Picard Leads Mounties to Quarterfinals

WILLIAMSTOWN -- Tyler Picard on Monday scored 22 points to lead the Mount Greylock Regional High School boys basketball

team to a 72-53 win over Smith Vocational on Monday night in the first round of the Western Massachusetts Division 3 tournament.

The third-seeded Mounties advanced to play Thursday at home against the winner of Tuesday's game between Frontier and No. 6 St. Joseph at Pittsfield's Boys and Girls Club.

Tyrell Thomas scored 17, and Hank Barrett added 15 for the Mounties (18-3).

Mount Greylock coach Bob Thistle said Smith Voc's Jordan Castillo and Sam Sharpe were as good as advertised, and he was happy with the way his team played in the second half in order to survive the first-round test.

"We struggled in the first half," Thistle said. "I want to say we were up maybe eight or nine at half-time. We did not do a good job rebounding the basketball. We got beat on the glass pretty consistently.

"I think, frankly, we didn't talk well on the defensive end, and when that happens, it affects your rebounding."

Thistle said things only get tougher from here for the Mounties.

"The kids made adjustments and played more together in the second half," he said. "We'll have to play more consistently whoever we play on Thursday."