WORCESTER – Wednesday night’s Div. 3 boys basketball state semifinal was a battle of will in the paint, and top-seeded Charlestown proved most relentless to head to the program’s first state final since 2005.
After trading blows in a physical affair through the first three quarters, the Townies held their ground for a dominant fourth to separate from No. 4 Taconic in a 70-57 win at Worcester State.
Everyone contributed in a 23-13 final frame, though Jaylen Hunter-Coleman (23 points, nine rebounds, four steals), Damante Vanheyningen (19 points) and Jaylin Williams Crawford (12 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks) were the clear leaders.
Taconic’s defense of its Div. 5 state championship fell short, while Charlestown avenged its loss in the Div. 2 state semifinal. It meets No. 2 Old Rochester at the Tsongas Center this weekend.
“We strive for the character and the honor roll stuff big-time, the basketball stuff is the fun part – the icing on the cake,” said Townies head coach Hugh Coleman. “Emotionally, we’re just so happy for the boys. … It means a lot to me personally to give them an opportunity to experience this.”
It didn’t take long for the Thunder to challenge Charlestown’s athleticism and strength, attacking the glass in the first quarter for 10 offensive rebounds. Kyle McGrath (13 points, seven rebounds) and Martin Boua (five blocks) proved troublesome on the inside, while Jarmal Sistrunk (16 points), Christian Maturevich (15 points, 12 rebounds, six steals) and Ceasar Santos (10 points, eight assists) helped force six turnovers for a 19-16 lead at the end of the opening frame.
Once the Townies slowed down the giveaways and limited the offensive boards, though, they overcame poor shooting from deep to fight for a 30-30 tie heading into the half. The conversation in the locker room from there made a huge difference.
“We emphasized the rebounds,” Coleman said. “We noticed that it was lacking, we had some words in the locker room about we need to pick it up and keep that solid. These guys were able to turn that around.”
Strong takes to the basket led to a quick four points each for Hunter-Coleman and Williams Crawford, building a 10-2 run to set the tone. Layups from Sistrunk and Santos, and a triple from Santos, tied things up at 42-42 in response, though Charlestown generated some good looks for a 47-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Townies wouldn’t be denied from there.
Charlestown allowed just one offensive rebound while grabbing six. The three-ball fell for Vanheyningen and Jordany Mak, and both followed with strong takes for a 56-45. A pair of layups from Maturevich kept the deficit at nine, but relentless defense limited what the Thunder could produce.
Trevari Andrews was a force on the glass for Charlestown in the final minutes to keep a comfortable distance for the win.
“The beautiful thing about the state tournament is the survive and advance,” Coleman said. “For (Taconic) to not give up is a testament to who they are and what they’ve done, but for us, it’s the games that we’ve played this season. … When the adversity hit, we don’t really get rattled. We really don’t. We stay the course.”
