MEDFORD, Mass. - Everything seemed to be going Mansfield’s way after Michael Boen drilled a three pointer falling into his own bench as time expired in the third quarter giving the Hornets a 21 point lead against Springfield Cathedral.
But as the Hornets came to the bench after the quarter had ended you might have thought it was them trailing by 21. Head coach Mike Vaughan preached how important his team’s defense needed to be, after giving up 17 points in the third quarter.
Mansfield (4-0, 2-0 Kelley-Rex) responded in the fourth, allowing just three points and beating Springfield Cathedral 79-45.
Point guard Rocky DeAndrade led the way for Mansfield netting a team high 21 points, including five three-pointers – Mansfield finished with 13 total. DeAndrade also added six assists and six rebounds in the team’s win.
“Rocky has yet to sit out of any game we have played, luckily he’s conditioned for it,” Vaughan said about his team’s point guard. “He just has a high basketball IQ.”
Mansfield had four players, including DeAndrade, score in double figures. Ryan Boulter (19), Boen (15) and Kyle Wisnieski (14) all pitched in the Hornet’s offensive explosion. Vaughan was quick to point out that in the four games his team has played this season, there has been a different scorer in three of them.
Although Boen has been a consistent scorer so far, it’s been his rebounding that has been the most import aspect of his game with the absence of both Kevin Connor and Brendan Hill. After 15 rebounds in his last game, the junior totaled 14 today.
“Boen has been unbelievable,” said Vaughan. “He’s had double-digit rebounds in every game we’ve played. He’s really been picking up the slack, and right now he’s our best overall player.”
The Hornets were patient all game on the offensive end breaking down Cathedral defenders with their dribble-drive offense. DeAndrade and company were able to attack the basket with ease, which led to many open baskets on the perimeter after the defense broke down.
“We’ve been focusing on long possessions to break things down defensively,” said DeAndrade. “It’s all about making the extra pass and being unselfish.”
Despite his team’s offensive outbreak, Vaughan knows that you can’t on his team’s ability to score to win games throughout the season.
“Defense has to be your bread and butter,” he said. “Down the stretch of a season, if you’re not making shots and you give up easy bunnies, you will never win any close games.”
“You can never catch a break with coach Vaughan,” Andrade said with a smile on his face when asked about Vaughan’s outbreak after the third quarter. “Once you do one thing very well he wants us to do something better. And this time it was our defense.”
Mansfield returns to action tomorrow at 5:30 as they take on Cardinal Spellman in their second game of the Shooting Touch Shootout.
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