Division playoff runs end for East Providence High School cagers

Both boys' and girls' team fall in quarterfinals

By Mike Rego
Posted 2/21/18

Tuesday, Feb. 20, was unfortunately “D-day” as in defeat day for the East Providence High School basketball teams as both squads were eliminated from their respective division playoff …

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Division playoff runs end for East Providence High School cagers

Both boys' and girls' team fall in quarterfinals

Posted

Tuesday, Feb. 20, was unfortunately “D-day” as in defeat day for the East Providence High School basketball teams as both squads were eliminated from their respective division playoff events.
Girls’ notes
The Townies’ pursuit of a second consecutive berth in the Division II girls’ hoops finals came to an abrupt end at home when visiting Juanita Sanchez cruised past the Townies, 63-51.
The fifth-seeded Cavaliers raced to a 9-0 lead and a commanding 21-point halftime lead en route to the win. Sanchez advanced to the semifinals opposite top-seeded and reigning D-II champion Johnston, 42-27 winners over Ponaganset in its quarter Tuesday.
“In all honesty, we got beat by a better team tonight,” said EPHS head coach Russ Ferri.
The Townies, who edged the Cavaliers, 60-56, during their only regular season meeting, had little response in the rematch. The Cavs blitzed the Townies in the opening 16 minutes, building a seemingly insurmountable 37-16 lead by intermission. It was. East Providence managed to the make the final score a bit more respectable late in the contest.
Sanchez junior Mariah Rosario drilled seven of her team’s 10 3s and scored a night-best 28 points, including the 1,000th in her career. Michelle Moreno added 14 for the Cavs, who improved to 16-4 in D-II games. Conti led the locals with 14 points. Emma DaSilva had one of her better scoring nights of the season, adding 12. Hazard had 10 and Cassino-Henriquez eight.
“They had a good game plan,” Ferri said. “What they did really well was put their two best defensive players on Shaniah and Lily and put maximum pressure on our guards. They took away what we tried to do pretty much all night.”
Though out of the league playoffs, the Townies remained comfortably in the 16-team Open State Tournament bracket. Sanchez jumped East Providence into the 10th seed. The Townies fell to the 11th seed, but can finish no lower than 12 based on the results of the rest of the division playoffs.
More boys’ notes
The EPHS boys’ stay in the Division I tourney ended with a loss to host Mt. Pleasant in the quarterfinal round, but the Townies were still in contention for a spot in the Open State Tournament despite the setback.
The second-seeded Kilties fended off a fast start by the seventh-seeded Townies, eventually taking a 36-32 lead before breaking the game open in the second half en route to an 85-61 victory.
Mt. Pleasant improved to 17-2 in league games. The Kilties awaited the winner from the quarterfinal between third-seeded North Kingstown and sixth-seeded South Kingstown to see whom they would play in the semifinals Friday night, Feb. 23, at CCRI-Warwick.
For East Providence, its 2017-18 Division I campaign came to a close with a 10-10 record. The Townies defeated Central in a preliminary round game last weekend. E.P. awaited the results of the rest of the divisional playoffs to see if they’re qualify for the 16-team Open Tourney field. The Townies entered the D-I quarters holding the 16th and last spot.
It was second year in a row Mt. Pleasant ended East Providence’s run in the division playoffs. The Kilties also beat the Townies in the quarterfinals last winter, 64-50.
East Providence’s Open State Tourney place seemed solid, but not totally secure. According to head coach Joe Andrade, the Townies would remain in the field but for a run to the Division III title by Central Falls. The Warriors, however, must upset tops seeds Tiverton and Wheeler to do so.
Tuesday, East Providence broke from the gate quickly, building early leads of 10-2 and 16-8 before Mt. Pleasant started its response. The Kilities would catch and pass the Townies by intermission, holding the four-point lead at the half.
Darren Robinson led Mt. Pleasant over the final 16 minutes, scoring 18 of his game-best 26 points in the second half. The Kilities’ third leading scorer during the regular season, he torched the Townies by connecting on five 3-pointers and finishing the night scoring 14 points above his 12.3 average for the season. Robinson added 11 rebounds for good measure Tuesday.
“He just went off in the second half. He had seven 3s all year coming into the game and he had five tonight,” EPHS head coach Joe Andrade said of Robinson. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s a good player, but he’s their third option on offense behind
(Charles) Martinez and (Emmanuel) Roman. But, what are you going to do? He had a great game.”
The Kilties’ triumvirate of Martinez, Roman and Robinson proved too much for the locals. Martinez finished with 17 points Tuesday, two under his average, while Roman had 20, two above his.
As Mt. Pleasant found the range in the second half, the Townies faltered. East Providence went a bit cold from the floor, including misses close to the basket as the Kilties kept making hoops.
“We missed a bunch of bunnies and they were making shots. We got behind and that forced us out of our zone. And then Romans killed us. He was just too good,” Andrade added. “People will look at the final score and say we got blown out. I thought we played well, especially early. But it’s a simple game when people are making shots like they did tonight.”
Three Townies reached double figures Tuesday led by the 17 of Deyshawn Tengbeh. Dion Hazard added 13 and Ben Sears 10. Juston Williams chipped in eight.

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