Charlie Breitrose Watertown senior Adam Patterson is introduced before the Raiders face St. Mary’s in the MIAA DIv. 3 State Final on Friday night in Lowell.
The Raiders need one more win to reach the pinnacle of high school basketball, but in their way is a powerful St. Mary’s team that has steamrolled its opponents on the way to the Final.
Second-seeded Watertown (17-7) meets top-seeded St. Mary’s (26-1) in the MIAA Div. 3 State Final at Lowell’s Tsongas Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18.
Watertown starters:
Adam Patterson
Tyler Timperio
Pierre Labossiere
Joseph Spinelli
SeanAnthony McCusker
Live updates start at 7:30 p.m.
FIRST QUARTER
7:05 left Spinelli 3 then a Labossiere 2. 5-0 Watertown
6:38 – 2 quick St. Mary’s baskets..5-4 Watertown
5:46 – Watertown time out. Had trouble getting ball over half court.
4:51 – McCusker layup. 7-4 WHS
3:42 McCusker tip in
2:31 – Labossiere lay in. 11-6 Raiders
1:54 Timperio 3, up 14-6
1:14 – Timperio answers a St. Mary’s 3. 17-9
0:05 – Another Timperio 3. 20-12 Watertown
End of First Quarter, Watertown 20, St. Mary’s 12.
Second Quarter
6:01 – Spartans get first 2 baskets. Watertown up 20-16
5:03 – Patterson lay up stops a run. 22-19 Watertown
4:14 – St. Mary’s ties it at 22
3:58 – Timperio fouled, hits both. 24-22 WHS
3:11 – Spinelli lay up and Labossiere lay up makes it 28-23 Watertown
2:16 – Spinelli 3! 31-25 Watertown
0:00 – St Mary’s gets last basket but misses pair of free throws late in the quarter.
Halftime score in the State Final: Watertown 31, St. Mary’s 27.
Third Quarter
Second half just started
6:46 – Spartans score first six. Take lead 33-31
5:39 – St. Mary’s puts the press on, causes a turnover, lays it in. 37-31 Spartans
5:01 – Spinelli hits a 3. 39-34 St. Mary’s
4:24 – Patterson picks up 4th foul on a charge
3:29 – Patterson coming back in. St. Mary’s up 45-34
1:26 – Labossiere ends drought with lay up. 49-36 St. Mary’s
0:00 – Spartans scored last 5 points of the half.
End of third quarter, St. Mary’s 54, Watertown 36
Fourth Quarter
7:30 – McCusker lay up. 56-38 Spartans
6:36 – Patterson fouled, misses both.
4:14 – Labossiere makes a lay up, 63-40 St. Mary’s
1:45 – Spartans puts in its bench. 69-40 St. Mary’s
1:23 – Time out Watertown. Down 71-40. Raiders put in theor reserves
FINAL: St. Mary’s 71, Watertown 40
The Raiders
The Raiders have alternated top scorers during the Tournament. In the Final Four, senior Pierre Labossiere had 22, senior Adam Patterson had 26 in the Round of 8, and senior Tyler Timperio led the team with 27 points in the Round of 16. The starting lineup also includes senior Joseph Spinelli and senior SeanAnthony McCusker, both of whom are three-point threats.
Watertown’s strength has been its stifling defense, along with clutch rebounding.
The Raiders will be seeking the school’s fourth State Championship (the last title was in 2018). Watertown Head Coach Steve Harrington did not know just how good his team would be until about midway through the season.
“Patterson had COVID to begin the year. We didn’t start well, then we had some good practice time to get better and then about midway through the season we just started to get better and better and better — especially on the defensive end,” Harrington said. “The other players besides Adam began to gain confidence and they began to make shots. That’s when we really became really, really good — about 10 to 12 games ago.”
The Opponent
The Spartans have won their first four games in the State Tournament by an average of 33.5 points, and have just one loss this season against First Baptist, a team from Naples, Fla.
St. Mary’s, the parochial high school from Lynn, is led by the co-MVP’s of the Catholic Central League: senior Ali Barry and junior David Brown Jr. Brown had 23 points (including six three pointers) in the Final Four against Norton. Also in double figures were junior Omri Merryman (14 points) and Derick Coulanges (10 points). Barry scored seven points, and added 10 assists.
The Spartans have a championship history of their own, winning the State Title four times (most recently in 2016).
Watertown won the last time the two teams played. In the 2018 North Section Final the Raiders beat St. Mary’s 44-36 in a game played at the Tsongas Center. That year, Watertown won the State Title by beating Easthampton in the final in Springfield.
Tickets for the final are available online by clicking here.
Schools that can recruit should be in a separate tournament! Have always felt this way since the 1970’s.
Sorry Jane, I disagree. My sons went to a parochial high school and one of them was captain of his soccer and basketball team. He was never recruited for sports. In fact, he was accepted for his academic achievement.. Watertown is having an awesome year. Let’s celebrate all the boys and girls for outstanding their outstanding achievements this year.