RallyNorth.net

Fri, Feb 29, 2008 07:00 PM @ North Reading

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Playoff Game Division 3 North - Quarter Finals
Bishop Fenwick	15	12	20	20	67
North Reading	8	13	9	26	56

Bishop Fenwick boys basketball moves on to semifinals

Friday, February, 29 By Mike Grenier
Staff writer

NORTH READING | When Bishop Fenwick's boys basketball team sported a 6-8 record a few weeks ago, you had to be a big dreamer to think the Crusaders would be any kind of factor in the Division 3 North Tournament.

The Crusaders had to make a mad dash to even qualify for postseason play, but now they're in a groove. Who would've thought they'd make to the North semifinals? But that's where they're headed after eliminating North Reading, 67-56, last night for their second straight road win in the tourney.

Bishop Fenwick will play Wilmington, a 70-52 winner over Minuteman last night, with the site and day to be determined.

"I think the whole thing with us is that we want to go far in the tournament," said 6-foot-3 junior forward Phil Eagan, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds as the Crusaders improved to 12-9. "We're pumped up."

Bishop Fenwick was sloppy at times, but it led from wire to wire, stretching the lead to 17, 49-32, before staving off the inevitable frantic run by the Hornets, who scored 26 points in the fourth quarter but never got closer than six.

Eagan (eight first quarter points, 10 for the half) carried the Crusaders through the early stages of the game, when guard Nolan DiPanfilo struggled with his shot (2 for 11) and lethal 6-foot-7 junior center Mike Clifford barely touched the ball.

However, everything clicked for the visitors in the second half. Clifford again put up absurd numbers, finishing with 24 points, 22 rebounds and altering countless shots when the Hornets took it to the basket. DiPanfilo heated up, too, and ended up with 19 points. And the Crusaders did a terrific job of closing it out at the foul line, making 8 of 10 in the final 1:20.

"We dug a hole that was too deep," said North Reading coach Joe Casey. "We lost the game in the third quarter (when the Hornets were outscored, 20-9). But you have to give Bishop Fenwick a lot of credit. We don't face any center like Clifford in the Cape Ann League. Wilmington has a big kid, but he's not like Clifford. He changed a lot of our shots when we went to the basket."

Bishop Fenwick held a slim 27-21 lead at halftime, but coach Sean Connolly wasn't in love with the way his team was playing, mainly because Clifford (9 points, 8 rebounds at the break) wasn't getting the ball enough. You can bet his players heard about it during intermission.

"We needed to get Clifford the ball," said Connolly. "That was our whole halftime speech. Phil (Eagan) has been huge for us the last couple of games, but we had to get Clifford more touches."

The Crusaders obviously paid attention. Clifford exploded for 10 points in the third quarter, including an offensive rebound bucket that made it 47-30 heading into the final quarter.

"We wanted to get Mike the ball," said Eagan. "He's the best player on the court."

North Reading sliced the deficit to six on three occasions in the fourth quarter, but Bishop Fenwick had an answer every time. The Hornets had it down to 57-51 with 2:18 remaining, but a Clifford basket with 1:43 got it back up to eight and then Eagan, Clifford and DiPanfilo (5 of 6) combined for eight free throws to finish it up.

Kevin O'Leary paced North Reading with 15 points and Paul Burdett had 12.

"They've got a nice inside-out game with Clifford and DiPanfilo," Casey said of the Crusaders. "It's tough to defend everything they do and they're well-coached." Bishop Fenwick is still playing in March. That's the best surprise of all.