Brockton over Newton North in a Good OneIn a rematch of last year's Division-I South Final, Brockton took down Newton North yesterday, 80-69. The Boxers got the win despite giving up 39 points to North senior Greg Kelley (pictured left). That's 39 out of his his team's 69 points! Leading the way for Brockton was senior guard Leonardo Medina and junior forward Traece Macklin with 18 points apiece.
Also contributing for North was sophomore Mike Thorpe. Thorpe, the #8 ranked player in his class, had 7 points including a three pointer which gave the Tigers their largest lead at 32-21.
The story of the game though was Kelley. The 6'9" center was getting it done inside and outside, as 15 of his points came from beyond the arc. Kelley, the #2 ranked senior in Massachusetts, will play basketball at Yale next season. Kelley also had a game-high 25 points on Friday night in a 64-39 win over Dedham.
Brockton and Newton North were two of the best teams in Mass. last year, and the same is expected to be true this season. With the win, Brockton improves to 12-1 overall, while Newton North is still an impressive 14-2 with the loss. If the Tigers hope to avenge this loss in the MIAA tournament, they will have to get stronger contributions from Kelley's supporting cast.
Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Oliver Ames senior Lauren Battista had a pair of big games over the weekend. Battista posted 30 points on Franklin, and notched 24 points and 11 rebounds against Foxborough. Both games were double digit wins for Oliver Ames. Battista, the #12 ranked girls player in Mass. for the Class of 2010, will be taking her game to Bentley next season.
