By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)
BOSTON - Carl Pierre may have been dealing with a fever, but that was not going to stop him from doing what he has done all year long.
Behind 25 points and 6 rebounds for Pierre, and 19 points from junior Travis Evee, BC High knocked off Braintree, 67-54, in the Division 1 South Quarterfinals on Friday night in front of a packed McNiece Pavilion.
Pierre scored his 1000th point with time winding down in the second quarter, splashing a three pointer from the right wing.
BC High coach Bill Loughnane said the combination of Pierre and Evee has shown up every time the Eagles have needed them.
“Travis (Evee) and Carl (Pierre), have been there for us all year,” said Loughnane. “We have really asked a lot of them and they have answered every time. When the other guys come to play with them we’re a pretty good team.”
The combination of Evee and Pierre in the backcourt combined with Jordan Minor (16 rebounds) and Troy Samans in the frontcourt gave the Wamps fits all evening long.
At the defensive end, meanwhile, Loughnane tasked Myles Owens to handle Braintree star guard Nick Timberlake.
While Timberlake finished with 24 points, Loughnane said he was impressed with how Owens prevented Timberlake from getting into the paint.
“When you are playing against someone like Timberlake, the key is to make him earn it.” Said Loughnane. “We weren’t going to shut him out, he was going to get his but we wanted to make him work.”
BC High (20-2) carried a 37-24 lead into the half, and opened up a 46-32 edge midway through the third, but Braintree came crawling back.
Brendan Leahy hit a layup, and Anthony Kennedy connected on four straight to pull Braintree within nine heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wamps' momentum carried over into the fourth quarter. After an Owens three pointer put BC High back up 10, Timberlake and Anthony Peacock combined for an 8-2 run that pulled Braintree within 55-50.
Evee, however, responded with two free throws before hitting an and-one runner in the lane to give the Eagles an 11-point edge, all but sealing the victory.
Nearly four years ago to the day that Braintree upset BC High in the state tournament.
Despite the fact that he was in eighth grade at the time, Pierre said the loss was still fresh in everyone’s mind heading into Friday night’s showdown.
“Everyone always talks about that game from four years ago when (Braintree) came over here and beat us,” said Pierre. “I was in eighth grade, and everyone knows about it. So, being able to get my 1,000th point in this game and get big win at the same time it good for me and the school.”
Timberlake set the tone to start the game, stealing the ball from Pierre and slamming it home at the other end plus the foul to hand the Wamps an early 5-2 edge.
Salmans answered the other day with a three for the Eagles, and a Pierre jumper capped of a 10-2 run to end the stanza as BC High took a 12-7 lead after one.
The beginning of the second quarter was nothing short of a heavy weight fight with Timberlake and Pierre exchanging baskets to keep their respective teams in it.
A Timberlake driving layup cut the Eagles lead to 17-14 early in the frame, but Mike Vasil came off the bench for BC High and connected on a three and Minor followed with an and-one put back to put the Eagles up 11.
Evee followed by getting in on the offensive attack, splashing home two three pointers before Pierre poured in the exclamation point with a three pointer from the corner to send the Eagles into the locker room with a 37-24 lead.
BC High moves on to the Division 1 South Sectional Semifinals where they will take on Needham.
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