Sports
Keys to Victory: Breaking Down Stoughton's Tournament win over Hingham
Five things you need to know about the Stoughton High boys' basketball team's 77-48 win over Hingham High in the opening round of the MIAA Division 2 South Sectional Tournament Monday night.
The Stoughton Black Knights (13-8) on Monday night, 77-48, ending the Harbormen’s season. Stoughton had a strong offensive game, putting up their second highest scoring effort in regulation this season.
With the win, Stoughton will travel to Hopkinton High School on Thursday to face off against the number-one seeded Hillers. Stoughton head coach John Gallivan said his team put in a "good, solid effort" in the win but knows a challenge awaits against Hopkinton.
1. Seniors Lead the Way
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Senior captain Kris Joyce paced the way offensively for the Black Knights with 26 points, 14 of which came in the second quarter. Anytime the Harbormen tried to get back into the game, Joyce responded with a big bucket. The senior guard scored 10 straight points for Stoughton, effectively killing any momentum Hingham was building. Joyce has now scored over 20 points in each of the last three games and has averaged 21 points over the past five games.
“Kris was able to score inside, he was about to score outside,” Gallivan said. “He’s just that athletic. He’s just a specimen. He goes up when he has to go up. He attacks with the dribble when he needs to. He hits the baseline or the foul line jumpers. The three pointers were not even coming close to the rim, they weren’t even moving the net. He was just on tonight.”
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Joyce’s classmate and co-captain Kevin Bui added 7 points but was a major contributor in spreading the floor. Bui continued his role on the baseline and forced the defense to respect his driving ability from there, which allowed for Stoughton to get open looks from the perimeter.
2. Sophomores Chip In
Sophomore captain Aaron Calixte turned in another strong offensive performance with 17 points. Calixte scored a team-high 11 points in the second half to effectively close out the game for the Black Knights. With a large lead in the fourth quarter, Stoughton used time to their advantage, letting the shot clock drain before attacking the basket. With Stoughton up by 27 (69-42), Calixte waited until very late in the shot clock before driving to the basket and laying it in while being fouled. The sophomore guard calmly stepped to the line and converted his “and-one” chance, causing Hingham fans to head for an early exit.
“We wanted to eventually start working the shot clock a little bit and get the shots we were going to get anyway but get them after 15-20 seconds had elapsed,” Gallivan said. “Aaron did a good job of moderating that with a lot pressure on him. People think it’s easy to dribble the ball when you’re that good at dribbling. When you get a guy right in your face, and you have to keep track of where your teammates are and what the shot clock situation is. He did a good job.”
Calixte’s classmate Marcus Middleton chipped in with 8 points, including Stoughton’s first three points of the game, which sparked a 14-0 run for the Black Knights.
3. Bench Play
The Black Knights got a nice spark from the bench including 10 points from sophomore Joe Bunce-Grenon. Bunce-Grenon chipped in half of his points in the first quarter and contributed to the 14-0 run that helped Stoughton pull away early. The Black Knights improved to 3-1 when Bunce-Grenon scores over 10 points.
“Joe looked like he was ready to play tonight,” Gallivan added. “He was focused, he was attacking the rim and he was hitting his outside shots. That’s what we like to see.”
Freshman Joey Wilder added four points while pulling down some key offensive and defensive rebounds. Junior Donald Saladin added two points and senior Teddy Costa had one.
4. Dealing with the Atmosphere—Stoughton is battle tested
The Hockomock League proved it’s worth when all 10 teams qualified for the postseason. Stoughton finished the season at 12-8 and it was a direct reflection on how tough the league is. While a nuisance in the regular season, the Hockomock League might be a blessing in disguise for Stoughton come tournament time.
The road-tested Black Knights went into Hingham’s highly touted home court Monday night and promptly handed the Harbormen their first loss at home, improving their record to 10-4 away from Stoughton High. Stoughton has played in front of hostile crowds at rival Oliver Ames, as well as at Franklin. Stoughton also got some support from the approximate three-dozen students that made the drive to Hingham.
Stoughton’s early lead, and continued dominance, also helped keep Hingham’s faithful at bay for most of the game.
“Let’s try and make it 10-1,” Gallivan said to his team before the game. And Stoughton did just that, without much of a fight from the Harbormen.
“It’s just a great way to start the tournament,” Gallivan said. “Obviously you’ll take any kind of win you can get at this stage of the season. But to have a little bit of breathing room and get everybody some playing time, it was nice.”
“We’ve played in an atmosphere like that before,” Calixte added. “Like the OA game, the first one and the second one, so we’re used to it. The Hockomock is a great league it’s always a good atmosphere so we’re used to it.”
5. Shutdown Defense
Gallivan said that he gave his team a B+ for their defensive effort on Monday and some might wonder why so low, especially after the Black Knights held the Harbormen to 48 points, 12 points lower than what opponents usually average against Stoughton.
The Black Knights continually pressed the ball but were fortunate that Hingham couldn’t convert on some open opportunities. On the other end, though, Stoughton missed some easy chances that they usually convert. It was still one of Stoughton’s better defensive efforts this season.
Stoughton will again be undersized when they travel to Hopkinton, who boasts a 6’7” center according to Gallivan. The Black Knights have accounted for height in the past, playing effective defense against Jake Layman of King Phillip and Kyle Gibson of Franklin.
“We wanted to pressure the ball on the perimeter,” Gallivan said. “When we did we felt like [Hingham] struggled to run their sets. When we didn’t pressure the ball, they got good looks. After the fact, maybe we look like jerks on the bench yelling when you’re up 25 that so-and-so didn’t pressure the ball but everything is a teachable moment. At some point you start looking towards the next game and what can we do better to give us a better chance in that game.”
Stoughton travels to Hopkinton Thursday night at 7 in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Division 2 South Sectional Tournament. Check out the media gallery above for the full postgame interviews with Coach Gallivan and Aaron Calixte.
