Hornets Outlast Eagles in Overtime
TURNERS FALLS, Mass — There was a time when the McCann Tech boys' basketball team couldn't win a game. That time is no more.After dropping their first five games of the season, the Hornets have now rallied back to win three in a row, the latest coming in a 54-50 overtime win at Franklin Tech on Tuesday night. It was a good win for McCann, which rebounded from a poor third quarter that allowed the Eagles to get back in the game. The Hornets (3-5) led 28-18 at the half, but didn't secure the win until they outscored Franklin 7-3 in the overtime period.
"It was a good road win for us," McCann head coach Justin Kratz said. "We had control of the game in the first half. An injury to one our players in the third quarter got us a little unraveled, so they made a run at us and got some confidence. Next thing we knew it was a dogfight. They ended up tying the game and forcing OT, but we settled back down and were able to secure the win."
Junior guard Chad Raimer was forced to leave the game after his attempt to block a shot resulted in an awkward fall to the floor that separated his shoulder. Raimer is believed to be OK after being treated at the Greenfield Hospital, but his injury took its toll on his teammates, who were outscored 14-8 in third quarter. Senior point guard Nate Gutmann scored a game-high 12 points for the Hornets but fouled out in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for junior Josh Superneau to play some critical minutes.
"Josh Superneau did a nice job running the point in the rest of the fourth and OT," Kratz said. "He hit three big free throws in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Mike Chappell had 10 points and 18 boards. It was a big night for him, and he played the whole game. Overall, it was just a quality road win for the guys. They really gutted it out and posted a W despite adversity on the road. I'm very proud of the way they played tonight."
James Miller and Matt Luipold each scored 11 points for the Eagles, who also received 10 points from Justin McCloud. Chappell also had four assists in the game, just one behind Gutmann, who led McCann with five dimes.
The Hornets next play at Westfield Vocational at 7 p.m. on Friday.