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Baker-Occeus scores 30 (7 3's), Pinkerton storms back in semis thriller

DURHAM, N.H. – The calm, poised, contented look on Pete Rosinski's face wasn't fooling anyone.

Down 11 at half after absorbing a vicious 18-0 North barrage into halftime, Pinkerton sophomore point guard Geo Baker-Occeus summed his feelings up succinctly, “Of course, I was worried … But we came in here, coach just said we had to keep fighting. Keep shooting and the shots will keep falling.”

Baker and his mates gathered at halftime and ended the dreams of No. 15 North in a hurry.

The slick sophomore, who was 4 of 10 in the first half, made 7 of 9 in the second (5 of 7 from three) and willed Pinkerton to a 63-58 comeback win to nail down its spot in Saturday's state final here at UNH.

The No. 3 Astros will take on top-seeded rival Londonderry for the Division 1 title here at 3 p.m. The Lancers rallied in last night's other semi to knock off No. 4 Spaulding High School, 58-51.

“We weren't playing,” said Astros coach Peter Rosinski. “We were in awful foul trouble. We had Matt Rizzo on the bench, and he's our defensive commander. And we had David (Faulks) on the bench as well. We knew we just had to weather that storm, and we'd be OK.”

Baker may just be a sophomore, but he was wise enough to listen to his teammates, whose advice came free and simple. “They told me to keep shooting, it will fall,” said Baker.

And it did.

Baker splashed back-to-back triples midway through the third quarter, and it was like a re-birth.

Suddenly, it was a ballgame at 41-40.

“It was just a great feeling,” said Baker. “Making shots and the crowd's going crazy. It just felt great. I was in the moment. I just wanted to win.”

Baker wasn't done either.

He knocked in another top of the key bomb and followed that with a breakaway jam. Then in the waning seconds, he punched and kicked out to a wide open Brennan Norris, who drilled a three at the buzzer for 48-46 lead headed home.

The fourth was a fist fight with ties at 48-48 and 53-53.

But as had been the case all night, North just couldn't answer Baker and Co.

The marksman Morris hit his fourth three in a 12-point night and David Faulks calmly sank a pair of free throws to give Pinkerton the lead for good.

Matt Rizzo and Caleb Godin each had six points apiece for Pinkerton, which now improves to 20-3 with one huge one left.

HISTORY ON SATURDAY

Pinkerton and Londonderry, the fiercest of rivals in New Hampshire, will meet in a state basketball final for the first time in history on Saturday, here at UNH. Londonderry has never won a state boys hoop title in its 37-year history. The Astros' last boys hoop title came in 2010 when Zach Mathieu led Pinkerton to the championship.