Clippers Senior Drops 31 on PembrokeLast night the MA & NH High School Basketball Report was in Pembroke, NH for a Class I boys basketball contest between Portsmouth and Pembroke. Although the top rated prospect in this game was Pembroke senior Sheldon Benson, it was Portsmouth senior Mike Barton (pictured left) who stole the show.
Barton scored a game-high 31 points, including 19 in the second half, as Portsmouth beat Pembroke 61-51. Barton drilled five three-pointers, hit some clutch free throws down the stretch and also had a nice blocked shot coming from the weak side in the first quarter. Barton hit the two biggest shots of the game, which came in the third quarter. Pembroke went on an 8-0 run to starter the second half to go up 31-23. Just when it looked like they were taking over the game, Barton calmly nailed back to back three's and just like that it was a two point game and Portsmouth had the momentum back on their side.
As for Benson, he had a solid game, finishing with just nine points though. He's 6'1", but is forced to play center on an undersized Spartan team which limits his chances. Still, he was simply too quick off the dribble for Portsmouth defenders, and he was key during the team's third quarter run.
Coleton Neely had a solid game for Pembroke, with 15 points. He hit a big trey which cut the Portsmouth lead to just three midway through the fourth quarter. Pembroke also has NH's #3 ranked freshman on their team, starting point guard Rene Maher. Maher scored just sic points, but did a good job of distributing the basketball. He had a scary injury in the third quater, suffering a hyper-extended knee. He did return in the fourth quarter though, and all indications are that he'll be fine to play in the Spartan's next game.
The other two prospects for Portsmouth are sophomores Billy Lane and Kyle DiCesare. Lane is a very athletic 5'10" point guard, and he had nine points on the game. DiCesare, a 6'1" two guard, had 10 points including some big buckets in crunch time.
The story of the game though was Barton. He's not the biggest, fastest or most athletic player around. But he plays with smarts, he plays with heart, he's an excellent passer and shooter. His stock as a D-III prospect continues to rise.
