The NECC Knights defeated Quincy College on the road 86 to 78. Knights are moving on to the Region 21 tournament.
Heading into Feb. 26 game the Knights had lost a game during the regular season to Quincy College.
“I think Quincy is the most talented basketball team in our region and I think it’s going to be a challenge for us but I think we are ready to go I am excited,” Stratton said.
Stratton hadn’t envasion to be in the final four after a roller coaster in the fall semester “I know I didn’t. I felt we had the capability of doing this but it was a matter of putting together and then once we put it together anything we can envasion, it is a great group of kids when the kids buying in defensively great things happen and hopefully we can have a better performance today…,” Stratton said.
72 minutes before the game the team was already at Quincy getting ready and prepared before the game doing their normal pregame routine.
Knights won the tip off against Quincy. It wasn’t looking good for the Knights. Quincy was in a 11-2 run to begin the game “I saw Quincy was making a lot of easy shots a lot of easy opportunity and I felt the only way to beat Quincy was to use our bench like I said from the beginning we are very deep when we want to be…” Stratton said.
Philip Cunningham of Haverhill was in a fast start, scoring 4 of the 6 points for the Knights to begin the game as he finished the game with 20 points.
Stratton was arguing multiple times with the referee “Well I got frustrated to open the game 5-0 fouls and we were getting just hit… what kinda aggravated at me a little bit was touch foul early in the other end they called against us that Daniel (Almarante) got hammered down the other side they were no foul so all I wanted is some kind of consistency, which they got together the referees I express my opinion and they got together and start calling it more officiant and more better and equal out the foul opportunity cause both team are overly aggressive so that’s all I was looking for consistency,” Stratton said.
The Knights were losing 31-19 with just 6 minutes and 34 second in the first period the Knights made it a little interesting almost at the end of the first period.
The Knights were losing at the half 47-33 7 fouls for Quincy and 8 fouls for the Knights.
In the second period Cunningham was in the free throw line for a chance for a 3 point play after he made the shot inside the basket and it was on one.
Daniel Almarante of Lawrence had a turnover for the Knights in the second period.
It fired the Knights up when NECC Basketball head coach Stratton took out his sweet shirt during the middle of the second period with 10 minutes and 35 second left “I got animated, I want to show the kids it is right there for them in the taken we were playing for the last 10 minutes so we were pressing we were running when our presses running effectively there isn’t a team in the country that can play with us…” Stratton said.
The Knights finally tied the game at 68 on 4:40 left in the second period and 20 seconds later the Knights were up 70-68. The referee gave a technical foul to Quincy head coach after the referee gave a technical all the referee huddle together and determine they going to give him a warning.
“I think the technical was warranted I think both of us were animated and we both were looking for some consistency tonight it wasn’t one of the consistent night and I am glad that we came on top but the officials didn’t win or loss this basketball game our team took it and won this basketball game,” Stratton said.
Both team had 10 fouls in the second half.
“After leaving that game they we doing a lot of stuff in social media that I don’t have but the kids were telling me and the other day Thursday at practice I came up with the game plan to beat this basketball team and I was very confident there weren’t a lot of confident people that we could do that they said that they are too… I don’t worry about anything everyone is beatable… I send out a group text the score of our last game 90 to 63 to every single person and they told you I did it over and over again cause I want them a reminder that that wasn’t us that we are better than that and from day one I thought that this team had a chance to do something special and they are in the break of that and hopefully going into tomorrow to do something special,” Stratton said.
I asked Matt D’Amato of Peobody I asked him how it is feel to head to the Region 21 a chance to win it all “It feels amazing we worked so hard all year for this and know we have a chance to get it done know one is more excited than us we (are) ready to go,” he said.
