WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock boys basketball team Friday took care of business at home with a 60-50 win over Calvary Chapel Academy in the first round of the Division 5 State Tournament.

 

It wasn’t the start that Mount Greylock hoped for as the visitors came out firing from downtown. Calvary Chapel Academy started the game on an 11-1 run including three straight 3-pointers. The Mounties finally settled in as the quarter went on with a big 3 from Max McAlister to get them going. Mount Greylock inched closer as the quarter winded down and trail by just six after the tough start.

 

McAlister led the way in scoring with 17 points, and Seamus Barnes and Jackson Powell chipped in with 16 and 14, respectively. Calvary Chapel Academy started to get cold in the second quarter from deep, but credit to Mount Greylock for stepping things up on the defensive end, especially Jackson Powell who was tasked with a tough opponent on the other side. 

 

“Powell is a freshman, but he played great defense on an excellent player,” Mount Greylock coach Bob Thistle said. “Jackson did a good job going to the hole and scoring but it was the defense that stood out for me.”

 

The original plan was to have Chase Doyle take the role, but with an injury midway through the game he was no longer able to continue.

 

After going into a deep hole early, Mount Greylock brought the game within one point going into the half down 24-23. 

 

The second half action in this one was really something to watch. Both teams played with high energy and at a frantic pace. Mount Greylock took their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter, 30-28. The two teams would continue to go back and forth trading leads throughout the quarter and would eventually go into the fourth with a tied ball game, 39-39. 

 

With six minutes left to go in the game Powell started to show that offensive ability knocking down a corner 3 to give the hosts a 44-39 lead. He then scored a nice drive to the hoop, followed by a free throw to give Mount Greylock a 47-39 lead.

 

Seamus Barnes then took a breakaway after a turnover for two to give the Mounties an eight-point lead with just two minutes to go.

 

Calvary Chapel wouldn’t go away though, knocking down a shot and putting the pressure back on Mount Greylock. McAlister stepped up big time with the foul game in full effect. He went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, leaving no doubt in this one as Mount Greylock ran the clock out at the end. 

 

“We have not been a great free throw shooting team this year,” Thistle said. “So how do you take a weakness and make it a strength, there’s no magic wand you just have to keep working everyday. You can’t really simulate game situations so you try everything to get them to make free throws and they have just been working at it.”

 

Mount Greylock goes on the road next week in the Sweet 16 to face No. 6 Maynard, a 78-35 winner over Cristo Rey Boston on Friday night.