Finals Bound!
Kuakumensah, Iacovone Each Score 19 as North Rolls 72-58
Worcester, MA-For anyone in attendance for North vs. Shrewsbury on Sunday afternoon, it would be hard to argue that the most dominant performer was Jose Cruz from Shrewsbury.
Cruz scored 19 points in a losing effort, with two dunks that included a left handed slam with a minute left in the first quarter that left the crowd in awe. Many would agree that the best game he played of his high school career also happened to be his last. Shrewsbury also got 16 points from Colby Reese and 12 from Ryan Stowe.
Shrewsbury Senior Jose Cruz goes up for a one-handed slam in the first quarter
North came out with a bang in the first quarter, ending the first with 17-12 lead anchored by seven first quarter points by Gaetano Iacovone. The crowd erupted after Cruz put down a left handed dunk on a dribble drive with just under a minute left.
Shrewsbury Senior Captain Colby Reese had 16 points in his final game
The second quarter Cruz continued to carry Shrewsbury, getting a two-handed dunk and a conventional three-point play on consecutive possessions with about 3:30 left in the half.
North really struggled with free throws, not only in the first half but in the entire game, their free-throw shooting woes helped to allow Shrewsbury to stay in the game throughout most of the first three quarters. The halftime score was 29-22, North with the lead.
The Polar Bears began to build a larger lead in the third quarter, despite a couple of contested three-pointers by Shrewsbury’s Ryan Stowe. North extended their lead to 51-40 as 6’7 Junior center Cedric Kuakumensah hit Emmanuel Tarwoe in a perfectly played 2-on-1. Tarwoe was fouled on the made lay-up, and finished off the three-point play with a made free throw.
Kuakumensah, as well as Senior Quazay McClain, really started getting involved in the offense in the 2nd half. Cedric finished countless times close to the basket on dribble drives and also on some beautiful feeds from Tarwoe. McClain hit some big three-pointers and had an awe-inspiring assist in what was deffinetly the play of the game.
North’s center Cedric Kuakumensah finished around the rim several times in the second half, leading the Polar Bears with 19 points
Off of a blocked shot, McClain dribbled up the court and delivered a no-look around the back pass to Markese Berry. Berry did the rest, finishing with a one-handed flush as the crowd at WPI erupted to its loudest point of the day. The score at that point was 69-59, and Berry’s dunk seemed to take any energy that Shrewsbury may have had to post a comeback.
North’s senior Quazay McClain pulls for a 3-pointer in the 2nd quarter of North’s 72-58 win
Kuakumensah finished with 19 points and Iacovone also had 19 to go along with 9 rebounds as North finished off the Colonials 72-58. The Polar Bears will play St. John’s on Friday night at 7 at WPI, the two teams split the season series 1-1. Shrewsbury finished their season with a 17-5 mark.