HIGH SCHOOL

Boys' basketball: Worcester Academy upends Vermont Academy to win Blackburn Tournament title

Tom Mulherin, Correspondent

WORCESTER — Once the Worcester Academy boys’ basketball team solved its turnover problem Sunday in the Thomas Blackburn Tournament final, the Hilltoppers seemingly couldn’t be touched en route to an 89-74 win over Vermont Academy.

Dasonte Bowen netted 22 points to lead the way, while Jordan McAllister (16), Judson Martindale (13), Mitch Doherty (12) and Josh Ogundele (9) dominated in the paint. Each of those efforts overcame a slow start hindered by turnovers. The Hilltoppers limited their miscues through the rest of the first half and rode their defense to a big lead.

“Our biggest thing is our defensive pressure and our togetherness on the defensive end,” Worcester Academy coach Jamie Sullivan said. “It sets the tone for the game. … We can score the basketball, but we’ve got to defend.”

Behind nine turnovers through the first 12 minutes, the Hilltoppers fell behind, 19-11, as the Wildcats produced 13 points in transition off the miscues. Sullivan called a timeout to regroup, and the talk seemed to rejuvenate the players.

As the offense coughed up just three more turnovers the rest of the half, Bowen converted a pair of shots in the paint, Ogundele used his big frame to bull his way to seven points around the basket, and the defense clamped up Vermont’s transition offense as part of 28-8 run heading into halftime.

“A game like that, with so many lead changes, I feel like the tougher team, the team that executes down the run, that’s the team that’s going to win,” said Doherty, who won tournament MVP honors. “When coach chills us down, that’s when we execute. You can’t score when you turn the ball over.”

“Our transition defense isn’t that great, we turn the ball over too much, and we give up too many offensive rebounds,” Sullivan said. “After a couple of championship jitters, we took care of the basketball.”

With a 39-27 lead entering the second half, Worcester Academy kept up the momentum with a quick six points on layups and free throws from Martindale as part of a 10-0 run to start the half. That paced a continued stream of baskets in the paint, as well as some steady rebounding from Doherty (10 boards), to help the Hilltoppers build a 23-point lead with 9:40 left.

Of Worcester Academy’s 89 points, 58 came inside the paint. Hilltoppers also helped themselves by shooting 22 of 27 at the free-throw line.

“Big Josh (Ogundele) played really well,” Doherty said. “We had a focus on getting the ball down low, and that’s how we win games.”

Vermont Academy put forth a furious comeback within the final 10 minutes, as Tommy O’Neil (26 points, 11 rebounds), Symir Torrence (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Travis Evee (21 points) combined for 24 points over the next seven minutes to cut the deficit down to 77-67 with just under three minutes to play. The Hilltoppers, howeverm hit their late free throws and played enough defense to hold on.

—Contact Tom Mulherin at sports@telegram.com.