MacDuffie Tops WA in Blackburn Final
Playing for the championship of the Thomas Blackburn Tournament, two NEPSAC Class AA teams went at it for the full 36 minutes. WA & MacDuffie went toe to toe throughout the game, but MacDuffie emerged victorious in the end.
The game was back & forth right from the start. Nine different Hilltoppers scored in the first half, and both teams headed into the locker room knotted at 28.
WA survived a MacDuffie surge early in the half. Junior forward Matt Corey (Londonderry, NH) scored 8 quick points for Worcester to keep them close. After taking the lead off a layup from sophomore point guard Quest Harris (Lowell, MA), the two teams would continue to go back and forth. An 8-point lead for MacDuffie late crumbled to four after a big basket inside by junior guard Paul Durkee (Shrewsbury, MA) and a coast-to-coast layup by junior guard Jordan McAllister (Newburgh, NY). Off a Durkee steal, WA was unable to convert for the tie, and after a pair of MacDuffie FTs, the Hilltoppers would fall, 73-69.
Junior forward Mitch Doherty (Acton, MA) lead the Hilltoppers with 14 points. Corey & McAllister netted 13 apiece respectively, while Harris scored 11 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
MacDuffie senior forward and University of Rhode Island commit Dana Tate earned tournament MVP honors. The Thomas Blackburn All-Tournament Team was announced following the game:
James Bouknight (MacDuffie School)
Matt Corey (Worcester Academy)
Quest Harris (Worcester Academy)
Ian Krishnan (Proctor Academy)
Ronnie Silva (Bradford Christian Academy)
The Hilltoppers fall to 2-4 overall, including a 2-3 record in NEPSAC Class AA. They will close out 2017 with two games this week. Lawrence Academy comes to the Hilltop for a 5:30pm game on Wednesday. WA will travel to face Brimmer School on Friday at 3:45pm at St. Andrews School in Barrington, RI, as part of the St. Andrew's Holiday Classic.
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The game was back & forth right from the start. Nine different Hilltoppers scored in the first half, and both teams headed into the locker room knotted at 28.
WA survived a MacDuffie surge early in the half. Junior forward Matt Corey (Londonderry, NH) scored 8 quick points for Worcester to keep them close. After taking the lead off a layup from sophomore point guard Quest Harris (Lowell, MA), the two teams would continue to go back and forth. An 8-point lead for MacDuffie late crumbled to four after a big basket inside by junior guard Paul Durkee (Shrewsbury, MA) and a coast-to-coast layup by junior guard Jordan McAllister (Newburgh, NY). Off a Durkee steal, WA was unable to convert for the tie, and after a pair of MacDuffie FTs, the Hilltoppers would fall, 73-69.
Junior forward Mitch Doherty (Acton, MA) lead the Hilltoppers with 14 points. Corey & McAllister netted 13 apiece respectively, while Harris scored 11 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.
MacDuffie senior forward and University of Rhode Island commit Dana Tate earned tournament MVP honors. The Thomas Blackburn All-Tournament Team was announced following the game:
James Bouknight (MacDuffie School)
Matt Corey (Worcester Academy)
Quest Harris (Worcester Academy)
Ian Krishnan (Proctor Academy)
Ronnie Silva (Bradford Christian Academy)
The Hilltoppers fall to 2-4 overall, including a 2-3 record in NEPSAC Class AA. They will close out 2017 with two games this week. Lawrence Academy comes to the Hilltop for a 5:30pm game on Wednesday. WA will travel to face Brimmer School on Friday at 3:45pm at St. Andrews School in Barrington, RI, as part of the St. Andrew's Holiday Classic.
