Fishermen move on to Round of 32
Nate Montagnino drives down the court for a transition layup against Essex Tech
March 2, 2023
On Tuesday, the Fishermen boys basketball team beat Essex Tech, 76-45, in the preliminary round of the MIAA Division 3 tournament, moving on to the Round of 32 of the tournament.
Gloucester’s defense kept them in the lead throughout the whole game, stifling any attempt by the Hawks to shorten the deficit. Essex Tech’s leading scorers, Shawn O’Keefe and Colin Holden, were held to just 14 and nine points.
“I really loved our intensity on the defensive side of the ball,” Head Coach Adam Philpott said. “We forced them into a lot of contested shots. I also thought we did a great job generating points off of our defense.”
Gloucester started the game with a strong first quarter, led by Nate Montagnino’s 10 points and seven rebounds. Nate dominated the paint throughout the whole game, ending up with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
“Nate has been huge for us,” Philpott said. “He’s not the biggest guy in the post but really understands his angles and how to get himself open.”
Philpott also mentioned how hard Nate competes for rebounds, and how much his passing has improved out of the post. He draws a lot of attention in the paint, and the Fishermen’s quick ball movement helped them score so efficiently on Tuesday.
The Fishermen exploded with 26 points in the second quarter. Adam Borowick hit a three in the final seconds of the half to put Gloucester up 44-23. By halftime, the win was just about solidified, but the Fishermen scored 21 points in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
Gloucester was able to get everybody in the game, with nine players scoring as well. Nate Montagnino led the scoring with 24 points. Ashton Davis scored 12 points, and Adam Borowick added eight. Charlie Amero also recorded his first double-double of his varsity career, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The No. 20 Fishermen’s next game will be their round of 32 matchup against the No. 13 New Mission Titans. The game will be played on Friday at 5:30 at Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
“I expect this game to be extremely competitive,” Philpott said. “I think we are a much better team than our record indicates and we’re trending in the right direction. I expect to see a lot of pressure from New Mission, but if we can handle it and settle into our offense, I like our chances to come out with a win.”
