Boston Warrior AAU Boy's Basketball: Warrior News: Renegades work OT to beat Warriors in 16U State Tournament Final
Renegades work OT to beat Warriors in 16U State Tournament Final
CHELSEA –- In the boys’ AAU 16-and-under state championship between Mass Renegades and the Warriors, the Renegades experienced early highs, threatening to blow the game open early in the first half, with a fastbreak attack that left the Warriors barely able to get back on defense following missed shots.
But as the game winded down, the Renegades experienced late game-lows, brought about by a furious second-half comeback from the Warriors. They watched a 12-point halftime lead evaporate, as Brendan Farley’s 3-pointer with five seconds left tied the game at 72 and forced the game into overtime.
The Renegades steadied themselves in the extra session, and took the championship with an 88-80 win.
At 12-4 just minutes into the game, the Renegades seemed intent on running the Warriors out of the Chelsea High gymnasium before the halftime buzzer even sounded.
A 1-3-1 zone was offering the Warriors' offense nothing but long-range jump shots. Those shots weren't falling, as evidence by a 2-for-16 first-half clip from beyond the arc, and Renegade point guard Tyler Grillo was turning long rebounds into easy baskets with alarming regularity, helping the Renegades' first-half lead balloon to as much as 14 before settling at 37-25 at the intermission.
In the second half, the Warriors' backcourt, led by Brockton’s Akeem Williams (Avon High) and Mattapan’s Tron Griffith (Charlestown High), abandoned the long ball approach and began searching for the holes in the Renegade zone that were previously left untouched. The Renegades’ lead disappeared in a matter of only a few minutes. Williams scored eight quick points, Farley hit two 3-pointers, and suddenly the Warriors led, 48-43, with a little over 10 minutes to play.
That span saw a dozen ties or lead changes, the final being Farley’s 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. The Burlington native drifted immediately into his favorite spot deep in the right corner with the Warriors down three, and Williams found him with five seconds left.
The Warriors would not score again until midway through overtime, at which point the Renegades had built a 79-73 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish, using timely free-throw shooting and Grillo’s assured ball-handling to preserve the win.
Grillo finished with just 10 points but added 10 assists and three steals. The Renegades were led by the Everett duo of Jim Noel (23 points) and Diovanni McCloud (20 points). The Warriors were led by Williams with 20 points, 18 coming in the second half, while Griffith added 17 and Farley chipped in 15 points (all on 3-pointers).
