Having undergone a moment as auspicious as Sturgis East’s overtime victory over Sturgis West on February 13, one may have bet on the Storm to carry the momentum and win two of the final three games to qualify for the state tournament. Yet, as fate would have it, the Sturgis East boy’s basketball team lost the first two games to Cape Cod Tech and Dennis-Yarmouth, eliminating them from the state tournament.
Sturgis East’s win over the Sturgis West Navigators was certainly one to remember, as the Storm’s big man Mitchell Starr dominated the court with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 shot blocks. Despite Sturgis West leading 37-31 at the half, East’s offense excelled in the second half, tying the score at 68 at the end of regulation. With over a hundred students in attendance, the overtime period was a wild affair, as both sides fought tooth and nail to squeeze by with a victory.
Fortunately for the Storm, Jacob Tobey forced West’s Deikani Cunningham (who had a game-high 32 points) to turn over the ball, and Jonny Gomes hit a key free throw with seven seconds left to give Sturgis East a well deserved 80-76 win. Senior Kyle Garvey was a menace on defense throughout the game while adding 16 points and eight rebounds for the offense. Tobey finished with 15 points on the night, while point guard Luke Chevalier had 14 points and dished out 8 assists.
Sadly, that joy was soon met with disappointment as the Storm let a nine point lead at the half slip away to lose 60-54 at Cape Tech. At the home of the Crusaders on Senior Night, Sturgis East was overwhelmed in the third quarter, giving up 24 points and failing to contain Cape Tech’s Miguel Cardona, who collected 20 points on the night. Luke Chevalier registered 21 points for the Storm, but it was all for naught as Sturgis fell in a seemingly must-win game.
On February 16, Sturgis East was pummeled 65-36 by a very strong Dennis-Yarmouth squad, officially knocking them out of playoff contention. Luke Chevalier led the Sturgis boys in scoring with 16 points and was once again a bright spot for a team that was suffering from the absence of junior center Mitch Starr.
With the states out of the picture, Sturgis East’s Coach Kennedy decided to play a mix of junior varsity and varsity players in the final game against South Shore Christian Academy, and South Shore came out on top 58-40. Stay tuned for a complete recap of the Storm’s boys' basketball season, featuring interviews and analysis from players and coaches!
No comments:
Post a Comment