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Proulx, Pinkerton rip off semifinal win

Wednesday, March, 17 By Hector Longo

DURHAM, N.H. – Alex Burt made the mistake of showing Ben Proulx the basketball.

The Pinkerton Academy strongman simply ripped the rock away from New Hampshire’s Mr. Basketball, sealing the 61-57 Class L semifinal thriller with a free throw as 2.9 seconds remained, powering the Astros into Saturday’s state championship.

 “How about Ben, the kid is tough,” said an elated coach Pete Rosinski, whose second-seeded Astros will face top-seeded Winnacunnet for the title here at UNH with a 4 p.m. tipoff.

"He's our muscle."

Proulx, who struggled with fouls missing 12:15 in the first half, saved his best on this night for the final two minutes.

Knotted at 55-55, Pinkerton beat the Dover press and Proulx made the Wave pay, cashing in with the lefty finish with 1:37 to play.

Dover answered, but Proulx responded again, firing a bullet to a wide-open Zach Mathieu for the layin and a 59-57 lead in the final minute.

Dover had two chances to answer, but the Astros forced a turnover, and Ryan Williams made one of two at the line, setting up the dramatic final encounter.

Burt held the ball as the seconds rolled away, when he moved left over a screen behind the 3-point arc, Proulx jumped it.

"I saw him coming, and he just left it out there a little bit for me," said Proulx, who made his six points and five rebounds count.

Pinkerton may have earned the decision in the final minutes, but it saved the season win a monumental first half out of the unstoppable Mathieu (career-high 32 points on 15 of 20 shooting) and a handful of role players stepping up.

Proulx's foul issue was compounded when starting point man Chad Park picked up his second and headed off with 7:10 left to the break and the Astros down, 19-11.

Suddenly, Williams (7 points), Chris Light, Steve Curry, Alex Patrikis (9 points, 8 rebounds) and Kevin Colbert were thrust into the spotlight.

And they did the sensible thing, pound the ball into the biggest guy on the floor, Mathieu, who kept his team afloat.

"I was going crazy sitting, but Zach made it easier. He was amazing," said Proulx.

The Astros played some defense, too, especially on Burt, and trailing just 31-29 at the break was a huge victory.

"The bench needed to step up and they did big time," said Rosinski. "We rotated a lot of different guys at him, and that's how we were able to play him. Colbert, Curry,Light, a lot of guys did a heck of a job."

Pinkerton took charge in the third, actually building the lead to eight, before Dover made its run to pull even at 51-51, setting up the wild final two minutes.