FAIR HAVEN – The Fair Haven boys’ basketball team had seen this story end, and this time the Slaters wanted a rewrite.
In last year’s Division II quarterfinals against rival Mount St. Joseph, the Mounties won a defensive fight as part of their run to the state championship game, where they lost to Montpelier.
Same dish, same story. But this time it was Fair Haven who flipped the script and topped MSJ 36-32 on Monday night.
There was no split in the game and any basket would be hard to come by.
Fair Haven’s six-point lead early in the second half had to feel good because it was the widest lead either team would have all night.
The Slaters went into halftime, clinging to a one-point lead topped by a Joe Buxton corner 3 on the buzzer after a 5-0 run that pushed them back in front.
Fair Haven maintained their lead throughout the third quarter but never managed more than one possession.
MSJ took its first lead since the second quarter in the fourth when Dezmond Krakowka hit a middle-distance jumper, but Fair Haven quickly reclaimed it with two free throws from Sam Barber, an advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.
Points continued to be difficult for both sides and Fair Haven did themselves no favors to end the game by missing a few free throws, but when it needed to be stopped it did.
The Slaters forced a final turnover in the closing seconds and Sawyer Ramey buried two free throws that made it a two-possession game with two seconds left, effectively killing MSJ’s chances.
“It’s a fever and it’s a good rivalry,” said Bob Prenevost, Fair Haven coach. “The lid was on the basket. (MSJ)’s defense made us play slowly, which we haven’t done all year. There are certain things we need to work on, but overall it’s a win. “
The Mounties can point to a handful of possessions that have cost them. They had many chances to regain momentum with a key bucket, but turnovers or stops at Fair Haven continued to block them at every turn.
“We’ve kicked ourselves in the foot a couple of times with some turnovers,” said MSJ coach Chris Charbonneau. “We missed a few buckets. We’re still young. We’ve played against teams and we’re getting better and better.
“What can we do in a four point game at this place?”
Barber was key to Fair Haven’s win, scoring seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter.
Buxton was the only Fair Haven player to score in double digits, with 12 points. He was followed by Barber’s nine and Phil Beans’ eight for the Slaters. Ramey was held without a field goal and scored all five points at the line, but was a force on the boards with nine rebounds for the Slaters.
Keegan Greeley led MSJ with 10 points, followed by Krakowka’s nine. Krakowka added 11 rebounds.
Things won’t get any easier for the Mounties (7-4) when they travel to Hartford on Thursday.
Fair Haven (12-0) knows how tough the Hurricanes are and had to work overtime last week to beat them.
“These games are barn burners,” Prenevost said. “There’s no one who’s going to be dominant (in southern Vermont). Luckily we came out on the right end of the stick tonight.”
The Slaters travel to Albany, New York for the Zero Gravity North-South Classic on Saturday, where they will face off against Hoosic Valley, New York.
Comments are closed.