East Providence boys and girls triumph in hoops doubleheader

Boys beat Coventry, 65-52, girls blow out Classical, 58-34

Story by Mike Rego, photos by Rich Dionne
Posted 2/18/17

EAST PROVIDENCE — Both the East Providence High School boys' and girls' basketball teams celebrated their annual Senior Nights in style Friday evening, Feb. 17, as each of Townies earned important …

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East Providence boys and girls triumph in hoops doubleheader

Boys beat Coventry, 65-52, girls blow out Classical, 58-34

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — Both the East Providence High School boys' and girls' basketball teams celebrated their annual Senior Nights in style Friday evening, Feb. 17, as each of Townies earned important league victories.

The boys started the festivities with a 62-52 Division I win over visiting Coventry. E.P. improved to 11-6 in the I-Central ranks.

The girls closed the evening with a 58-34 rout of Classical in a Division II contest. The Townies upped their record to 15-2 in the II-South standings.

Boys' notes
The Knotty Oakers kept things close for the better part of 35 minutes Friday. The teams finished the first half tied at 28 apiece.

E.P. opened up a working margin at the start of the second half, but Coventry remained within range due to its shooting from the perimeter. East Providence's length and athleticism, however, were eventually the differences down the stretch, leading to second-chance buckets or free throws off offensive rebounds.

"We made shots. You have to make shots. We did not make shots against South Kingstown. We did not make shots against North Kingstown until late and Hendricken blitzed us," EPHS head coach Joe Andrade said, referring to the recent string of losses his Townies suffered going into Friday's game.

"Tonight we made shots, and when we make shots we're more confident. That's just natural," he continued. "And defensively, we played better, especially to start the second half."

The Oakers rallied to within one, 51-50, with about four minutes remaining in the game, but a David Ogungunbi put-back slam sparked the Townies on a game-ending 21-2 run to seal the win. Included in the initial spurt were a couple of Kyerstan Casey free throws, two of his team-leading points total on the night, and a corner 3-pointer by Deyshawn Tengbeh.

"That was crazy," Casey said of Ogunrunbi's standstill, two-hand throw-down of a Townie miss. "It got the crowd going, and it got us going even more."

Casey led all scorers with a season and career-best 24 points for the locals, including five 3-pointers. Deyshawn Tengbeh added 20 points, four buckets from behind the arc. Dion Hazard chipped in seven and Ogunrunbi added five.

"It felt good. I had the hot hand. Lately, I've been off, but I needed to pick it up for my team," said Casey. "My team kept me going. They kept getting me the ball. It was just my time to step up."

The Towniies finish their regular season Tuesday night, Feb. 21, on the road against Cranston West. Depending on other results, E.P. should be seeded somewhere in the middle of the expected 12-team Division I championship tournament field.

Casey, Ogununbi, Justin Harris and Clinton Osbourne were the E.P. seniors honored prior to Friday's game.

Girls' notes
The EPHS girls' outing against Classical wasn't nearly as close, the Townies racing out to a 36-9 lead by intermission.

E.P. scored the first 10 points of the contest, senior Amber Drainville ending the run with a drive for two. The Townies actually led 22-2 before the Purple offered up a brief response before the break.

Lillian Conti led the locals with 12 points. Drainville finished with 11, Courtney Dorr 10, Shaniah Hazard nine and Julia Andrade six.

The Townies travel to Westerly Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, in a game that will determine first place in the Division II-South regular season standings. E.P. and the Bulldogs are vying for one of the top seeds in the upcoming league championship tournament, though each is likely to receive a bye into the quarterfinal round.

Also part of the evening Friday, the EPHS girls' cagers held their annual Coaches vs. Cancer "Pink Out" event. The Townies and head coach Mike Solitro have raised over $50,000 for cancer initiatives in the game's nine-year history.

"It was a great evening for Townie basketball on both sides. It was great to see the community come out and rally again for the girls and help out our ninth year to make it another successful endeavor," Coach Solitro said. "And I also want to thank my seniors for four remarkable years."

Four-year starters Andrade and Drainville were among the EPHS seniors honored Friday along with classmates Arianna Calouro, Precious Rivera, Jasmyne Ivy and Brooklyn LaDuke. 

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MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.