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Redemptive Haverhill stomps Minuteman

After losing to the Mustangs 85-81 in their first meeting on Jan. 2, Haverhill turned the tables and dismantled the Mustangs, 86-59, at home at the Mansfield Gym.

The Hillies, now 7-5, got a huge boost right off the bat as senior guard Isiah Ocasio played his first minutes of the season after missing the first half with a broken ankle. Ocasio scored just 7 points, but he pulled in 7 big rebounds and provided a much-needed spark that was missing in the first go-round.

“He really added a different level of intensity,” coach Mike Trovato said. “He only had 7 points, but he was all over the place and did a great job devensively on Minuteman’s best player.”

Minuteman’s “best” player, Greg Young, exploded for a game-high 34 points in the previous matchup, but thanks in large part to the shifty Ocasio, Young was limited to just 14 points yesterday.

“Our defense, I thought, was really good this game,” said senior guard Charlie Roche. “We only gave up 14 points in the second half until the last four minutes of the game.”

Meanwhile, the Hillies had a pair of players competing for the title of best player of the game as Roche (30 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds) and Javier Bristol (28 points, 14 rebounds) each hit a season-high in points. They couldn’t have picked a better time as the team’s leading scorer, Dennis Driftmeyer, sat for the third straight game with flu-like symptoms.

“With Driftmeyer out, I knew I needed to step up to get some more points, so that’s what I did,” said Roche of his 30-point performance, also a career high.

Driftmeyer is expected back for Haverhill’s pivotal conference matchup against MVC rival Methuen (8-6) tomorrow.

Said Roche, “He helps on both sides of the floor, he’s an excellent shooter, and he brings a ton of energy. He’s another person that goes out there and just give us his all.”

The high points totals and individual accolades are impressive, but Trovato remains focused on getting everything in line for a postseason push.

“We’re just trying to win, and the goal is to get to 10 wins to qualify for the state tournament. We’re just looking for another win on Tuesday,” he said.