working for a good tournament seed. Craftsbury finished the game with nine points.

Rogers was high scorer with 11 points, followed by Frank with 9, Pope 8, Young-Ward with 7 and both Wood and Landry with 6 each.